Mavy Legaspi
The surprise exodus of “Eat Bulaga!’s” original hosts on March 31 sent producer TAPE Inc. in a mad rush to regroup and put together a new cast, so they could return to live programming as soon as possible.
On June 5, a revamped “EB” went on air and introduced a new set of hosts: Paolo Contis, Betong Sumaya, Buboy Villar, Mavy Legaspi, Cassy Legaspi and Alexa Miro. They had four days to prepare.
“Kapag gusto may paraan (If there’s a will, there’s a way). Ginusto namin ‘to. So regardless of the short preparation time, we all had our minds locked in. And I personally had my mind and heart locked in. When it comes to work, or my craft, I’m very passionate,” Mavy said when asked by the Inquirer about the limited rehearsal period the new hosts had prior to their launch.
“Despite the short amount of time, I [try to be] always prepared,” added the young actor who will also headline the upcoming primetime romance series “Luv Is: Love at First Read,” with Kyline Alcantara.
The GMA 7 talent also echoed his cohosts’ earlier sentiments that they’re not out to replace Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon and the rest of the “Dabarkads.” But he does hope that viewers would give them a chance or enough time to show what they’re capable of.
‘Not here to replace them’
“We will never be TVJ. And we’re not here to try to replace them, surpass them, or even aim to be at their level. They have done so much for the industry and I definitely respect that,” he stressed. “But on our end, we just want a chance—we’re out here to work. We were just called to do this job.”
Needless to say, the offer to join “EB” was something Mavy and his twin sister, Cassy, didn’t expect. The siblings’ parents, actors Zoren Legaspi and Carmina Villaroel, ultimately supported this new chapter in their careers.
“Our parents have always been about our improvement. And my dad saw this as a chance to improve our hosting skills and our ability to connect with an audience in a studio. We believe them. They have been in the industry for so long. They know which opportunities to grab,” Mavy said.
Carmina was understably more “sensitive” about the situation having been a former “EB” host herself from 1989 to 1995. And while not explicitly stated, Mavy implied that his mother had reached out to TVJ.
New hosts of the revamped ‘Eat Bulaga!’
“It’s more sensitive on her end … ‘EB’ is close to her heart. We’re clean on the personal side, but I won’t talk about that. We just hope to put it out there that the family and the [original] ‘EB’ hosts—on a personal end—we’re good,” Mavy said. “Trabaho lang. That’s what they said. Trabaho lang.”
“Mom is also for our improvement, so we appreciate her support,” the 22-year-old actor said.
That the new hosts have big shoes to fill is an understatement. And the pressure was palpable on the first day on air with Paolo, Betong and Buboy joking that they had their phones turned off and their lines cut—as if anticipating the inevitable barrage of notifications from social media bashers.
And the reception was indeed quite hostile. But that’s show biz, Mavy said. Despite the criticism, he still considers himself blessed to be part of the longest-running noontime variety show.
“I realized that I still have lots of things to work on. My goal is to make the fans happy,” pointed out. “If given a chance to work, whether for a soap, talk show, game show, commercials, I always take it as a blessing.” INQ
RELATED STORIES:
Showbiz Roundup: TVJ vs TAPE, Paolo Contis’ daughters, John Regala’s death
New ‘Eat Bulaga’ hosts introduced after departure of TVJ, mainstays from show
