Alden Richards considers his first-ever guesting on Gandang Gabi Vice more than just another television appearance, describing his conversation with Vice Ganda as a meaningful moment of “self-discovery.”
Asia’s Multimedia Star spoke with PUSH ABS-CBN after the shoot of the show’s the pilot episode, where he became the first Kapuso star to take the guest seat.
READ: EXCLUSIVE: Vice Ganda says the return of ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’ is an ‘answered prayer’
While Alden already had an idea of what to expect from the hit comedy talk show, he admitted that the actual experience went beyond what he had imagined.
“Nagulat ako,” he expressed. “Hindi ko ini-expect na ganon [‘yung] magiging 'yung turn-outs niya. I expected certain outputs and outcomes. But lahat noong na-stimulate ko sa utak ko went beyond my expectation. I'm really glad I made this decision to join Vice para sa comeback ng Gandang Gabi Vice.”
For Alden, the experience became particularly special because of how much he learned about himself throughout the conversation.
“Ang galing noong experience kasi hindi lang siya guesting for me. It's a moment of self-discovery. I think blessing ito. Blessing sa akin na this happened because [there has been] a lot of self-realizations and there were a lot of things that I learned about myself.
“It has been a while since I got the chance to really talk about myself, kasi... hindi ako 'yung ‘me, myself and I’ when it comes to conversations. Most of the time I always listen. But something about Vice's energy na may nailabas siya na sinet aside ko for the longest time,” he added.
Gandang Gabi Vice originally aired on the Kapamilya network for nine years before going on hiatus in March 2020.
Six years later, it returns through the collaboration between ABS-CBN and GMA, giving Alden the opportunity to finally experience the show firsthand.
The actor admitted that he never imagined becoming part of the program, particularly given network restrictions in the past. With the current collaboration, however, Kapamilya and Kapuso artists can now share the same stage and create something together.
“I really enjoyed the content on how it's made. I'm sure maraming inputs 'yung creatives, most especially si Vice on how to treat different guests. And what I really appreciate about Gandang Gabi Vice is it's very personal for each guest that sits on the chair. Hindi siya pare-parehong treatment. Meron man pare-parehong treatment, but it's the template of the show.”
Looking back at his experience, Alden described his Gandang Gabi Vice guesting simply as something that felt good to be part of.
He maintained: “What I've experienced in this show is sobrang blessing. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam.”
New co-hosts Vince Maristela, Divine Tetay, and Verna Periwinkle, collectively known as the “Geng Gang,” will also join Vice Ganda in bringing wit and laughter in this new season.
Catch the much-awaited return of Gandang Gabi Vice this Sunday, September 13, on GMA, while its unfiltered and uncut version will stream exclusively on iWant.