The concept collapsed and the show stalled… Behind the end of Masahiro Nakai’s “Dareka to Nakai”: The cost of the “Matsumoto shock” was too great.

The “partner’s scandal” was a big one.

Former “V6” member Junichi Okada (44) has been announced as the new MC of “Dareka to Nakai” (Fuji TV), a talk variety show in which Masahiro Nakai (52) serves as MC, but Nakai may not be at peace. However, Nakai may not be at peace with the news, as the show is in a “pinch.

Daredaka to Nakai” started as “Matsumo to Nakai” in April 2011. It attracted attention as a talk show featuring Nakai and “Downtown” star Matsumoto Hitoshi (61), but within a year of its launch, the show suffered a setback.

In January 2012, Matsumoto announced that he was suspending his entertainment activities in order to focus on the “sexual assault” trial that was reported in the “Weekly Bunshun” magazine. Since the name of the program included Matsumoto’s name, it was renamed to the current name. Kazuya Ninomiya (41) of “Arashi” fame replaced Matsumoto as MC from February to March, and Muro Tsuyoshi (48) from April to December 1, with Okada taking over as MC from January 12, 2013. However, on December 12, several media reported that the program would end in March 2013.

In addition, the December 19 issue of “Josei Seven” reported Nakai’s own “trouble with women. In 2011, when he was alone with a woman he was having dinner with in a closed room, “serious trouble” occurred. Nakai’s side paid 90 million yen as a settlement, and it seems that a big problem has arisen, but a TV station official revealed, “It is said that the end of the program was decided even before this report.

A TV station source revealed, “It is said that the termination of the program had been decided even before the news broke. At first, Fuji Television pushed the fact that the program would feature Nakai and Matsumoto, two well-known personalities, as its main stars. However, Matsumoto was suspended after “allegations of sexual assault” were made. Later, when the episode with Matsumoto was still on the air, the number of sponsors dropped drastically to one. Perhaps the sponsors were reluctant to air the program. ……

While being forced to deal with the “Matsumoto shock,” the program continued to run with a new title. However, the cost of Matsumoto’s departure was significant.

It has become just another talk show.”

One of the TV station officials continued, “The show still has several sponsors, but the loss of one of the two main MCs was a big blow.

The program still has several sponsors, but the loss of one of the two main MCs was significant, and it was difficult to acquire sponsors. Despite the fact that the program was promoted as a talk show between Nakai and Matsumoto, the main MC and the name of the program changed in just one year, and the MC who was Nakai’s partner was replaced a total of three times. Perhaps this gave the impression that the program was not centered on a single axis.

In “Matsumoto to Nakai,” Matsumoto and Nakai would match up two celebrities they wanted to bring together for a face-to-face talk. This method is still used today, but some of the concepts seem to have collapsed.

The first episode of “Matsumo to Nakai” featured Shingo Katori (47) as a guest, which made an impact because it featured the former SMAP members together with Nakai. Subsequently, many other celebrities who rarely appear on TV appeared, including Beat Takeshi (77), Sayuri Yoshinaga (79), Hikaru Utada (41), and former “KAT-TUN” member Jin Akanishi (40), as well as many other big-name personalities. However, the range of guests on “Dareka to Nakai” has become narrower, and more and more young actors appear on the show to announce dramas and movies. In other words, it has become just another talk show. The original concept of ‘celebrities you want to meet’ has faded away,” said an entertainment industry insider.

The new MC, Okada, will team up with Nakai from the beginning of the new year. However, there is a comment on the timing of the new MC: …….

The program could have decided whether or not to continue with Okada as MC after seeing the reaction to the show. If the program ends next March, it will mean that the end of the program was decided even before Okada was appointed. Fuji may no longer see the point in continuing the program with any further leverage. ……

What will Nakai think as the strong headwinds continue to blow?