Will adding more A-list stars be enough to turn things around?
2 hours ago
The Secret Friends Club, which aired on MBC on February 1, 2026 (KST), is an entertainment show in which participants secretly deliver surprise gifts without revealing their identities. The program initially drew attention for its high-profile lineup, including BLACKPINK‘s Jennie, Single’s Inferno star Dex, Choo Sung Hoon, Noh Hong Chul, and Lee Soo Ji.
The cast of “The Secret Friends Club” | MBC
Despite the buzz surrounding its glamorous casting, though, the show’s early ratings have been underwhelming. In fact, even before airing, the show drew comparisons to the chase missions of Infinite Challenge, a format that producer Kim Tae Ho frequently utilized in the past.
Once unveiled, despite the cast’s efforts, many viewers felt the show failed to capture the true thrill of a chase. Comments included, “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,” and “The editing is too loose, so there’s no tension.” While some said the second episode was better than the first, disappointment toward Kim Tae Ho’s latest venture remains strong.
Ratings and buzz have also been lackluster. The show debuted at 2.1% but dropped to 1.6% by Episode 2—less than half of the 4.4% rating achieved by the final episode of its predecessor, King of Mask Singer. Scoring in the 1% range during the coveted Sunday 6 PM time slot is considered a painful result. In terms of buzz, only Jennie ranked at #8 on FunDex’s non-drama cast popularity index for the fifth week of January.
“The Secret Friends Club” viewership ratings | Naver
That said, following the second episode, the production team unveiled additional cast members. The second lineup is just as star-studded, including Jung Hae In, Go Youn Jung, Park Myung Soo, Hong Jin Kyung, Kim Do Hoon, and chef Yoon Nam No. Joining as part of the third lineup are Cha Tae Hyun, Park Bo Young, Lee Sun Bin, ZE:A‘s Kwanghee, and Kang Hoon. MBC can only hope that the new relationship dynamics and humor they create will be key to driving the show forward.
Attention now turns to whether The Secret Friends Club can break out of the 1% ratings range and achieve a meaningful rebound. To overcome early criticism and stage a turnaround, changes in direction appear urgent. Whether faster editing and a stronger sense of chase-driven excitement can revive the show remains to be seen, as the production team faces mounting pressure.
The Secret Friends Club airs every Sunday at 5:50 PM.
Source: Tenasia and News1