"Produce X 101" Announces New Rules For Debut Group Formation And Grading + Reveals 1st Rankings

On the premiere of Mnet’s “Produce X 101,” new details were shared about the show’s debut project group.

Host Lee Dong Wook explained in the May 3 premiere that the “Produce X 101” final project group will have 11 members. However, there will be a twist to how the lineup is determined.

In the past, the trainees who took the top spots in the finale debuted with the project group. In this season, there were only 10 “debut chairs” shown, and so many people thought there will be 10 members in the final project group.

Lee Dong Wook explained that the project group will actually be formed by “10 + X.” The 10 trainees chosen in the live finale will be debuting, and the 11th member of the group will not necessarily be the contestant who takes No. 11 in the finale.

Instead, the 11th member (the “X”) will be the trainee who received the most votes overall during the four ranking announcement ceremonies that will occur throughout the show.

In addition, there is a change to the grading this year. Previous seasons put trainees into grades of A, B, C, D, and F. In “Produce X 101,” there are grades A, B, C, D, and X. Lee Dong Wook said, “Trainees who receive an X grade will not be able to enter the training center.”

The premiere featured the first set of trainees performing and receiving their initial grades.

At the end of the episode, the first realtime rankings from online votes were revealed. Check out the top 10 below!

1. Kim Min Kyu (Jellyfish Entertainment)
2. Koo Jung Mo (Starship Entertainment)
3. Kim Yo Han (OUI Entertainment)
4. Cha Jun Ho (Woollim Entertainment)
5. Kim Woo Seok (TOP Media)
6. Son Dong Pyo (DSP Media)
7. Lee Eugene (Individual Trainee)
8. Lee Se Jin (iME Korea)
9. Song Hyeong Jun (Starship Entertainment)
10. Lee Jin Woo (Maroo Entertainment)

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