‘Starlight Boys’ Sparks Outrage as Contestants Face Hospitalization from Gruelling Dance Challenge

Starlight Boys, a reality competition show that pits 69 male contestants against one another on their journey to become part of a final top 9, faced backlash when several reportedly required hospitalization after an extreme dance challenge.

The iQIYI SBS Color Bar, which premiered on SBS on October 26, is hosted by Lee Sung Kyoung and judged by Lee Seung Gi, among others, including BIGBANG’s Daesung.

During the second episode, contestants had to dance in sync on cue when their song played.

They showed their personal skills — instead of dancing separately, making this
more challenging to judge.

Based on performances, 56 would advance from an initial pond of 68. Yet the trainees had to perform two hours of dance stints each round with 30 seconds of a break in between.

During the course of the competition, a few contestants vented about how strenuous it was on their bodies.

For his part, Trainee Sun Yinghao actually called the end on round, stating that they were not “machines.”

The competition format was so intense that multiple participants, including Ling Qi, Yinghao, and BAE173 members Hangyul, Jijun, and Shihuan, were hospitalized for being overworked.

The extreme health risks linked to such punishing challenges have drawn the ire of critics, who want producers to rethink how they assess contestants.

Earlier this month, in the wake of controversy over “Starlight Boys,” criticism was leveled specifically against xenophobia within the global marketing strategy of the show.

Many viewers have expressed their frustration and anger on social media over the recent news.

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Rovelyn Barba