Lee Seung-gi Falls to Record-Low 7 Votes on 'Hidden Singer 8' After Predicting 100

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi left a new mark on the 14-year history of JTBC's music competition program 'Hidden Singer,' but not in the way he had confidently predicted.

On the June 2 broadcast of JTBC's 'Hidden Singer 8,' Lee appeared as the final original singer of the season and competed against contestants skilled at imitating his voice. According to Nielsen Korea, the episode recorded nationwide viewership of 2.8 percent and metropolitan-area viewership of 2.5 percent.

Lee had reportedly received calls from the production team for more than 10 years before finally joining the program. Before the contest began, he showed clear confidence, saying that he had never seen anyone imitate him. He also declared that in the fourth round, where the panel had to identify the original singer, he would surpass Psy's record of 98 votes and receive a perfect 100 votes. The result, however, moved in the opposite direction.

As performances of Lee's representative songs continued, including 'Delete,' 'Because You're My Woman,' 'Will You Marry Me' and 'Return,' an unexpected situation unfolded. The judging panel struggled to identify the real Lee Seung-gi, and even people close to him failed to consistently find him. FT Island member Lee Hong-ki, Monday Kiz member Lee Jin-sung and actor Ahn Jae-hyun, all described as close friends of Lee, were unable to clearly pick out the original singer.

The fourth-round mission song, 'Return,' especially highlighted the strength of the imitation contestants. Their performances were convincing enough that Kim Jae-hwan, formerly of Wanna One, told one contestant that he seemed like the owner of the song, showing just how difficult the round had become.

In the end, Lee received only seven votes in the fourth round for identifying the original singer. That figure became the lowest vote total ever recorded in the history of the 'Hidden Singer' series.

The final victory went to Choi Jun-seo, introduced as 'Sasulga Lee Seung-gi.' He was recognized for perfectly recreating both Lee Seung-gi's current voice and the voice associated with Lee's past performances.

After the competition, Lee expressed gratitude to the imitators. He said it was very enjoyable and meaningful to see how deeply they had analyzed and thought about him, offering his thanks to the contestants who had studied his singing so closely.