HYBE and Geffen have eliminated the first two contestants from The Debut: Dream Academy global-girl-group audition show, 19-year-old Adéla of Slovakia and 14-year-old Hinari of Japan. Eliminations were determined by fan votes via WeVerse and YouTube.
The elimination comes after the program, which aired on 9/1 via YouTube and Japan’s ABEMA, split the contestants into groups to showcase their vocal and dance abilities as part of Mission #1.
The remaining 18 contenders have flown from L.A. to South Korea to prep for Mission #2, taking place at a dedicated training & development facility. Only 14 of the young women will continue to Mission #3. After that, 10 contestants will participate in the live finale on 11/17, on which the final tranche of debut members will be unveiled, as will the group’s name.
A Netflix docuseries chronicling this odyssey, jointly produced by HYBE, Interscope Films and Boardwalk Pictures and directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nadia Hallgren, is slated for 2024.
For more info on how to vote, click here. Peep the video below to see which contestants move forward.
In related news, we almost wore a cute little gray schoolgirl outfit with knee socks to work today but at the last minute opted instead for the same sweatpants and T-shirt we've had on since lockdown.
