Former soloist Anatoly Tsoi from the MBAND project did not participate in Sergei Zhukov’s victory on the show Candy. He released a video message on Instagram, a platform that has faced scrutiny and bans in certain regions, and sent it to the TNT broadcast audience, urging that he be included as a juror on the program. Tsoi argued that his involvement on the jury could help prevent similar perceived injustices in the future.
“I’ve received considerable feedback about the Candy project and my performance of Pussy. I am still perplexed by the outcome, as I believe my cover deserved first place. At the very least, an exception could have been made for the top two spots. Still, the jury chose another path. Therefore, I am asking TNT to consider placing me on the jury of the show Honey, so that such misjudgments do not recur,” Tsoi stated.
On February 4, the second episode of the show Honey aired on TNT, featuring pop stars reimagining songs from online sources. The winner was Sergey Orlov, a songwriter and performer from the Leningrad region who also leads the group Hands Up!. After performing the track You Are Mine, on the show stage, Orlov earned a prize of 300 thousand rubles, as announced by the host Sergei Zhukov.
Not everyone agreed with the jury’s decision: a number of viewers voiced dissent, including the rapper Denis Bulgakov, known as Mr. Benny, who has previously commented on Tsoi’s situation. The discussion around the show highlighted how fans interpret the jury’s scoring and the influence of public opinion on televised music competitions.
Earlier, there were reports from South Africa about the filming of a new talent program titled New Stars in Africa, signaling expanded international interest in the talent-show format and the continued appeal of cross-cultural performances in television entertainment.