Comedian Kim Shin-young showed her dedication to “self-responsibility” by sticking to her self-haircut and bathroom cleaning routines, and preparing a “sweet and salty” health meal, all while battling laryngitis. Meanwhile, Red Velvet’s Joy showed off her immense love for dogs by challenging herself to get a dog groomer certification.
In the MBC show “I Live Alone” aired on the 15th, viewers got a glimpse of Kim Shin-young’s “homebody routine” after her radio show and Joy’s journey toward becoming a certified dog groomer.
According to Nielsen Korea on the 16th, the previous episode of “I Live Alone” recorded a national household viewership rating of 5.3%, ranking 1st among Friday variety programs. It also topped the 2054 viewership rating at 3.0%.
The “Best Minute” of the episode featured Kim Shin-young, who is suffering from laryngitis, quickly devouring a bowl of mashed strawberries as her “health tonic,” looking as if she were eating gomtang (beef bone soup), which sparked laughter. This segment hit a peak rating of 6.3%.
After showing the “standard of a homebody” in a previous episode, Kim Shin-young revealed her after-work routine. She shared that despite 24 years in the industry, she still feels lost at broadcasting stations, saying, “I don’t know where anything is, where the waiting rooms are, or where the studios are. I wondered if I could even say ‘I’ve been doing this for 24 years,'” and mentioned she commutes by car.
Having struggled with laryngitis for a month, she didn’t stop moving as soon as she got home. Starting with a self-haircut she’s done alone for 10 years, she dove into cleaning the toilet, sink, shower booth, and bathtub. She surprised everyone by revealing her routine of cleaning the bathroom 2 to 3 times a week, stating, “I clean the toilet every time I use it for a big business.”
Then, Kim Shin-young enjoyed a full “health course.” It started with a bowl of sweet and sour mashed strawberries, followed by tteokbokki with her favorite glass noodles, fish cakes, and rice cakes, then kimbap made with stir-fried anchovies, and finally, ice cream topped with crushed potato chips for the perfect “sweet and salty” feast.
Sharing her health philosophy, she said, “You have to eat when you’re sick. Real health food is whatever I love. I must have glass noodles once a day.” However, when her swollen nasal passages made her lose her sense of taste, she put down her chopsticks. Her discipline in storing the remaining food in the fridge, saying, “You have to be decisive in putting it down,” impressed viewers.
Kim Shin-young shared her beliefs on “responsibility toward oneself” while living alone: “It’s sad to be sick, but it’s sadder to be lazy. If you’re full of self-pity, you just become a pitiful person. Who’s going to wash the socks? Sad Shin-young has to wash them. I have to return to reality. If you’re sick, go to the hospital or get an IV. I’m enduring it because I’m an adult. It’s not about acting my age, it’s about acting a fool. I have to live bravely on my own two feet. When sick, you have to eat your heart out.”
Joy visited an academy to earn her dog groomer certification. She explained her motivation, saying, “I registered for the academy as soon as my drama filming ended because I love dogs.” When Jun Hyun-moo mentioned it would be great for volunteering at shelters, Joy expressed her hope to volunteer once she gets certified.
For the practical exam, Joy spent about two months practicing turning shapeless cotton bundles into poodle shapes. She went through the initial outlining and detailed trimming processes, nearly reaching completion. She focused intensely on the endless cutting and brushing, ignoring her uncomfortable posture under the teacher’s guidance. She named her first completed work “Minky,” though she expressed disappointment, saying, “I don’t like it,” feeling her skills were still lacking.
Exhausted at home, Joy recharged her energy by hugging her dog, Haetnim, who had come to visit from her parents’ house. Joy’s eyes were full of love as she introduced 8-year-old Maltese Haetnim. She then began studying for the written exam in July, sighing at the amount of anatomy and skeletal structure she had to memorize, though she stayed focused with Haetnim’s help.
But that didn’t last long. Joy started taking out items she bought from the stationery and toy street in Cheonho-dong. She relieved her stress from practical training by organizing a pile of “squishies,” noting that “pet squishies are trending.” Although she tried to study again, she quickly “escaped,” causing laughter. Displaying strong confidence, Joy said, “I’m great at cramming. I’m not worried. Future me will handle it. I’ll show you that I pass.”
Meanwhile, next week’s episode will feature Kian84 spending time with his new family members, Alkong and Dalkong, at his home in Jeju, as well as the daily life of comedian Lee Sun-min, the “King of Living Alone” for 19 years. The show airs every Friday at 11:10 PM.
