Ai Kago makes joke about past smoking during TV appearance

During a broadcast of the TV Asahi variety program ‘Mitorizu Jan’ on October 1, former Morning Musume member Ai Kago made a provocative joke regarding her past.

During a segment titled ‘A Girls' Night Out Where You Can Only Speak in a Small Voice,’ Kago discussed her admiration for actors who maintain a gap between their public personas and their private personalities. When asked by MC Shintaro Moriyama of the comedy duo Mitorizu if she ever acted quiet in private to create such a gap, Kago responded, ‘In private, I would smoke cigarettes or something...’

The comment caused visible shock among the panelists, leading Moriyama to react with surprise to the unexpected mention of her past smoking controversy. Kago quickly clarified that the remark was a joke.