Buboy Villar admits feeling hurt over criticisms towards new ‘Eat Bulaga’

Buboy Villar. Image: Instagram/@buboyvillar

Buboy Villar admitted he was hurt over the criticisms hurled at him and fellow “Eat Bulaga” hosts following their  introduction to the public last June, insisting that there’s nothing wrong with merely accepting a job.

In an interview by online entertainment show Marites University, which uploaded on its YouTube channel last Oct. 7, Villar looked back at the rebranded noontime show’s first week on air, where he admitted that he simply wanted to do his job as a host who merely wanted to bring joy to the audience.

“Actually po, noong una talaga, ang totoo niyan, masakit eh. Masakit talaga. Ako ‘yung taong walang pakialam pero… ang unang-unang bungad sa ‘yo nega kaagad. Parang ang bad kaagad ng morning mo so nakakalungkot talaga siya. ‘Yung tipong kahit one week lang siya, para sa’kin, parang taon,” he said.

(Actually, at first, the criticisms hurt. It was really painful. I’m the type of person who doesn’t give a care but when you wake up to something negative, it will affect your entire day. It will make you sad. It was so bad that even if the negative comments lasted for a week, it felt like a year.)

The comedian-host then revealed that he was worried about his co-host Betong Sumaya at the time, since he tended to read negative comments even while working at the “Eat Bulaga studio.

“Si Betong, siya talaga ‘yung maramdamin sa amin. Si Betong talaga, kahit sa live, nagbabasa siya [ng comments],” he said. “Pero bilang isang katrabaho mo, kunwari, tayo-tayo, na alam mong naaapektuhan ka pero mas affected ito, paano mo ngayon iha-handle ‘yun? Ngayon, kailangan mong lakasan ang loob mo.”

(Betong is the most emotional out of all of us. He even reads comments on social media even if we’re live. But as someone who works with him, if you see someone who’s more affected than you are, how do you handle that? You have to be strong.)

Despite this, Villar pointed out that he and his fellow “Eat Bulaga” hosts didn’t do anything wrong, and merely accepted the task of hosting the noontime show as it’s their “responsibility” as artists.

“Nakakahurt lang na sa kabilang magagandang sinabi sa’yo, sa sampung ginawa mo, meron isang mali. Parang mali bang tumanggap ng trabaho? Trabaho ‘to, binigay ‘to sa’kin. Kapag may trabaho, kahit hindi fit, gagawin ko lahat para i-fit ‘yan kasi ‘yan ‘yung aktor, ‘yan ang artista. Kapag binigay sa’yo ‘yan, kailangan mong gawin yan,” he said.

(It hurts that even if you were told good things and you do 10 good things, people would focus solely on that one negative mistake. Is it wrong to accept a job? This is a job. This was given to me. If there’s a job that doesn’t fit, I will do everything to make it fit because that is what an actor does. If you’re given a job, you have to fulfill it.)

Villar, who maintained he will never leave “Eat Bulaga,” also stressed that the rebranded “Eat Bulaga” doesn’t aim to replace the noontime show’s original form and instead, be a source of hope for viewers.

“Alam natin kung paano tayo magtrabaho. Alam natin na ‘yung gagawin natin dito ay hindi para palitan sila kundi magbigay ka lang. Kung ano ‘yung main goal mo, host ka lang ng show, tulong at saya (We know how we do our jobs. We know that we aim to not replace, but to give. Our main goal as a host of the show is to bring hope and joy),” he said.

Villar, along with Sumaya, Paolo Contis, Mavy Legaspi, Cassy Legaspi, and Alexa Miro were introduced as the new hosts of “Eat Bulaga” last June 5, following the departure of comedy trio Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (also known as TVJ) and original mainstays. Former Manila City mayor Isko Moreno was also revealed as one of the noontime show’s newest hosts days later.

TVJ, Maine Mendoza, Allan K, Jose Manalo, Paolo Ballesteros, Wally Bayola, Ryan Agoncillo, Ryzza Mae Dizon, and Carren Eistrup had since transferred to TV5, and made their return as the hosts of noontime show “EAT” in July. EDV