Kuh admits getting ‘a bit of flak’ for doing ‘MHL’

KUH Ledesma

When the acclaimed GMA 7 drama series, “My Husband’s Lover,” (MHL) was first aired in 2013, singer-actress Kuh Ledesma, who was part of the main cast, remembered receiving “a bit of flak.” She is a born-again Christian, and some of her Bible teachers, she recalled, asked why she was doing a show that tackled homosexual relationships.

In a conservative country like ours, such a theme is deemed controversial, especially on free television. But the show was well-done, Kuh thought, and was nonetheless happy to be in it.

“It had good ratings because it examined a topic that many people related to… I learned a lot of things from the show,” the seasoned artist said at a recent media gathering for the rerun of “My Husband’s Lover,” this time on the cable channel Fox Filipino (weeknights, 7 p.m.).

The soap centers on the three-pronged love story of Lally (Carla Abellana), who ties the knot with Vincent (Tom Rodriguez) after he got her pregnant. Vincent, however, is secretly attracted to men. And when his former flame, Eric (Dennis Trillo), returns to his life, things start to get complicated.

Kuh, on the other hand, is Elaine, Vincent’s mother. “It was a good program because it somehow showed that single women who are ready to start a family first need to fully know the man they’re planning to spend the rest of their lives with,” related Kuh, who said she was open to do the show again, should there be a sequel.

Meanwhile, Jude Turcuato, head of Fox International Channels-Philippines, said the company wanted to air “My Husband’s Lover” again because of its relevance. “It was the first time this kind of infidelity was shown on television,” he said. “And people are still interested in it.”

Aside from featuring dramas aired by local networks, Turcuato said Fox Filipino also has an output deal with Cinemalaya, which allows the channel to broadcast most of its movies. It’s also set to telecast original content in the future, starting with a TV series to be produced by director Erik Matti.

“The script is still being written, but it’s going to be in the suspense-horror genre similar to the show, ‘Outcast,’” he said. “If the project becomes successful, we’ll explore working with more local filmmakers.”

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