The Netflix series Pop Star Academy: Katseye has faced significant backlash over accusations of deceiving its contestants, igniting a wave of criticism from viewers. The show, a joint effort by K-pop giant HYBE and U.S. record label Geffen, set out to create the first-ever global girl group from over 120,000 applicants worldwide. The series documented the journey of 20 trainees undergoing intense K-pop-style training in Los Angeles, with only six ultimately making it into the final group, Katseye.

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Controversy arose when it was revealed that the contestants were unaware they were part of a survival show. For several weeks, the trainees believed they were simply training, only to later discover they were actually competing for public votes. The tension reached a peak 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 in Episode 7, voiced her frustration, stating, “The whole program changed so much when it went public and turned into this show, pitting us against each other.” Karlee, another contestant, shared similar feelings, saying, “From the start, we didn’t know this was a survival show. We thought it was training – pick the girls, prepare for debut, and debut.”

Fans took to social media to express their outrage, with one user on X/Twitter writing, “If I signed up to be trained IN PRIVATE, evaluated IN PRIVATE, and selected for a girl group IN PRIVATE, only to find out after a year of grueling training that it’s actually a SURVIVAL SHOW – oh, there would be hell to pay.”

Despite the criticism, some viewers supported the twist, with one commenting, “As much as I hate that HYBE and Geffen didn’t tell the girls they were in a survival show, it was the best decision. The final lineup of Katseye is perfect.”

Pop Star Academy: Katseye is now streaming on Netflix.