Broadcaster Lee Geum-hee, a beloved former announcer, recently spilled the beans on a hilarious mishap during her final announcer exam: she showed up wearing “bridal makeup” and, well, didn’t quite make the cut!
On May 17th, Lee Geum-hee graced TV Chosun’s ‘Heo Young Man’s Baekban Tour’ as a special guest, where she enjoyed a delightful Goyang meal alongside Heo Young Man.
Lee Geum-hee, born in 1965, is known as one of the entertainment industry’s most prominent ‘gold misses’ (successful unmarried women). During the show, when asked about her ideal type – “a handsome man or a gourmet?” – she playfully responded, “Suddenly?” before wittily adding, “I like a handsome gourmet!” Heo Young Man, quick on his feet, declared, “That’s me!” sparking a wave of laughter.
Later, when asked about marriage, Lee Geum-hee candidly admitted, “The timing just hasn’t aligned for me yet, which is why I’m still unmarried.” As for her ideal partner, she shared, “I’ve mentioned on air that I like handsome men, but honestly, I prefer someone kind. If you’re going to spend a long time with someone and live together, kindness is what truly matters, I think.”
Heo Young Man, ever the charmer, quickly chimed in again with, “That’s me!” To which Lee Geum-hee playfully shot back, “Teacher, then why did you get married so early?” sending everyone into fits of laughter.
Lee Geum-hee, who joined KBS as a 16th-batch public recruitment announcer in 1989, was asked if she was a good student. She humbly replied, “I wasn’t particularly good at studying; I was just a child who listened well to her teachers.”
She reminisced, “My house had no cosmetics, just tons of books. When I took the final announcer exam in my senior year of university, I had no idea how to do makeup, so I went to a salon near my school. It turns out, even they hadn’t done broadcast makeup before, so I ended up with full-on bridal makeup!” She continued, “The interviewer took one look at me and asked, ‘Do you usually wear makeup like that?’ And just like that, I failed.”
The very next year, Lee Geum-hee successfully passed the public recruitment announcer exam! She went on to become known as the ‘Maestro of Empathy,’ leading beloved, long-running KBC cultural programs like ‘Morning Plaza’ and ‘Human Theater.’ She shared, “I tend to commit to one program for a long time, and I don’t think I can maintain that if I try to juggle multiple things simultaneously.”
She then shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story about her departure from ‘Morning Plaza.’ “The reason I eventually left ‘Human Theater’ was because its high ratings led to frequent schedule changes. Eventually, it was even scheduled right after ‘Morning Plaza,’ which I was already hosting! I felt that wasn’t quite right, so I decided to step down.” She added with a laugh, “I honestly thought my department head would try to convince me to stay, but instead, he immediately asked, ‘Who would be a good replacement?'” This candid revelation brought more laughter.
