In a sudden turn of events on Wednesday, “It’s Showtime” ended up airing from backstage with an impromptu iteration of “Face to Face,” the defunct conflict resolution reality show, as Vice Ganda feigned a dramatic exit after finding out a contestant he was smitten with had a girlfriend.
No less than Amy Perez, a mainstay of “It’s Showtime” who formerly hosted the original “Face to Face,” mediated among a “tearful” Vice Ganda, “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contestant John Andrew Manzano, and the latter’s girlfriend, Viva artist Anja Aguilar.
Vice Ganda and Manzano initially met late last year, in an episode of the singing game show “I Can See Your Voice.” As the winner of that episode where he was chosen by Vice Ganda as the certified “see-nger,” Manzano earned an automatic spot as a “Tawag ng Tanghalan” contender.
His turn on the “It’s Showtime” stage finally took place Wednesday, with Vice Ganda carrying on his “kilig” skit with Manzano from half a year ago in “I Can See Your Voice.” While initially the interaction had Vice Ganda smiling from ear to ear, the “drama” started to unfold when his co-host Anne Curtis prompted Manzano to introduce his companion in the studio — his girlfriend.
At that moment, Vice Ganda stormed off the stage and disappeared from view, until cameramen chased him to the backstage, where Curtis, and their other co-hosts Vhong Navarro, Mariel Padilla, and Perez, caught up with him.
There, Vice Ganda acted distraught, prompting laughs from the audience. With Manzano and his girlfriend following, the situation was ripe for a three-way confrontation, prompting Perez to put on her “Tyang Amy” hat once more to mediate, “Face to Face”-style.
Manzano and his girlfriend played along, and even agreed to let the singing basketball player be with Vice Ganda. The compromise had Curtis quipping that it wouldn’t be the first time. Vice Ganda appeared surprised by Curtis’s revelation, telling her, “Lumayas ka!” as he threw at her a pillow.
Eventually, the resolution — a tearful one for Vice Ganda — was to set Manzano free. “Hurt,” the comedian stormed off once more, pacing towards the camera. In a moment that broke character for the heartbroken Vice Ganda, the cameraman tracking him fell backwards, as seen from the sudden change of angle on screen.
The cameraman did not appear harmed, and laughed with the hosts as they approached the main stage to resume the contest.
Manzano, a hotel singer, eventually became the daily winner, and managed to unseat the defending champion to become the new bearer of the “golden mikropono.
(abs-cbn star news)
