NEWS Takahisa Masuda's ``Niketsu!!'' mentioned NEWS, which was originally a nine-member group. “The highest decrease ever among the groups.”

■Do you have any desire to increase the number of members? When asked, Takahisa Masuda simply said, “Can you shoulder the same love for NEWS as I do?” Then Kendo Kobayashi said, “Here I am, all alone here” (lol)

NEWS’ Takahisa Masuda will appear as a special guest on <#824> of “Niketsu!!” (Yomiuri TV), a 30-minute program in which Chihara Junior and Kendo Kobayashi just talk and talk without any meetings or scripts.

As soon as Masuda appeared from the audience, screams and cheers went up. Masuda is said to be a big fan who records and watches the program. Masuda previously mentioned that when Junior started talking about himself on the show, Kenkoba interrupted him within 1.2 seconds. He revealed that he was disappointed, saying, “I thought it would be a permanent recording.”

Then, Kenkoba suddenly confessed, “Massu may not realize it, but…I love NEWS.You don’t know this kind of information.I don’t tell anyone.It’s a secret pleasure.” He also revealed that he secretly practices by watching the PV for NEWS’s hit song “Chankapana” every day.

After asking Masuda about the origin of the coined word “Chankapana”, we decided to do the “Chankapana Championship” which is being held live on NEWS. It is a competition to see who can stretch the “na” part of “Chankapana” as long as possible. Due to various circumstances, Masuda is currently taking over the last part of “Chankapana”.

Junior said, “Let me show you how amazing the main family is,” and they performed “Chankapana” just like a live performance on stage. “Awesome! You’re a real musician,” Junior praised. Kenkoba was very impressed and said, “Wow, you’re really good at singing.It’s on a different level than I expected.” Then, Junior performed “Chankapana, which is not practiced by the average adult male.” At the end, when Kenkoba showed the results of his daily practice, Junior said, “I can see that he was practicing,” and Masuda also gave high praise, saying, “He was on the right key.”

Afterwards, the conversation turned to NEWS members Keiichiro Koyama and Shigeaki Kato, and Kenkoba talked about their connections in dramas and other programs. From the juniors, we will hear how the members came to be active in their respective fields, such as Kato in novels and Masuda in variety shows. When asked about Masuda’s private life, he answered, “I don’t do anything other than buy my favorite clothes, eat, and drink.” Even though he goes to the same bars as Junior, he says he has never run into them.

Then, we talked about NEWS, which originally had nine members but now has three members. Masuda said, “It’s the highest number of members we’ve ever had in a group,” and commented on the advantages and disadvantages of having fewer members. When Junior asked if he had any intention of adding more members in the future, Masuda answered, “Do you think you can share the same love for NEWS as I do?” After hearing those words, Kenkoba said, “I’m here alone,” and introduced himself as a new member.

There are also stories about the group trying to increase the number of members, and how they felt when NEWS members left. Masuda believes that it would be more painful for a duo to break up with just the two of them, so he leans on Kenkoba, who has experienced breakups.

“Niketsu!!” <#824> will be broadcast on Yomiuri TV from 24:59 on December 3rd, and on Nippon Television from 26:15 on December 15th.