Three Contestants Withdraw From “Racist” And Scandal-Ridden Survival Show At Once
The South Korean-Chinese survival show Starlight Boys is making headlines for all the wrong reasons after three contestants abruptly exited the competition.
Fans are left questioning the circumstances surrounding their departure, especially as one of the trainees was considered among the most popular contenders. The sudden exits have only deepened concerns over ongoing controversies tied to the program.
Starlight Boys, which premiered on October 26, 2024, airs on iQIYI and SBS. It started with 69 contestants competing for a spot in a nine-member boy group. However, the show has faced backlash since its launch, with allegations of racism and xenophobia casting a shadow over its production.
New Survival Show “Starlight Boys” Under Fire For Alleged Racism And Xenophobia
Sun Yinghao, one of the contestants, previously voiced his dissatisfaction during the program’s first major challenge, sharing a letter that hinted at frustration with the show’s direction. Zhang Jijun (another participant) also appeared to subtly urge fans to stop supporting him in the competition. Such statements have led to voting unions and fan communities ceasing their support for certain trainees, further fueling speculation about internal problems.
Top Survival Show Trainees Seemingly Tell Fans To Stop Voting For Them, Sparking Concerns
Hours after these revelations, Sun Yinghao, Zhang Jijun, and Yoo Gwan Woo officially withdrew from the show. The announcement was quietly updated on the iQIYI app without any detailed explanation.
iqiyi APP shows that #YooGwanWoo #SunYingHao #Zhangjijun have withdrawn from the Starlight Boys pic.twitter.com/SnMA4QUwhL
— StarLight Boys Archive (@SLB_archive) December 15, 2024
Fans online were quick to voice their outrage, accusing the production team of mistreating the contestants to the point that some no longer considered debuting in the final group desirable.
starlight boys better be a joke… there is no way 4 withdrawed and 3 of these are in the debut group.. these boys are being mistreated when they chose to be part of this survival show to DEBUT. why are they treating the trainees as if they committed a crime.. pic.twitter.com/gll728sfBR
— nora💗無限大 (@iluvdohun) December 15, 2024
fck u starlight boys fxk u iqiyi fck u sbs fck u podol fck u lee soo man we love you xingxing and lingqi pic.twitter.com/yb33V49Xu6
— la'v n rose⭒P01 ZIHENG⭒ (@jiahaobread) December 14, 2024
fuck starlight boys fuck iqiyi fuck sbs fuck guiders fuck shitty mentors fuck guardians fuck my life fuck everyone fuck everything pic.twitter.com/17hmwtaEgL
— asha (@haribozt) December 15, 2024
starlight boys just lost the trainee who popularized the show, the trainee with the biggest fandom and has been ranking no.1 consistently, and the trainee with the riches fandom#StarlightBoys #YooGwanWoo #LiuGuanYou #SunYingHao #ZhangJijun https://t.co/IT3q1CmQeN
— rie | starlight boys gwanwoo (@guanyoubaobei) December 15, 2024
The departures have intensified scrutiny of Starlight Boys and its handling of contestants, leaving fans demanding accountability and transparency from the show’s producers. With controversies continuing to mount, the future of the program appears increasingly uncertain.
