LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The first episode of HBO's 'The Idol' surpassed 3.6 million viewers across platforms in its first week since its release on June 4. The controversial show's debut broke the viewership record of the premieres of 'Euphoria' (3.3 million) in 2019 and 'The White Lotus' (3 million) in 2021.

The sexually explicit TV show starring Lily-Rose Depp and created by Sam Levinson, Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, and Reza Fahim is a five-episode drama in which the first episode titled 'Pop Tarts & Rat Tales' amassed millions of viewers. Zendaya's Emmy-winning 'Euphoria' was also created by Levinson which was his first TV series.

Jennie Kim's acting debut in 'The Idol'

Blackpink's Jennie Kim whose stage name is Jennie Ruby Jane made her acting debut in 'The Idol' through her character Dyanne, a backup dancer for Depp's troubled pop star character Jocelyn. Viewers are mainly drawn to Kim's appearance in the series. Her character Dyanne is set to replace Jocelyn in her career and her romance with Tedros played by 'The Weekend' who portrayed the role of a secret cult leader.

The 27-year-old K-pop star left the stage mid-performance in Melbourne on Sunday, June 11, during her band's 62-date Born Pink World Tour. She walked off the concert "due to her deteriorating condition". Blackpink's management company YG Entertainment stated that the performer is currently advised to rest and she is expected to make a "speedy recovery."

Is 'The Idol' inspired by Britney Spears' life?

Johnny Depp's 24-year-old daughter Lily-Rose made a daring performance in the HBO series as an ambitious singer who suffered a nervous breakdown after the death of her mother and battles with self-harm.

Britney Spears' who ended her conservatorship after 13 years is said to be an inspiration for Lily-Rose's Jocelyn. However, it remains unclear whether she will appear in 'The Idol' after filming her cameo in the series a year ago, according to Daily Mail.

'The Idol' has topped as one of the most popular TV shows in the IMDB charts lists taking over Netflix's 'Fubar', Apple's 'Ted Lasso', HBO's 'Succession', and Apple's 'Silo'. The controversial show also features Troye Sivan, Hank Azaria, Rachel Sennott, Moses Sumney, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dan Levy, Mike Dean, Hari Nef, Ramsey, Eli Roth, Suzanna Son, and Jane Adams.

Though 913,000 people tuned into 'The Idol's' first episode, the second episode which aired Sunday, June 11, witnessed a dip of 12% as the viewership went down to 800,000. The show was widely criticized for 'The Weeknd's role having a misogynist attitude toward women and being exploitative.