“Si Billy is one very important person sa buhay ko. At the end of the day, you are my best friend, and I love you very much.”
With those heartfelt words, Vice Ganda and Billy Crawford officially ended their rift that first caught public attention in 2021.
Billy and his wife, Coleen Garcia, along with their son, Amari, graced It’s Showtime on Thursday, November 10, 2023, much to the surprise of viewers from the studio and on television.
Billy and Coleen used to be part of It’s Showtime; their love story also blossomed while co-hosting the noontime program.
Vice told viewers, “Billy’s presence here today and the Madlang People knowing that we’re okay, baka mag-inspire to sa inyo na mag-heal din.
“Baka it’s about time. Baka kaya niyo na rin na makipag-reconcile lalo na doon sa mga taong mahalaga sa inyo.”
Billy, meanwhile, stressed how significant It’s Showtime is and the people behind it in his life, both personally and professionally.
“Nahanap ko ang aking asawa at nabuo ang aking pamilya dahil sa programang ito,” said Billy.
“Para sa akin, it really doesn’t matter kung saan ka. Mahal namin ang isa’t isa.
“Lahat ng pamilya nagkakaaway, nagkakalabuan, but at the end of the day, in God’s time, Siya na rin ang bahalang mag-ayos.”
With that said, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) looks back on the feud that transpired between Billy and Vice, and the serendipitous encounter that ultimately mend their fractured relationship.
EARLY RUMORS OF RIFT
Billy’s relationship off-cam with his It’s Showtime co-hosts has always been scrutinized by netizens.
In 2017, Billy and Coleen were noticeably absent from the wedding of Anne Curtis with Erwan Heussaff in New Zealand.
Likewise, tongues started wagging the moment Anne and Karylle were nowhere to be seen at Billy and Coleen’s wedding on April 20, 2018, at Balesin Island.
It turned out that Anne was in London to participate in a marathon.
Karylle, meanwhile, attended a fan event organized by a clothing brand for Hollywood actor Cole Sprouse.
She was also seen at a music video launch that day with husband, Yael Yuzon.
After Billy and Coleen tied the knot, Billy’s absence in It’s Showtime got noticed by netizens.
It was in October 2018 when Billy finally addressed the issue, saying he filed an indefinite leave of absence from the show to focus on his family first.
Coleen, for her part, had left the show as early as 2016 as she opted to prioritize acting projects.
BILLY MOVES TO ANOTHER NETWORK
Then in September 2020, it was reported that Billy was jumping ship from ABS-CBN to TV5.
Billy would be hosting the Philippine version of the game show The Masked Singer.
What’s more, Billy was added as one of the hosts of the noontime show, Lunch Out Loud, putting him in direct competition with It’s Showtime.
Billy, for the longest time, was part of It’s Showtime, joining the program in 2011 as part of the hosts alongside Vhong Navarro, Anne, and Vice.
While surprising for some, Billy’s move wasn’t entirely unexpected given the prevailing circumstances at the time.
ABS-CBN lost its franchise renewal bid in July of that year, prompting many of its talents and employees to reassess their career options.
Worst, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, and entertainment was one of the hardest-hit industries, leaving many artists and personnel working behind the scenes scampering for projects to keep them afloat.
Some of the Kapamilya stars who moved networks were Pokwang, Beauty Gonzalez, and Bea Alonzo.
“Definitely loyalty will not put food on the table. I tell you that,” Billy told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), explaining his decision to accept offers from rival networks.
“Yung makikita mong yung pamilya mong may kailangan pa at hindi ka na secure kung nasaan ka, gagawa at gagawa ka ng paraan para maiahon lahat ng taong mahal mo sa buhay.”
VICE SUPPORTS BILLY’S CAREER MOVE
Billy, together with wife Coleen, graced Vice’s online talk show, Gandang Gabi Na Vice, the same month news came out that Billy was transferring to TV5.
All was well between Billy and Vice, with the latter wishing the former good luck in his new home.
“At alam mo, sa pamilya, di ba, meron kang kapatid na lilipat ng bahay,” Vice told Billy and her listeners.
“Pero hindi porke’t lilipat siya ng bahay, hindi mo na siya kapatid, hindi mo na siya kapamilya, hindi mo na siya mahal.
“Kaya kahit lumipat ka ng bahay, kahit saang bahay man tayo magpunta, magkakapamilya… Family kita… At mahal na mahal kita.”
Vice even dished out a friendly joke directed towards Billy in October 2020 during an
In one of the segments, the show’s hosts were picking winners who correctly used the hashtag #SolidShowtimerAko on Twitter.
Vice jokingly remarked that she already had a winner, saying, “Ayan, o! @billycrawford.”
Vice’s comment was met with laughter by the other hosts.
VICE AND BILLY UNFOLLOW EACH OTHER
In November 2021, eagle-eyed netizens noticed Vice and Billy stopped following each other on Instagram.
What led to this sudden rift between the two friends?
First, talks were abuzz that Vice and Billy were no longer communicating since his departure from It’s Showtime.
It can be argued that former colleagues, whether in showbiz or not, go through this process as they cease spending more time together. It doesn’t necessarily follow though that they’re no longer friends.
However, the departure of It’s Showtime director Bobet Vidanes seemingly drove a wedge between Billy and Vice.
Bobet quit It’s Showtime in November 2020 and was tapped to serve as a creative producer to Lunch Out Loud co-hosted by Billy with Bayani Agbayani and Alex Gonzaga.
Bobet initially cited health reasons and not money behind his decision to leave It’s Showtime.
Vice seemingly didn’t buy Bobet’s explanation and was perceived throwing subtle jabs on air and online against the director.
Then on November 5, 2021, Bobet posted on Instagram a photo of him hanging out with Billy and another former It’s Showtime mainstay, Kim Atienza.
Bobet captioned his post with (published as is), “We are together..forever, Good friends! TRUE friends! Good to be with you guys..”
Many took Bobet’s post as a shade directed at the hosts of It’s Showtime, particularly Vice.
Bobet would later elaborate that the “toxic” environment in It’s Showtime and its effect on his mental and emotional health drove him to leave the program.
On the November 17, 2021, episode of It’s Showtime during the “Madlang Pi-Poll” segment, Vice found an opportunity to hit back when presented with the question: “Anong ayaw mo? a. fake friends o b. fake news.”
Broadcast journalist and celebrity contestant Jeff Canoy shared, “Worse yung fake friends na nagbibigay pa ng fake news.”
Vice agreed, saying, “‘Ay yes! Yung fake friends na nagbibigay pa ng fake news sa mga interview.”
“Worst yung fake friends na nagbibigay pa ng fake news”
“Yes oo! Yung fake friends na nagbibigay ng fake news sa mga interview”
Danggggg ???? pic.twitter.com/7d4F7FM3CT
— ? | ???????? (@Ibtthat) November 17, 2021
Vice also reacted to co-host Jugs Jugueta’s comment regarding fake friends.
“Wala, wala. Yan yung mga ina-unfriend,” said musician-host Jugs Jugueta.
Vice shot back, “Tapos nagsasama-sama sila.”
Lunch Out Loud changed its name to Tropang LOL before bowing out on air on April 29, 2023.
ROAD TO RECONCILIATION
Billy, in an interview in July 2022, shared that he hasn’t communicated with former It’s Showtime colleagues.
“Hindi pa kami nag-uusap-usap,” Billy admitted, pertaining to Anne and Vice.
“Si Vhong nakausap ko noong isang araw. Nagtawanan kami. Sabi ko batiin niya ako. Sabi niya ‘Nagpapabati si Bossing’. Sabi ko, ‘Ako babati kay bossing. Ikaw batiin mo ako.'”
Billy also brushed off the competition between him and his show and It’s Showtime, and asked the public to just enjoy what both programs have to offer.
“We’re not here to compete. Nandito kami para magpasaya. Nandito kami para magbigay tulong sa mga manonood. Nagagawa na namin yun at nabigyan pa kami ng pagkakataon na lakihan ang aming pamilya, na lakihan ang oportunidad namin na makatulong,” enthused Billy.
In August 2023, Billy was asked about the possibility of him returning to It’s Showtime now that he has no existing noontime show.
He pointed out that he has no problem appearing at any noontime show, whether It’s Showtime or Eat Bulaga!
The TV host-singer-dancer also underlined that he has no bad blood with ABS-CBN despite leaving the network in 2020.
At the Preview Ball 2023 in September, Coleen downplayed the nagging rumor between Billy and Vice, saying, “Parang ano naman yun, it’s just like kahit naman yung friends ko during the pandemic and everything, we kinda drift apart.”
She added, “Kung ano man yun, sa kanila na yun, mas okay na sila na lang ang tanungin niyo.
“Pero yung sa amin at sa kanila, as of now, wala naman.”
COLEEN’S HAND IN VICE-BILLY RECONCILIATION
As it turned out, it was Coleen who brokered for Vice and Billy to patch things up.
Vice shared the events leading to Billy and Coleen’s return to It’s Showtime to signify their public reconciliation.
“Story time kung paano kami nagkita ni Billy. Si Coleen ang nakita ko, sabi ko, ‘Hi Coleen, bye. Tapos sabi niya, ‘Magbati na kayo please.’
“Tapos nung nakita ko si Billy, hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Sabi niya, ‘Sige na please’,” related Vice.
She continued, “Paano ka mag-no no kay Coleen, tapos yung mukha niya ang sincere. Tapos alam niya kung gaano kahalaga yung relationship namin ni Billy, nasaksihan niya.”
Vice felt the time was right for her and Billy to reconnect and rekindle their friendship.
“It was the perfect time. I felt so good kaya nung naghiwalay kami, text kami agad ni Billy.
“As in pagsakay ko pa lang ng kotse nagte-text na kami, nagtatawagan na, nagsesendan na kami ng kung anu-anong picture.
“Ganun agad, parang this is the perfect time ang sarap-sarap sa pakiramdam.”
