Former Dabarkads (from left) Cindy Kurleto, BJ “Tolits” Forbes, Nova Villa and Mickey Ferriols. Screenshots: Instagram/@cindy_kurleto, @its.bjforbes, @nova.gallegos.5 and @mckeyf
Updated at 13:25
It’s been 44 years since the pilot episode of the original “Eat Bulaga” aired on Radio Philippines Network (RPN) and featured the original lineup of Dabarkads. — Tito and Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon or TVJ, with the late comedian Ritchie D’Horsie and Chiqui Hollman, who has left the entertainment industry.
Putting aside the drama surrounding the longest-running midday show since TVJ and its co-hosts parted ways with TAPE Inc. earlier this year, “Eat Bulaga” has undoubtedly inspired, influenced, and even launched the careers of many TV personalities. show business, who — in their own way, after joining the show as co-hosts — have also made an impact and helped shape the variety show’s decades-long journey.
Countless Dabarkads have come and gone. Some look more familiar than others, most likely depending on which generation the viewer belongs to. The names below, regardless of the age factor, might leave someone clueless or shocked to find out that they once pranked the TVJ comedy trio.
Chiqui and Chia Hollman
(from left) Chiqui Hollman and her daughter, Chia. Images: Instagram/@sheilsam and @cindy_kurleto
As mentioned above, Chiqui was one of the original hosts of “Eat Bulaga.” The TV host and actress stayed on the variety show for a few years, before transferring to another midday show, “Student Canteen.” Prior to the premiere of “Eat Bulaga”, TVJ made appearances on “Student Canteen”.
After the conclusion of the “Student Canteen’s” broadcast on GMA, Chiqui joined its replacement, “Lunch Date,” serving as one of its original hosts along with former Senator Orly Mercado, singer Rico J. Puno, and Toni Rose Gayda, who would eventually become a part of “Eat Bulaga”.
After being inactive in the entertainment industry, she surprised fans of the show in 2019 when she participated in the Holy Tuesday episode of “Eat Bulaga Lent Special.” The episode, which was titled “Byaheng Broken Hearted”, featured the participation of Paolo Ballesteros, Maine Mendoza, Ruby Rodriguez and Anjo Yllana, among others.
Chiqui’s daughter, Chia, would eventually follow in her footsteps and briefly join the show starting in 2010. In 2011, she, along with Ciara Sotto, Julia Clarete, Daiana Menezes, and Pauleen Luna, performed a couple of songs like “Eat Bulaga’s “. girl band. She sang and played the tambourine during the special performance.
Toni Rose Gayda
Toni Rose Gayda. Screenshot of A Song of Praise International Facebook page
Gayda would serve as a co-host on the midday variety show, particularly after “Eat Bulaga’s” moved to GMA. He would join the show the same year as “EAT” mainstay Allan K. and the late rapper Francis Magalona. Gayda, who is the daughter of actress and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Rosa Rosal, would go on to co-host the songwriting competition “A Song of Praise (ASOP)” Music Festival after leaving “Eat Bulaga”.
lady reads
Ice Seguerra and Lady Lee in 2016. Image: Instagram/@lizadino
Competitions at the midday shows have provided exposure to various showbiz aspirants which has proven vital in their entry into the industry. Before “It’s Showtime” launched its children’s version of a beauty pageant, “Mini Miss U,” “Eat Bulaga” decades earlier featured “Little Miss Philippines.” The contest launched the careers of Ice Seguerra, Ryzza Mae Dizon and former “Eat Bulaga” co-host and child star Lady Lee.
You may have come across a video of the special episode of the variety show in January 1995, when they performed a show at the Araneta Coliseum to mark the transfer of “Eat Bulaga” to the Kapuso network. The girl next to Seguerra is Lee, whose batchmates on “Little Miss Philippines” include actresses Camille Prats and Maybelyn dela Cruz. Lee, who has not been active in show business, appeared in several films in the 1990s, including “Kailan Ka Magiging Akin,” where she starred alongside Gabby Concepcion, Janice De Belen, Gina Alajar, and Charo Santos-Concio. .
Steven Claude Goyong and BJ “Tolits” Forbes
(From left) Steven Claude Goyong and BJ “Tolits” Forbes. Images: Instagram/@iamclaudegoyong and @its.bjforbes
Before the popularity of child star Baeby Baste, “Eat Bulaga” already showcased the talent and charm of various boys, mainly through its “That’s My Boy” segment. Competing products included Steven Claude Goyong — known simply as Goyong — and BJ “Tolits” Forbes. Goyong was a finalist in the 1998 edition of the segment, while Forbes, who is still remembered for starring in detergent commercials, competed in 2003. Before the original “Eat Bulaga” transferred to TV5, Goyong experimented working for the show. noon behind the camera. — as a floor manager, production assistant and even as a writer. Both former child stars are now married.
new villa
New Villa. Image: Instagram/@vscelebrities
In another throwback video posted on the “Eat Bulaga” YouTube channel, veteran actress Nova Villa is shown as one of the members of a six-piece musical act, the Eat Bulaga Band, which uses only body parts to create sounds. . In her case, the “Home Along Da Riles” actress imitated the sound of a trumpet by humming, while she pretended to be playing a real trumpet.
The footage shown was from August 1990 or during the time the noon show had already left RPN and started airing on the Kapamilya channel. At 76, Villa continues to make people laugh as a regular cast member of Kapuso’s series “Pepito Manaloto: Tuloy ang Kuwento.”
Teri Onore
teri honor. Screenshot of Eat Bulaga’s Facebook page
Over the years, talents honed at comedy bars have successfully become TV personalities. Aside from Allan K., another comedian to appear on the “Eat Bulaga” stage was Nora Aunor impersonator Dexter Dominguez, popularly known as Teri Onor. Abucay’s former deputy mayor, Bataan, was a mainstay in the 2000s. The actor and comedian, who appeared in series like “Dyesebel” and “Darna,” failed to win back his seat as deputy mayor in the 2022 elections.
mickey ferriols
Mickey Ferriols. Image: Instagram/@mckeyf
Before landing various roles in Kapuso and Kapamilya dramas over the past 10-15 years, Mickey Ferriols already established herself as a TV host in the early 2000s. While some may remember her from her stint on midday shows Kapamilya’s “Masayang Tanghali Bayan” and its replacement, “MTB Ang Saya Saya”, Ferriols was previously a part of “Eat Bulaga”. She began her Dabarkads journey in the late 1990s.
luane dy
Luane Dy. Image: Instagram/@luziady
Although her stint as co-host on “Eat Bulaga” is fairly recent compared to some of the other Dabarkads on the list, some younger viewers might have forgotten that former “Unang Hirit” host Luane Dy joined the run variety show. by TVJ in 2017. Dy, who married Kapuso actor Carlo González in February, was also able to showcase her acting skills through special episodes of the midday show in line with Easter.
Diaz River
Rio Diaz with her husband, the late Tarlac representative Charlie Cojuangco. Image: Instagram/@cloudzcojuangco
One name that is sure to propel the younger generation to surf the web is former beauty queen Río Díaz. The television host and actress was part of the “Eat Bulaga” family in the 1990s. She is the sister of award-winning actress and Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Díaz. Her son with her former partner, musician Hajji Alejandro, Ali is the husband of another former Dabarkads, singer Lougee Basabas. Diaz married the late Congressman Charlie Cojuangco, and the couple would grow their family with the birth of their two children. Former deputy mayor of Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, Díaz died in 2004 at age 45, after years of fighting cancer.
Janno Gibbs
Janno Gibbs. Image: Instagram/@jannolategibbs
Do you remember the duo and group performances during “Bulagaan”? You may remember hearing the distinctive voice of singer-actor Janno Gibbs, who was once a regular co-host in the 2000s. Known for hits like “Pinakamagandang Lalaki” and “Fallin,” Gibbs made his return to the midday show at via Net 25’s “Happy Time” in 2020, where he worked with Yllana. However, Gibbs would be asked to leave the show following an incident involving him and co-host Kitkat.
Cindy Kurleto
Cindy Kurleto. Image: Instagram/@cindy_kurleto
Like Ferriols, VJ-model Cindy Kurleto was also a part of the “Masayang Tanghali Bayan” lunchtime show, which also featured Willie Revillame, John Estrada and Randy Santiago. But in her case, she would become Dabarkads after her stint on the Kapamilya variety show. She gave the last performance of hers and said goodbye to the show in 2007. As an actress, Kurleto appeared in both “Encantadia” and “Etheria”, and also starred in the 2020 ABS-CBN drama “Make It with You”. edv
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