MANILA, Philippines — Apart from the country’s longest-running show “Eat Bulaga!” on GMA, Pauleen Luna-Sotto now hosts the new TV5 morning show “Chika, BESH! Basta Everyday Super Happy” with former Kapamilya star Pokwang and Star Magic artist Ria Atayde.
How did “Bossing” Vic Sotto react upon learning that his wife now has to dabble in both shows from different networks?
“Initially, nagpaalam muna sila kay Vic… Tinanong lang nila kung pwede daw ba ako kunin. Feeling ko, feeling n’ya parang ‘di pa ngayon (during pandemic) ‘yung show. Sabi n’ya, ‘Oo, sure, okay lang ‘yan!’ ‘Di n’ya agad siguro na-realize na kukunin na nila ako agad-agad,” Pauleen recalled with a laugh on how Archangel Media approached Vic for the TV5 show.
According to Pauleen, Vic never asked her to stop working, more so, to work for another network or show.
“He never naman told me na he doesn’t want me to work. He was just very concerned about my health. S’yempre when my health is compromised, compromised din ‘yung sa kanila. We’re doing naman the best we can para kami, say, ako, maging safe. Kasi kapag grocery runs or mga errands, ako talaga ‘yung lumalabas sa house kasi s’yempre naman alam ko the lengths I’d go to be safe," she told Philstar.com in an exclusive phone interview.
Even their baby, two-year-old Talitha, does not seem to mind that Pauleen has to go out now to shoot for “Chika, BESH!”
“Naku, ‘di pa n’ya ata naiintindihan,” Pauleen enthused.
According to Pauleen, it is she who even almost cried the first time she had to be away from Talitha after they spent months together on lockdown.
“Actually, si (Talitha), s’yempre ilang buwan din kami magkasama na all day, all night. Siguro ‘yung pictorial namin for the shoot, first time na ‘di ko s’ya nakasama nang matagal. But then again, the dad (Vic) always helps me naman with videos or photo. Parang feeling andu’n ako.”
When she started taping for “Chika, BESH!” during the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, there was no physical taping yet for “Eat Bulaga.” For now, she also shoots her parts in “Eat Bulaga” from home, so she still does not see any conflict in her work between the two shows.
If everything goes back to the real normal, she and APT Entertainment, which produces “Eat Bulaga,” will find a way to make her schedule work for both shows even if both shows are not with the same TV networks. After all, Archangel Media, which produces “Chika, BESH!,” is also under APT.
“With everything that is going on right now in the Philippines, parang na-inspire ako na merong show na ganito na makakagaan ng mga dinadala natin sa umaga. I mean, hindi man talaga nito agad na masosolve ‘yung mga problema natin, but at least this is one hour for seeing things differently,” Pauleen explained on what made her say “yes” to hosting the show.
“I think right now, with everything that’s happening… kailangan talaga natin i-uplift ‘yung faith.”
“Chika, BESH! Basta Everyday Super Happy” airs every 10 a.m. on TV5 with a next day replay in Colours Channel (Cignal TV ch 60) at 11 a.m.
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