Tegoshi’s Itte Q Appearance Boosts NEWS Songs and New Band’s Success

NEWS songs are experiencing a mini-buzz thanks to Tegoshi’s long-awaited appearance on Itte Q!

Former NEWS member Yuya Tegoshi made his return to the variety show Sekai no Hate Made Itte Q! (broadcast on Nippon Television) on October 13, 2023, after a four-year hiatus, causing a major buzz. His return generated high viewership ratings, reflecting the attention surrounding his comeback. The “Tegoshi effect” also seems to have sparked renewed interest in certain songs by NEWS.

In 2020, Tegoshi’s career was significantly impacted after repeated violations of the stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to his contract being terminated by the now SMILE-UP agency on June 19 of that year.

After leaving NEWS, Tegoshi pursued a solo music career, finding new opportunities on platforms like YouTube. During the four years he was absent from mainstream TV, fans of his long-time program Itte Q expressed their desire for his return. When a preview of the upcoming episode featuring Tegoshi aired on September 29, 2023, there was an outpouring of excitement on social media.

Tegoshi finally made his appearance on the October 13 episode, participating in the “World’s Most Exciting Festival” segment alongside regular cast members Uchimura and Daiki Miyagawa, with the trio filming in Italy.

This episode garnered a household rating of 13.5% and an individual rating of 9.8%, according to Video Research data for the Kanto region. The previous week’s episode on September 29 had a household rating of 9.9%, indicating a significant boost in viewership due to Tegoshi’s appearance.

Additionally, the episode garnered 4.21 million views on the streaming platform TVer from October 13 to 20, breaking a record for the highest number of views over an eight-day period for a variety show. This suggests that viewers and Itte Q fans had eagerly anticipated Tegoshi’s return.

Furthermore, Tegoshi’s appearance on television had a positive impact on NEWS’s music, as the group had recently made all of their singles and albums available for streaming and downloads on music platforms on September 15.

After the Itte Q broadcast, one of NEWS’s songs, Chankapana (released in 2012), saw a surge in streaming. This song is particularly memorable for Tegoshi’s long note on the song’s title, which likely resonated with fans.