Pokwang joins ‘EXpecially for You’ on ‘It’s Showtime,’ meets new friend

Pokwang and her “EXpecially for You” date. Image: screengrab from YouTube/ABS-CBN It’s Showtime

Pokwang is set to go on a date with her newfound friend Richard, whom she met on the “EXpecially for You” segment of the noontime show “It’s Showtime.”

Pokwang, who has been single for the past three years, graced the show as a searcher on Saturday, Aug. 17. She was accompanied by her eldest daughter Mae who helped her in choosing from the three searchees.

“Anong nagkumbinsi sa’yo para umupo dito sa ‘EXpecially for You’?” show host Vice Ganda asked, to which Pokwang jokingly answered, “Nire-renovate kasi ‘yung bahay. Wala kaming upuan.”

Turning serious, she continued, “Syempre, I’m a fan of this segment. And of course, gusto ko naman ding maiba ‘yung ikot ng buhay.”

Mae also shared that she had been urging her mom to join the segment. “Para sa akin talaga, mas gusto kong tumanda siya nang may makakasama.”

The actress-comedian then went on to share her previous relationship with her estranged partner, American actor Lee O’Brian, who is also the father of her youngest daughter Malia.

Pokwang and the show hosts opted not to name him during their conversation, with the actress addressing O’Brian only as “Chururut Bumblebee.”

“Pasong-paso ako,” Pokwang said of her heartbreak. “Pero sabi ko nga, minsan si God ang gumagawa ng way kung paano mo siya makikilala… Kung may love, may hope; kung may hope, may love.”

When asked if she’s open to dating a foreigner again, Pokwang quipped, “Kailangan kumpleto ang papeles,” apparently alluding to O’Brian’s deportation case.

Pokwang also turned emotional during the interview as she recalled how Mae, who admitted that she was initially “aloof” from O’Brian, shrugged off her misgivings for her mom’s happiness.

Despite this, the mother and daughter underscored that their home has found happiness once again, and that they now relive the bond they had before O’Brian came.

Pokwang then got to know the three searchees by asking them questions and later chose Richard, a chef, as her date.