Im Seong-hoon from 'You Quiz on the Block' shed tears, saying he couldn't be present at his mother's deathbed.
In the broadcast of tvN's entertainment program 'You Quiz on the Block' (hereinafter referred to as 'You Quiz') on the 13th, the national MC Im Seong-hoon, celebrating his 50th anniversary since debut, confessed his feelings about leaving 'The Unbelievable World.'
On this day, Im Seong-hoon noted that he has been hosting 'The Unbelievable World' alongside Park So-hyun since its first episode aired in 1998 up to its 1279th episode over 26 years, becoming the longest-running co-host in the Korean Guinness Book.
Im Seong-hoon said, 'The fact that a male and female MC did not change at all and continued for the longest time received a Guinness World Record. There were many astonishing events, but when faced with extreme situations, I learned a lot by watching those without arms and legs learn to swim and compete in ironman triathlons, overcoming battles with themselves.'
In particular, Im Seong-hoon conveyed that the moment his mother passed away during the 26 years of hosting was the hardest, saying, 'My sister and her husband immigrated to Canada. My mother also went to live with them, but I suddenly received a call saying she had passed away. My mind was completely blank. I had a recording scheduled for the next day, and I was dazed, quickly looking for a plane ticket.'
'While quietly looking at my mother's photo, I recalled what she used to say: 'Since you have already done the broadcast, from now on, your first priority in life is broadcasting, and your second priority is family life.' My mother never missed watching 'The Unbelievable World.' She would monitor it to the extent of always providing feedback. Having such a mother, I thought that if I let her down by skipping the show, she would be disappointed.'
Im Seong-hoon, having decided to change his flight and proceed with the recording, shared, 'I must have cried all night. My eyes were swollen beyond words. It didn't feel like my usual broadcasting face, but I gritted my teeth and went on air.' He continued, 'There were four items, and it just so happened that there was a story about a mother and son. The moment I saw the scenes of the son showing filial piety, the tears I had held back came rushing forth.'
He explained, 'I could no longer hold it back and said, 'I'm sorry, I'll take a break for a moment,' and paused. Then I gathered my mind and resumed the recording.'
After finishing the recording, he went to Canada, saying, 'I sent my mother off well. I think she would have clapped satisfactorily.' However, Im Seong-hoon showed a moment of emotion as he added, 'Whenever I talk about my mother, my emotions are so overwhelming.' He even shared that his father had passed away during a live broadcast, which evoked sympathy.
Meanwhile, Im Seong-hoon also revealed his thoughts on leaving 'The Unbelievable World.' He stated, 'I filmed very calmly. At the end, while delivering the closing remarks, I expressed my gratitude to everyone who has been with me for the past 26 years. As I was about to say 'final greeting,' the word 'final' unexpectedly caught me off guard.'
Then Yoo Jae-suk asked, 'How did you feel during the first week without recordings?' Im Seong-hoon replied, 'The 26 years felt really long, but when I woke up one morning, it felt like a midsummer night's dream.' He continued, 'That morning, I suddenly woke up realizing I needed to go for recording and thought, 'Wait, I shouldn't be like this.' I was apprehensive about the next recording. I wondered how empty I would feel the following week.'
Ultimately, Im Seong-hoon described that during the first week without recordings, he aimlessly went outside and wandered around the broadcasting station, stating, 'I felt I should research and study the time I am sending. I thought, where can I find someone as happy as me? Having worked for 50 years without a single day off from the program is truly a blessing. From now on, I plan to reflect carefully on what I couldn't do before. I felt at ease while returning.'
Finally, Im Seong-hoon expressed his 'unfinished closing remarks,' saying, 'It's hard to imagine and predict, allowing my heart to be in advance. But the words I always want to say are thank you. It's really thanks to all of you.'
[Photo] Capture from 'You Quiz on the Block' broadcast screen.
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