Comedian Mukai Satoshi confirms relationship with TBS announcer Wakabayashi Yuko

Satoshi Mukai, a member of the comedy trio Panther, confirmed his relationship with TBS announcer Yuko Wakabayashi on September 19 during a live appearance on the TBS variety show "Oosama no Branch," stating "I'm deeply in love" with characteristic humor. The relationship was first reported on September 17 by the magazine FRIDAY Digital, which documented the pair dining at a yakiniku restaurant and entering a high-end apartment building together in central Tokyo.

Wakabayashi, 30, appeared on TBS Radio's "Ima-den Koshi no O-mimi Haikei! Friday" on September 18 and did not deny the dating report. She praised Mukai's character as "a tolerant person, just as the public imagines," and described their communication style, noting they address each other formally by name rather than using casual forms. On September 20, she appeared on the TBS Sunday program "Sunday Japan" and explicitly confirmed the relationship, telling host Hiroji Tanaka, "Yes, that's the situation."

According to FRIDAY and related reports, the pair is believed to be cohabiting in a Tokyo high-rise apartment, with sources suggesting they are considering marriage. Mukai, 40, previously expressed strong marriage aspirations in April, telling a film event that his desire for marriage had grown stronger as he observed former colleagues from his generation at entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo settling down. Wakabayashi added on the radio program that Mukai had told her to "do your best" in facing public attention. The two have co-hosted TBS's "Yoru no Branch" (the late-night edition) since at least 2023, where Mukai serves as MC and Wakabayashi as host.

Internet users subsequently discovered what appeared to be supporting evidence: an Instagram post by Wakabayashi from March 31 showed her holding a smartphone with what looked like a traffic safety sticker from Mukai's CBC Radio program "#Mukai no Shaberikata" inserted into her phone case. This detail circulated among social media users, further confirming speculation about the couple's closeness.