Where are the Pop Star Academy: Katseye members now?
NetflixWhile you might know the members of Katseye, where are the Dream Academy contestants who didn’t make the cut now?
Pop Star Academy: Katseye is a new documentary series from Netflix that goes behind the scenes of the making of HYBE x Geffen’s first “global girl group.”
Undergoing the rigorous training that goes into making K-pop groups, a group of 20 contestants battled it out for one of six spots in Katseye, taking part in missions for the survival reality series The Debut: Dream Academy.
Following Katseye’s debut EP ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong)’ on August 16, Pop Star Academy landed on the streaming service, giving a behind the scenes look at the trainees and their journeys.
Abby – US
NetflixIn Episode 1, 18-year-old contestant Abby from Colorado is the first to be eliminated, as the HYBE x Geffen team felt she wasn’t quite as far along in her singing and dancing career as they needed her to be.
However, they praised her unique voice and her work ethic, and she’s now putting those skills to good use, having released her solo album ‘Fall Behind’ under the name Abby Paradise earlier this year.
You can keep tabs on her journey via her Instagram page.
Adela – Slovakia
Although Adela Jergova was a favorite among both the execs and the group as a whole, after the first mission, the 20-year-old’s dream of becoming an idol came to an end when she received the least votes from the public.
However, Adela continues to post on her Instagram and TikTok channels, where she’s receiving plenty of praise and support for her involvement in Pop Star Academy.
Brooklyn – US
NetflixBrooklyn Van Zandt was one of four trainees eliminated after the second mission, with Episode 6 of the docu-series sparking backlash after the news was delivered to the group via a TV screen rather than face-to-face.
However, the 18-year-old took the news on the chin, and is now producing her own music. As well as amassing more than a million followers on TikTok, Brooklyn recently released her single ‘Unknown Caller’.
Celeste – Argentina
NetflixCeleste Diaz makes it far in the competition, performing in mission three with the song ‘Buttons’ by The Pussycat Dolls. However, she’s eliminated before making it to the final 10.
If you want to keep tabs on what she’s up to now, head to her Instagram page, where she’s receiving plenty of praise for her performances on Pop Star Academy.
Emily – US
NetflixRight from the start, Emily Kelavos wowed the execs with her dancing capabilities and her work ethic, becoming the first contestant to make it to ‘Group A’ of dancers. She continued to improve on her vocals too, making it to the final 10.
In the finale, however, she didn’t make it through to become a member of Katseye. But she continues to show off her impeccable dancing skills on TikTok and Instagram, with fans now calling for the 19-year-old to star in a Britney Spears biopic.
Ezrela – Australia
Another of the trainees who made it to the final 10, viewers at home were rooting for Exrela to make it into Katseye thanks to her positive attitude and star power. But after the final mission and voting round, the 21-year-old didn’t make the cut.
She’s now living her best life after the release of Pop Star Academy, sharing dance videos and life updates on her TikTok and Instagram pages.
Hinari – Japan
NetflixAs the youngest in the group, Hinari, who was just 14 years old when she joined Dream Academy, was looked after by her peers. She joined the trainees a little later, but was immediately praised for her star quality.
Hinari was eliminated in Episode 5 alongside Adela, and while she was disappointed, she says, “I think I’ll keep trying without giving up from now on. I think both my skills and heart have grown.” And her Instagram followers believe she will go on to do great things.
Iliya – Belarus
NetflixQuickly proving to be a favorite among the execs, Iliya stood out for her vocal skills. After making it through to the second mission, she was eliminated alongside Brooklyn and two other trainees.
The 22-year-old continues to share singing content on her various social media channels, including on TikTok where she currently has 2.8 million followers.
Karlee – US
Alongside Iliya and Brooklyn, Karlee was voted out of the running after mission two. But she achieved a lot during her time at the Dream Academy, even making it to the top group of vocalists.
As for what she’s up to now, the 20-year-old continues to sing and perform, sharing updates on her Instagram and TikTok channels.
Lexie – Sweden
NetflixExecutives quickly established Lexie as a favorite to win a spot in Katseye, not only thanks to her dancing and singing abilities but also her unrivaled star power. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
In Pop Star Academy Episode 7, she eliminates herself as she felt the program didn’t align with her values and she didn’t want to be pitted against her peers.
Lexie, now 20, continues to share updates about her life on Instagram, where she’s receiving plenty of praise from viewers for sticking to her guns.
Marquise – Thailand
NetflixAs a talented singer and dancer, Marquise made it far in the competition, even making the list of trainees with top star quality. Later on in the Netflix docu-series, executives argued that her progression had become stagnant, but she proved them wrong by making it to the final.
While she didn’t bag a spot in Katseye, she earned a strong fan group, with the 18-year-old gaining more than 31,000 followers on TikTok.
Mei – Japan
NetflixAlthough Mei impressed the HYBE x Geffen group with her singing and dancing skills, she joined Brooklyn, Iliya, and Karlee as one of four contestants voted out after the second mission.
“I was so close to my dreams,” she tells her peers. “I love K-pop but my age, I’m 18, so it’s about time to face reality.” Although she hasn’t posted a recent update, she does have an active Instagram account.
Naisha – UK & Spain
NetflixIn arguably the most controversial eliminations in the entire Pop Star Academy series, Naisha Dos Santos was booted out after posting a video on Instagram featuring one of the original songs from the program.
She tried to argue that it wasn’t seen by anyone outside of the academy, but the execs said this wasn’t the case and sent her packing.
The 20-year-old is still rapping and dancing, with a number of her latest Instagram clips showing her at the UK dance school, Playground London.
Nayoung – South Korea
NetflixLee Nayoung was definitely one to watch when she joined the academy after the second round of casting, having appeared in various TV shows including a survival competition show. Although she didn’t join Katseye, she proved to be a strong singer, making it to the final 10.
The 22-year-old posts life updates and singing videos on her Instagram account, where she’s earned more than 33,000 followers.
Samara – Brazil
NetflixIn the second half of the casting, Samara Siqueira joined as one of the group’s strongest vocalists. This brought her through to the final, but she didn’t quite make the group.
The 18-year-old idol continues to sing and dance in Brazil, earning a respective 43,000 and 101,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Ua – Japan
NetflixAs the second youngest of the group, Ua, then 15 years old, was also looked after by the other trainees. She joined in the second half of casting, with execs praising her strong dancing and singing capabilities.
She also made it to Episode 8 before being eliminated prior to the final. She continues to post dancing clips and updates on her Instagram page, where her bio says she’s joined the WORLD OF DANCE team LaLa in Japan.
Katseye members
NetflixA total of six of the Dream Academy trainees passed the final challenge to make Katseye, including:
- Daniela Avanzini – 20, from the US (Instagram & TikTok)
- Manon Bannerman – 22, from Switzerland (Instagram & TikTok)
- Yoonchae Jeong – 16, from South Korea (Instagram)
- Sophia Laforteza – 21, from the Philippines (Instagram & TikTok)
- Lara Raj – 18, from the US (Instagram & TikTok)
- Megan Skiendiel – 18, from the US (Instagram & TikTok)
In June, Katseye made their debut with the aptly titled single ‘Debut’, followed by ‘Touch’ in July.
Then, just before the release of the Netflix docu-series, their first EP, ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong)’, arrived, which you can listen to on all major music streaming platforms.
You can also find all of the latest updates from the girl group on Instagram and TikTok.
Pop Star Academy: Katseye is streaming on Netflix now. If you’re looking for fresh content, check out the new TV shows out this month, as well as the best series of 2024 so far and the top binge-worthy shows to add to your watchlist.