Insiders Speak Out: Claims That Ano-Chan Reviewed the Script and Named Another Celebrity She Didn’t Like

Ano-chan must have looked over the script

“Counting from when it was still a late-night program, it has been seven years. If, as Ano-san says, the situation was one where unwanted circumstances continued and things kept moving forward unchanged despite her resistance, then I don’t think it would have lasted this long. I am filled with a sense of helplessness at the explanation that seems to imply the program staff forced her to do it.”

It is still fresh in people’s memories that the host of a show announced on social media, “I no longer want to continue, so I am stepping down from the program,” leading to the unprecedented cancellation of ‘Ano-chan Channel’ (TV Asahi).

Ano (age undisclosed) explained the circumstances behind her decision to leave the show on social media on May 23 (second photo). On the same day, TV Asahi also apologized on its official website, stating, “All responsibility for this matter lies with the program production side,” and announced the end of “Ano-chan Channel” and the suspension of its distribution. The program aired its final episode on June 15—but a TV Asahi employee, Mr. A, who was involved in the program’s production, expressed his frustration as quoted above.

It is widely known that the trigger for her departure was a segment aired on May 18 titled taking soccer shots while saying the names of celebrities you dislike. According to Ano, the content of the segment had been kept hidden until shortly before filming, and the production side also refused her request to bleep out the names of the celebrities she disliked. Although growing distrust toward the production team became the reason for her decision to leave, Mr. A expressed doubts, saying, “Ano-san must have looked over the script.”

“Before filming, we sent the script to Ano-san’s agency and had them review and revise it. We also received approval for the questions. It is unthinkable that a host would not read the script, and if the content was not conveyed to her personally, then that is an issue with Ano-san’s agency, not with us.”

In the list of topics section of the “Ano-chan Channel” script shown by Mr. A to FRIDAY, lines such as “Who is the celebrity you dislike the most after Becky?” and “Which comedian or celebrity made you think, ‘I can’t forgive this person’?” were written. Mr. A continued:

“For ‘Ano-chan Channel,’ the editing process proceeded with the agency officially specifying the parts that should not be aired after recording. During the recording, Ano-san did indeed say that she wanted a beep sound inserted, and that statement was actually broadcast. However, after filming, the agency did not officially designate it as a prohibited part. That is why we thought the comment ‘Please add a beep’ was simply part of the performance setup.”

There was one more

Mr. A says there was another reason he came to that conclusion. During the recording, Ano had apparently also named actress “X” as a celebrity she disliked. “In X’s case, the agency followed the usual process and issued a no-air request,” Mr. A says.

“X, who is currently in her 30s, is what you would call a ‘high-energy, outgoing’ type. She is someone who speaks her mind directly, and it is true that she is the kind of person who tends to divide opinions. However, regarding Sarina Suzuki (48), Ano had a specific reason for disliking her: when they appeared together on a program featuring Snow Man, Suzuki allegedly took Ano’s cue card and read it. As for X, it was more of a vague feeling of ‘I just don’t like her.’ That is why X’s name was removed.

Ano and the program producer discussed how to handle the broadcast, and it was decided that both of the two shots would be edited so that Ano would shout Suzuki’s name. Using a method called ‘only recording,’ the audio of the name ‘Sarina Suzuki’ was recorded separately and overlaid onto X’s name. Since we went to the trouble of recording it separately, our understanding was that Suzuki’s name could be used openly without being cut. We believed that Ano herself wanted it to be used.”

In fact, when reviewing the footage of the second shot scene, Suzuki’s name can be heard in the audio, but Ano’s mouth movements appear to show her saying the name of a different person, X.

Is Mr. A’s testimony true? Ano’s agency, Toei Factory Inc., responded to FRIDAY’s inquiry by saying, “Regarding the planning and direction of programs related to production, our company is unable to provide answers.” TV Asahi only stated, “We do not traditionally comment on the production process of programs. (Omitted) Once again, we sincerely apologize for causing significant trouble to Suzuki-san, Ano-san, and everyone else involved.”

On June 30, TV Asahi president Arata Nishi pointed out a lack of communication among staff during a regular press conference and apologized once again. The repercussions caused by a small misunderstanding have spread far more widely than expected.

From the July 17 & 24, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”