Rising Trend of Celebrity Co-Stars — The Divide Between Those Who Profit and Those Who Don’t

What are the benefits of couples appearing together on television?

Miki Fujimoto and Tomoharu Shoji Become Regular Co-Hosts — Why More Celebrity Couples Are Going Public Together

Singer Miki Fujimoto (40) and her husband, comedian Tomoharu Shoji (49) of Shinagawa Shoji, are set to co-host the cooking variety show Mikitty Dining (Fuji TV) as a regular program starting this October.

“Because they prioritized raising their children, their schedules made it difficult to appear together on TV for years. Now that they’ve officially lifted their ‘no-co-starring’ rule, Shoji will likely get more TV opportunities as well,” explains a TV writer.

They’re not alone. This spring, Noritake Kinashi (63) of Tunnels and actress Narumi Yasuda (58) co-starred for the first time in 31 years of marriage on NHK’s travel program Noritake & Narumi’s South America: The Couple’s Journey. More and more celebrity couples are following suit.

“It’s often because child-rearing has settled down,” the writer continues. “They also want to broaden their work. Especially for those who have stayed successful for years — they’re not just chasing money anymore; they want to turn what they love into work.”

Of course, some celebrity couples still refuse to appear together.

“Examples include Gekidan Hitori (48) and Akane Ohsawa (40), as well as Kazuki Ohtake (57) of Summersand his wife, announcer Hitomi Nakamura (46). They joke about each other on talk shows, but they avoid working together because they find it embarrassing. For many, doing a ‘couple act’ is a last-resort move for when jobs start to dry up — not something they need while their careers are strong,” says a major network producer.

An executive at a talent agency adds that it’s usually the husband who objects to doing couple appearances.

“Like with former Johnny’s idols, male entertainers often worry about how their female fans will react. For women, most male fans leave once they marry, so appearing with their husbands doesn’t hurt them much. But for male actors, being too closely associated with marriage can hurt their chances of getting cast in romance roles.”

Still, selling the couple image has major upsides.

“In variety shows, they can shoot some casual footage of their home life on a smartphone and get paid for two people. Sometimes the show even covers the cost of family trips. If they don’t mind showing their private life, it’s a great deal — plus, a happy family image can lead to commercial or sponsorship offers,” says a TV director.

However, the same agency executive warns:

“Sometimes the public image doesn’t match reality. There are couples who are just pretending for the cameras or even having affairs behind the scenes. When that comes out after a big project, it’s the staff who suffer the fallout. Since most couples belong to different agencies, it can strain business relationships too.”

And even willing couples aren’t always welcomed by networks.

“For example, Michopa (26) and her husband Shimon Okura (32) are a tough sell. There’s too much of a career gap between them, and he’s been accused of womanizing. Viewers just can’t relate to them,” says the same TV writer.

In short, not every celebrity couple can profit from their relationship — but for those who can, it’s one of the most lucrative and image-boosting strategies in the business.

(Source: “FRIDAY”, October 3–10, 2025 issue)