Super Junior's Heechul to join "Family Outing" season 2

Super Junior member Heechul has joined the cast of variety show "Family Outing" and will make his first appearance in the program this weekend, according to broadcaster SBS.

SBS announced in a press release Thursday that the 26-year-old singer will be appearing in a special "Family" episode as a friend of Girls' Generation member Yoona, who is a regular on the show.

The pop idol, who has also acted in dramas and hosted radio programs, is said to have shown great humor and energy throughout the show's taping.

"Family Outing" had been one of the most popular variety shows in Korea since its premiere in June 2008. With Korea's top emcee Yoo Jae-seok and singer Lee Hyori leading the star-studded cast, the show had once recorded viewership ratings of over 30 percent.

However, the 'reality-based' variety show came under scrutiny early last year when one of the scripts was leaked on the Internet and fans found that the show was pre-scripted. As the show started to suffer from declining ratings, the producers abruptly ended the first season run.

In a bid to transform the show's image and regain its popularity, the second season kicked off last February with an entirely different line-up which includes TV personality Kim Won-hee, actor Yoon Sang-hyun and boy band members Taecyeon and Jo Kwon.

Heechul will be appearing in the show starting May 2.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@