KBS2 ‘2 Days & 1 Night Season 4’

“He seems more like a lovable klutz than a brainiac.”

Actor Lee Gi-taek captivated viewers on ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ with his unvarnished charm and an unexpected knack for variety.

On the KBS2 broadcast of ‘2 Days & 1 Night Season 4’ on the 7th (hereafter ‘2 Days & 1 Night’), new member Lee Gi-taek took on his first-ever real variety show and delivered an unpredictable performance.

Making his entrance on a red carpet under dazzling lights, Lee Gi-taek instantly drew attention with his tall stature and warm visuals. He shared a bold resolve: “I will do my best to quickly get close with my seniors so I can blend naturally into the program,” and even enjoyed the luck of dodging all the penalty dishes prepared by the production team, signaling a buoyant start.

From the very first mission, Lee Gi-taek showed both the innocence of a variety rookie and a strong competitive streak. After he happened to overhear a lie by Lee Yong-jin and a plan by DinDin to leave him behind, he broke into a nervous sweat at the unexpected situation. Yet, sticking to his choice without wavering, he arrived first at Dumulmeori together with Kim Jong-min and DinDin, sealing the opening mission with a win.

His signature quirky charm also shone in the game with lunch on the line. When a math problem was presented, he asked, “Can I do the calculation on my phone?” turning the set into a sea of laughter, and he struggled after successive mission failures. He then excelled in the general-knowledge quiz that followed, but after allowing a comeback, Team Gi-taek secured only a brief six-minute meal time. When a luck-of-the-draw game shaved off another minute, Lee Gi-taek had viewers laughing as he dashed in and out of the restaurant to keep eating in a hurry.

Right after the broadcast, a wave of reactions poured in from viewers, such as “He is a character the members can easily take advantage of,” “He seems more like a lovable klutz than a brainiac,” “So cute,” “I kept laughing the whole time,” “Great chemistry with the members,” and “Looks like ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ found a great new character.”

Even amid the nerves of his first real-variety challenge, Lee Gi-taek served as a spark plug for the show with his unaffected charm and friendly energy. Showing a colorful rangefrom purity and goofy appeal to fierce competitivenesshe stamped his presence as the new youngest member and raised expectations for what lies ahead.

Meanwhile, ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ on KBS2, with Lee Gi-taek as a regular, airs every Sunday at 6:10 p.m.