MBC’s Bold New Series Fails Despite Star-Studded Lineup Including BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Dex, And Others
Jennie and MBC’s new show The Secret Friends Club are facing major backlash over low ratings and dull execution.
The show premiered February 1, 2026, with a star-studded cast including BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Single’s Inferno star Dex, Choo Sung Hoon, Noh Hong Chul, and Lee Soo Ji.
Despite the hype, viewers slammed the show for lacking excitement. The format, involving secret gift deliveries, was compared unfavorably to Infinite Challenge chase missions, previously produced by Kim Tae Ho.
The backlash started right after airing.
Viewers called it boring despite the big names. Some said:
“It’s hard to believe they gathered such hot stars and still made it this boring,”
“Kim Tae Ho seems to have lost his touch,”
“It feels like watching a dull version of Infinite Challenge,”
“The editing is too loose, so there’s no tension.”
Though some noted the second episode improved slightly, disappointment remains high.
Ratings tell the story. The first episode scored 2.1%, then dropped to 1.6% for Episode 2 — less than half the 4.4% rating from the final King of Mask Singer episode that came before.
Hitting 1% in Sunday 6 PM slot is a tough blow. Jennie was the only cast member to score high on FunDex’s popularity rankings, landing #8 in late January.
In response, MBC added more A-list stars after Episode 2 to try saving the show.
New cast includes Jung Hae In, Go Youn Jung, Park Myung Soo, Hong Jin Kyung, Kim Do Hoon, and chef Yoon Nam No. Later, Cha Tae Hyun, Park Bo Young, Lee Sun Bin, ZE:A’s Kwanghee, and Kang Hoon join.
The hope: fresh energy and new dynamics will boost the show.
The production team now faces pressure to fix pacing and build real chase excitement, or risk continuing in the low 1% rating range.
The Secret Friends Club airs Sundays at 5:50 PM KST.