Pop Star Academy: Katseye faces backlash for alleged deception of contestants in Netflix series

The Netflix series Pop Star Academy: Katseye has come under fire for allegedly deceiving its contestants, sparking a backlash among viewers. The show, a collaboration between K-pop powerhouse HYBE and US record label Geffen, aimed to form the first-ever global girl group from over 120,000 applicants worldwide. The series followed 20 trainees undergoing rigorous K-pop-style training in Los Angeles, with only six making it to the final group, Katseye.

However, controversy erupted when it was revealed that the contestants were unaware they were participating in a survival show. For weeks, the trainees believed they were simply in training, only to discover later that they were competing for public votes. The situation escalated in Episode 6 when four contestants were eliminated via a robotic voice on a TV screen, rather than being informed by their trainers.

Lexie, a contestant who voluntarily left the show in Episode 7, expressed her discontent: “The whole program changed so much when it went public and when it turned into, like, this show, turning us against each other.” Karlee, another contestant, echoed her sentiment, stating, “From the start, we didn’t know this was a survival show. It was supposed to be training – pick the girls, prepare for debut, and debut.”

Fans took to social media to voice their anger, with one user on X/Twitter writing, “If I signed on to be trained IN PRIVATE, evaluated IN PRIVATE, and selected to be in a girl group IN PRIVATE and after a year of grueling training sessions and brutal evaluations surprise surprise it’s a SURVIVAL SHOW! Oh, there would be hell to pay.”

Despite the backlash, some viewers supported the decision, with one stating, “As much as I hate that HYBE and Geffen didn’t tell the girls they were participating in a survival show, it was the best thing they could’ve done. The final lineup of Katseye is so perfect.”

Pop Star Academy: Katseye is now streaming on Netflix.