- Ate Gay joined TNT Celebrity Champions Batch 2.
- Ate Gay denied backing out from the competition.
Stand-up comedian Ate Gay ended speculation that he backed out from Tawag Ng Tanghalan Celebrity Champions edition.
In a couple of tweets, the comedian addressed online rumors that he will no longer be seen in the competition.
“Hindi po ko nag Back out sa Tnt hahaha waiting lang ako kung kelan ako sasalang..salamat sa mga nagaabang,” he said.
Pray nyo masalang ako kahit ako atat ng mang aliw at lumaban hahaha …mwaaaah pic.twitter.com/cZTPYwKCZA
— gil morales (@AteGay08) October 14, 2019
Eto na nga… TNTcelebchampions abangan! pic.twitter.com/Anv2An99Kv
— gil morales (@AteGay08) October 12, 2019
Rumors that he backed out from the singing contest started when ABS-CBN Business Unit Head Edward Peter Dizon tweeted the promo poster of TNT Celebrity Champions Batch 2 without Ate Gay on it.
Saan po si Ate Gay?
— dawallflower (@dawallflower_) October 14, 2019
Netizens then started asking questions why suddenly Ate Gay was out of the picture.
https://twitter.com/sadiksadisyerto/status/1183714569212125184?s=19
Wala na si Ate Gay sa TNT! Bakit?! Ayaw ni Vice?
— Madam (@itsmemadam_) October 14, 2019
Nakita ko nga sya sa pics tas bglang nawala
— MAMA MO ✨️ (@mikayaahhhh) October 14, 2019
Hindi pa vuh nakaka move-on si Meme? Haha
— Ramona (@monaysabelle) October 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/RussellChinito/status/1183730858651344896?s=19
TNT Celebrity Champions is a special edition of Tawag Ng Tanghalan in celebration of It’s Showtime‘s 10th year anniversary.
TNT has been instrumental in It’s Showtime’s 10-year history. It was the singing competition that saved the life of the noontime show after being overwhelmed by the AlDub phenomenon four years ago.
Meanwhile in an interview with bloggers, Ate Gay said that he really wanted to join TNT when he learned that a celebrity edition was coming up. Since Nora Aunor, the superstar that he is impersonating, is a former TNT champion herself, he saw it fitting to also grace the TNT stage.
“Actually nung nakita yung may mga celebrity ako mismo ang nagsabi sa manager ko si Ferdie Bautista na gusto kong sumali, ayun. Tapos nung sinabi nya na pwede na pala akong sumali, na pwede akong sumali, ninerbyos naman ako..o sige ok lang sabi kong ganun,” he said.
“Excited din akong makasama si Vice sa chikahan para lalong sumaya yung mga manonood. Makadagdag lang nang konting kasiyahan, ok na sa akin yun,” he added.
Asked who is he most threatened among the contenders, Ate Gay quickly answered fellow comedian Ethel Booba.
“Si Ethel, kay Ethel ako…Si Ethel naman magchachampion dyan nakow. Oo promise, kasi wala pa syang contest na sinalihan na hindi sya nanalo, laging nananalo yan promise ko sa inyo,” he answered.
UPDATE: Ate Gay will no longer compete in Tawag Ng Tanghalan Celebrity Champions.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, October 16, the comedian sadly broke the news that he is now out of the competition.
In the post, Ate Gay said It’s Showtime management didn’t give any specific reason for his exit but he thanked all the madlang people who supported him and waited for his chance to step on the TNT stage.
“Nais ko pong ibalita na hindi na po ako makakasalanag sa TNT…nakakalungkot man na ang management ay walang sinabing dahilan kung bakit..salamat sa abala sa oras na masaya sana. bagamat patuloy lang po ang buhay na ang layunin ko lang ay magbigay aliw sa madlang people at lumabas..uulitin ko po walang sinabing dahilan kundi Di na po ako isasalanang…maraming salamat po!,” wrote Ate Gay.
https://www.facebook.com/100009869835865/posts/980973412241644?sfns=mo
