Lee Seung Gi says Yoo Jae Suk’s dance initiation on 'X-Man' caused him stress “It left me with trauma”

Lee Seung Gi looked back on the struggles he faced during his early rookie days.

On the night of November 29, MBN 'Kim Joo-ha's Day & Night' featured actor-singer Lee Seung Gi as a guest. Making his first-ever appearance on MBN, Lee Seung Gi was asked how he felt about the trio of hosts Kim Joo Ha, Moon Se Yoon, and ZO ZAZZ. He joked, “There’s no such thing as a stew more mixed than this. It feels like sinseollo blended with budae jjigae. After 'Ya Shim Man Man,' I’ve wondered what a true talk show should be like. Above all, I was most curious about the chemistry between the three of you. I just want to have fun here today.”

During the show, Lee Seung Gi admitted that although he rose to fame quickly, that very speed made things harder afterward. “I debuted as an ordinary singer, but because my song did well, I appeared on so many variety programs,” he said. “How could a random high schooler act slick in front of the stars he’d only seen on TV? I got scolded endlessly during my first album.” Lee Seung Gi debuted at age 17 in 2004 with his first studio album ‘Because you’re my woman.’

He recalled how challenging those early experiences were. “On the program Rival, I had just one shot in week one and only one line aired in week two,” he said. “On 'Heroine 6,' I was shaking so badly in front of senior legends like Lee Kyung Sil that I made nine NGs. Everyone looked at me with pity, which only made it worse. I kept thinking, ‘I hope someone steps in to help me,’ but they just kept making me do it. I thought I was going to lose my mind.”

Lee Seung Gi revealed that the ‘dance initiation’ segment led by Yoo Jae Suk on X-Man remains a lasting trauma. “Whenever Jae Suk announced the ‘dance initiation,’ my heart would shrivel up,” he said. “Whenever they brought out the roulette wheel, I would pray, ‘Please let Jae Suk make a mistake. Please don’t call my name.’”

Now active as the MC of 'Sing Again,' Lee Seung Gi shared how deeply he relates to the contestants. “They’re climbing up from being unknown singers, so standing on that stage is terrifying,” he said. “I thought I could guide their stories gently, but sometimes they just burst into tears.” He added, “Then I start worrying that I’m making it harder for them to sing. So I try to ask questions they can anticipate.”

Meanwhile, ZO ZAZZ shared the behind-the-scenes story of why he didn’t appear on 'Sing Again.' “I released the song ‘Don’t you know’ to compete on 'Sing Again,' but it did too well,” he said. “They told me I was too well-known to participate.” Laughing, Lee Seung Gi replied, “If you came on the show, with your looks, there’s no way you’d get eliminated in round one. You’d make it to at least round three,” drawing big laughs on set.