Kitkat Favia (L) and Janno Gibbs, former “Happy Time” hosts. Image: Facebook/@kitkat.favia, Instagram/@jannolategibbs
Following a public feud that started on the noontime variety show “Happy Time,” Janno Gibbs and Kitkat Favia announced in separate statements that they were asked to exit the show.
Net 25 has yet to release a statement about their departure, a decision that Favia questioned in a Facebook post on Friday, Feb. 26.
Favia accused Gibbs of cursing at her and speaking to her with disrespect during an episode last Feb. 18. She aired her grievances on social media about the incident, after which Gibbs released a statement on Feb. 23, claiming that his behavior was “provoked.”
Two days after making his statement, the actor-host announced that both he and Favia were “asked to leave the show,” as seen in another statement on Instagram on Thursday, Feb. 25.
He aired his side of the story, stating, “During live TV shows, and especially during game portions, it is usual for the hosts to challenge each other with playful exchange of words or teasing remarks to create more excitement, laughter and fun for the portion.”
“All along, I thought that we were having an innocent, comedic banter and that she was playing along, but apparently, she had taken it personally,” he explained. “After she consecutively said several words against me, I was also affected and it made me react the way that I did.”
“It really hurt me that even my family was dragged into this,” Gibbs added.
“I have apologized to my co-host and the management of the show. I have also publicly apologized. We have both been asked to leave the show,” he stated.
Favia, meanwhile, felt that management’s decision was not “fair,” she said in a lengthy Facebook post last Friday.
“Natanggal ako sa afternoon show namin, sa dahilang di ko naiintindihan,” she said. “Malamang dahil mas madali ang walang panigan kesa madamay pa ang hindi dapat nadadamay.”
(I was removed from our afternoon show for reasons I do not understand. Probably because it is easier not to choose sides than affect those who should not be affected.)
She also questioned Gibbs’s claim that he was “provoked,” stating, “Provoked? We were playing games, of course, ‘asaran (teasing)’ is part of the play.”
“But ang mamahiya, mambara, magsalita ng kung ano ano at mambastos sa taong nagsasalita at yung magwawala were not part of the game.”
(But to humiliate, to be rude, to rant, to be disrespectful to the person who is speaking and to lose your temper were not part of the game.)
She also had a message to the management of Net 25, whom she claimed took her out of the show before she had a chance to resign.
“Sa management, [respeto] at [pagmamahal] pa din po ang deserve [n’yo]. Mahal na mahal ko po kayo lahat dyan,” she said. (To the management, you deserve respect and love. I love all of you.)
“But the decision to take me out wasn’t fair but I will take it. You should’ve just given me the dignity of letting me go when I asked to resign. But you opted to remove me after we had a talk and when all was supposedly ironed out already.”
“Happy Time” began airing in September 2020 with Favia, Gibbs and Anjo Yllana as the main hosts. Yllana, who used to be part of “Eat Bulaga,” is the only remaining main host. JB
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