KATSEYE fans were sent into fresh turmoil this week after online chatter suggested singer Manon Bannerman could yet return to the group, with a flurry of podcast comments and TikTok recaps fuelling speculation over the true status of KATSEYE member Manon and her ongoing hiatus.

For context, Manon's future with the HYBE and Geffen-formed girl group has been under intense scrutiny since 20 February, when the labels issued a joint statement announcing she would take a 'temporary hiatus' from KATSEYE to focus on her 'health and wellbeing.' The group, born out ofThe Debut: Dream Academyin 2023 and long promoted as a six-member act, has been performing as five ever since, including atCoachella 2026, where Manon's absence was impossible to miss.

The latest round of speculation began away from official channels, on the messy, excitable frontier where fandom and podcast culture collide.

On theJust Trishpodcast, Oscar Gracey told YouTuber Trisha Paytas he felt 'so relieved' after hearing what is allegedly planned for Manon, a remark that almost instantly ricocheted across social media. The supposed insider in this chain is TikTok creator Harry Daniels, known for singing to celebrities on the app, who had met KATSEYE members and, according to fan creator Brian Le's recap, had 'all the tea about Manon's hiatus.'

Oscar did not spell out what he had been told. 'We can't even repeat it, I guess,' he said on air, before adding that, having learned the 'KATSEYE tea with Manon,' he finally felt 'in the know.' Paytas, who has previously said she has exchanged DMs with Manon and met the group during rehearsals, pushed him to be less cautious, telling listeners Harry 'needs a podcast where he actually spills the tea and not be scared about it.'

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None of this amounts to an official update on Manon's status. Yet in the vacuum of hard information, it has been more than enough to set fandom rumour mills whirring.

On TikTok, commentator Brian Le seized on Oscar's comments as a hopeful sign. After weeks of campaigning online for Manon's return, Le told followers that Oscar's relief suggested 'things are looking really good' and that KATSEYE might 'be in the clear.'

Other corners of the internet have drawn the opposite conclusion from the same amorphous pool of second-hand intel. An Instagram reel dated 24 April claims that Paytas and Oscar said Manon is 'definitely not returning to KATSEYE.' Another TikTok clip from 21 April insists: 'She is not coming back until after August. That is confirmed.'

Neither clip cites primary sources or provides documents, and no such timeline appears in any statement from Manon, HYBE, or Geffen. The word 'confirmed' is doing a lot of heavy lifting for something still sitting squarely in the realm of fan gossip.

Source: International Business Times UK