Alden Richards shared his honest reaction after Vice Ganda described AlDub as “phenomenal.”
AlDub, the popular on-screen pairing of Alden and his then-loveteam partner Maine Mendoza, became one of the biggest pop culture phenomena in the Philippines in 2015, drawing a massive following and dominating television conversations at the time.
READ: Vice Ganda on Alden Richards breaking down on ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’: ‘Awang-awa ako sa kaniya’
When Alden joined as the first guest of the returning Gandang Gabi Vice, the Vice Ganda humorously opened about how the popularity of AlDub presented a challenging period for It’s Showtime while also acknowledging how “phenomenal” it was.
Hearing that remark coming from the Unkabogable Star himself, Alden shared his reaction with PUSH ABS-CBN.
“Hindi ko nga alam eh,” he candidly said. “I know right now that all the network wars and show wars [have] ended... Of course, I'm very happy and we're very blessed that there were a lot of things that happened during that time for us... But 'yun nga sinasabi ko rin kay Vice, it was unintentional for us to put It’s Showtime in that situation. Pero, I guess that's the unfair reality of the culture and the world that we're living in, especially in show business.”
For Alden, the intentions behind their respective shows remained the same: to entertain Filipino viewers.
“Pero everything was laid out with good intentions and kami, like what Vice said as well, na at the end of the day, both shows want to make people happy with the things that we air and show them,” he maintained.
More than a decade after the height of the AlDub phenomenon, Alden believes that the collaboration between ABS-CBN and GMA is a positive development for the industry which can help strengthen the local television landscape.
“Hindi na natin kailangan ng factions [or] territory... There's no such thing. I think that's the beauty [of] now that the television industry is collaborating [with] the most we can, to fortify and to sustain the free TV aspect of the industry,” he maintained.
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The spirit of that collaboration was also evident during Alden’s guesting on Gandang Gabi Vice, where the two entertainers revisited AlDub in a playful way.
During the pilot episode, Alden and Vice brought giggles and laughter when they wrote short messages on small whiteboards while being projected side by side on screen, imitating AlDub.
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The two later formed a heart with their hands before sharing a hug, prompting Vice Ganda to admit: “Nakakakilig palang mag-Aldub Aldub-an.”
While the Unkabogable Star previously described the height of AlDub as one of the darkest moments of It’s Showtime, he also acknowledged the joy it brought to Filipino viewers.
“Nakakatuwa naman kasi talaga,” Vice said.