Who says you can’t have a holly jolly Christmas by yourself? Or any day of the year for that matter? “I Live Alone” is a Korean show that reassures singles that it’s OK to be lonely. To encourage viewers, the show records videos of what some of Korea’s celebrities do on a daily basis. Of course, the staff members ask celebrities living by themselves if they can leave a camera with them, but the rest is up to them.
To help with making the show more candid, a camera is put in the eyeball of a large stuffed bear to welcome viewers into the homes of celebrities. “I Live Alone” is unscripted reality; there’s no telling what’s going to happen and there’s not a lot of filtering, so celebrities feel at ease expressing themselves without having to worry about their every move.
“I Live Alone” was originally created to showcase the unique sympathies of singles in South Korea — over 5 million people live in households with only one person. The show has formed a club called the Rainbow Club, welcoming all celebrities living alone. Some recurring guests include comedian and show host Park Na-rae, manhwa artist Kian84, actor Lee Si-eon, singer Hwasa and singer Son Dam-bi. One-third of Korean celebrities are single.
Diving into the life of a spontaneous day ahead keeps the viewers excited to find out what’s in store for them. Sometimes, the days of a celebrity can be booked, and other days, they might stay home all day. The show recorded the lives of many different kinds of celebrities.
When an episode stars a trending idol, the singer may have to perform in shows all day, still practicing when they get home too. Celebrities that might have more time, like former singers or actors, go camping, cook and bake, paint or have an adventure of their own. There are also a lot of celebrities interested in self-care. Many of them have personal trainers while others do yoga, box or pole dance.
Many celebrities also enjoy staying inside all day and do everything to make their home fully accessible to the viewer. Comedian Park Na-rae has actually renamed her house “Na Rae Bar,” while another comedian named Lee Guk-joo has made a tent that gives off the same feel as a nighttime street restaurant, with stands, a grill and a table.
One of the show’s recent episodes highlighted golf athlete Pak Se-ri. Pak also enjoys food, and like many other celebrities, she has built a snack shelf in her house filled with hundreds of chips she can grab at any time of the day.
Some occupations call for constant activity, but many older actors, announcers and artists don’t have schedules and love to stay home and do nothing. Although I might agree that that’s the best option in life, many celebrities choose to use their free time to work. There are many bodybuilders and busybodies in the entertainment industry that either enjoy staying in shape or staying occupied. Some celebrities even forget to eat or clean.
Celebrities are people too; they look disheveled in the morning and forget to do the simplest things like turn off the oven. They’re not dressed up all the time and definitely not as composed as TV makes them seem.
It’s honestly not surprising that “I Live Alone” is breaking charts not only in Korea, but in the United States as well. In the reality genre, the show is ranked beyond any other, and many Americans anticipate watching it every Friday when it airs. As the series becomes more and more popular, it comes as no surprise that the demand for it is increasing. So what are you waiting for? Go on YouTube and see why this reality TV show has become such a hit.
