Arzen Rose Dulzura

‘It’s Showtime’ executive shares how Vice Ganda became a mainstay judge in early days of the show

Article (news)

E. Kristhoff Cagape

Push Team

<p><em>It&#x27;s Showtime</em> Executive Producer Trina Genova-Bitara took a trip down memory lane and recounted how Vice Ganda became a regular judge in<em> It&#x27;s Showtime</em> and eventually became a host of the Kapamilya program.</p><p>In an interview with Kring Kim in the <em>Think Talk Tea </em>podcast, Trina shared that Vice was initially brought in as a temporary judge of the show.</p><p>&quot;Nung dina-dry run namin siya, may lineup kami ng hurados kasi &#x27;yung segment namin &#x27;yung binuo ang <em>Showtime</em> [is] dance contest. So lahat ng gustong grupo ng mga dancers na gustong magpasikat, magpa-discover sa TV, sasali sa <em>Showtime</em> so ang dami naming contestants nun. Tapos kailangan meron kang set of hurados na isang linggong magja-judge every day,&quot; she explained.</p><p>With this set of judges, the television audiences had the power to vote judges out. &quot;Ang pinaka-unique nun Saturday, &#x27;yung madlang people people, boboto kung sino ang matatanggal na hurado tapos kailangan meron kang hurado na unevictable, so meron kang isang stay in na hurado na hindi siya pwedeng ma-evict. Originally, si Long Mejia &#x27;yun,&quot; he said.</p><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-14" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI8GZKBv4Yz/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A14%2C%22os%22%3A22056437.199999988%2C%22ls%22%3A159061.89999997616%2C%22le%22%3A159371%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-14" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe><blockquote class=" instagram-media-registered" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI8GZKBv4Yz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" id="instagram-media-payload-14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI8GZKBv4Yz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI8GZKBv4Yz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by JoseMarieViceral / Vice Ganda (@praybeytbenjamin)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Trina relayed that when the show had its dry run, the management was drawn to Vice&#x27;s comedic performance. &quot;Tapos si Vice Ganda, guest talaga siya na hurado, so one week lang dapat siya. Eh nung dina-dry run namin, nung preniview ng management, [sabi nila], &#x27;Ay nakakatawa si Vice, siya na lang.&#x27; So &#x27;yun  &#x27;yung story behind it,&quot; she shared.</p><p>From being an unevictable judge, Vice later on become a host. &quot;Tapos siya na &#x27;yung unevictable. Hindi siya pwedeng matanggal sa <em>Showtime</em> tapos until nag-host na rin siya, kasama na rin siya nila Anne. Kasi nag-start kami with Vhong (Navarro), Anne (Curtis), Jugs (Jugueta), Teddy(Corpuz), kuya Kim (Atienza). Sila &#x27;yung limang host namin sa <em>Showtime,</em> tapos si Vice &#x27;yung hurado na hindi nai-evict,&quot; she said.</p><p><em>It&#x27;s Showtime</em> premiered in 2009 and started as a talent competition.</p><p>In October 2024, the Kapamilya program celebrated its 15th anniversary.</p><p>In an interview last year, Vice reflected on the journey of the show as they marked their anniversary. &quot;Actually, &#x27;yung thought na 15th anniversary ito... Ang bilis no. Labing-limang taon na agad &#x27;yun,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Lumipas na ang panahon... masarap siya, na medyo mahirap, na parang laging bago, parang laging first year. Diba pag first year, ang daming birth pains, ang daming pinagdadaanan, pero ang excitement ang taas din. Hanggang ngayon ganun pa rin ang nararamdaman namin.&quot; </p>

<p>Vice Ganda started as a mainstay judge of 'It's Showtime' before transitioning as a host of the Kapamilya program. </p>

Vice Ganda started as a mainstay judge of 'It's Showtime' before transitioning as a host of the Kapamilya program.