BLACKPINK’s Jennie will appear as the final “runner” on JTBC’s variety show “My Name Is Gabriel” (directed by Kim Tae-ho and Lee Tae-kyung). She will feature in the 13th episode airing on September 27th and the 14th episode on October 4th, marking the show’s grand finale.
Globally, Jennie is a superstar with each of her SNS posts valued at around 700 million won. Her influence and symbolic presence go beyond being just a member of an idol group. This has led to the creation of the term “Jennie Effect” in the music, advertising and fashion industries.
However, this “Jennie Effect” has not quite worked as well in the variety show scene. Jennie’s previous variety show appearances, including SBS’s “Village Survival, the Eight” and tvN’s “Apartment 404”, did not deliver the expected results.
In particular, “Apartment 404”, which aired in the first half of this year, started with a 2.7% viewership rating but dropped to 1.3% by the finale. While some of Jennie’s standout moments gained attention online, the show itself did not capture a large audience. Afterward, Jennie did not have any plans to appear on more variety shows and initially declined the offer to join “My Name Is Gabriel”.
Despite this, her appearance on “My Name Is Gabriel” offers some hope. The show’s premise involves living the life of an ordinary person for 72 hours, out of the 8 billion people on Earth, in a place where no one knows you. This reality-driven format may provide an opportunity for fans to see a more genuine side of Jennie.
Another point of interest is that Jennie will be featured without any of her usual co-stars like Yoo Jae-suk. She will lead two full episodes on her own. Additionally, the storyline of her becoming the manager of a rural bed-and-breakfast near Rome, Italy adds intrigue. The picturesque Italian scenery, combined with Jennie picking up guests, cooking and preparing banquets will likely stir curiosity among viewers.
Jennie previously made waves when she appeared as the first guest on KBS 2TV’s “The Seasons – Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet”, boosting its ratings and popularity across platforms. “My Name Is Gabriel”, despite its star-studded cast featuring Park Bo-gum, Park Myung-soo, Yeom Hye-ran, Hong Jin-kyung, Ji Chang-wook, Dex and Gabee, has been stuck with 1% ratings. All eyes are now on whether the final episodes, featuring Jennie as the hidden card, will deliver a spectacular finale.
Source: Naver
