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A lot of Kapuso fans know Drew Arellano as the entertaining host of GTV's Biyahe ni Drew, but with the new series currently on streaming platform Amazon Prime, viewers are set to discover a new side of Drew that even he wasn't aware of.

Drew shared how much the new show Comedy Island Philippines has changed him during the press conference before the launch of the show. Along with him were fellow co-stars Rufa Mae Qunito, Jerald Napoles, Cai Cortez, Justin Luzares, Andrea Brillantes, and Carlo Aquino, who are all playing heightened versions of themselves on the fictional Tawa-Tawa Island. Drew, on the other hand, stars as “Dodong”, the master of ceremonies on the island who presides over the challenges that the stars undergo.

Shot in Thailand a year ago, it was a month-long shoot that had Drew initially hesitant to join the production, as he had a newborn child at the time.

“Initially, when they spoke to me I was like, how long? One month away from the kids? That was the major reason why I was hesitant,” he recalled. “But when they told me the very new concept, it was a bit scary but yung fear na yun kinda propelled me to take on the challenge.”

While he plays a host in the hybrid scripted-unscripted show that is Comedy Island Philippines, Drew says his decade of hosting Biyahe ni Drew did not prove helpful at all as this was an environment he was entirely unfamiliar with.

“It's so funny because this is definitely not what I do. This was acting which I am not an actor. This deals with improvisation which wala rin akong background. I joke sa bahay but not as a professional comedian,” he explained. “Medyo si Biyahe Ni Drew character was non-existent nung napadpad kami sa Tawa-Tawa Island. Thank you for helping me find a different version of myself na meron pala ako.”

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That “different version” of himself was something his co-stars quickly saw as well, with Carlo Aquino even praising how immersed he was in his character.

“Kapag nagco-costume si Drew, nag-iiba pagkatao niya. Feeling ko nung nagsho-shoot nagiibang taon talaga. Nakaka-enjoy panoorin,” he said.

With the first season of Comedy Island Philippines now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Drew had nothing but praise for the show, emphasizing the “professional and super efficient team” whose standards he now wants implemented in the local industry as well.

But beyond that, Drew said that he left the show with life learnings of his own, learned all the way back from the improvisation workshops they took part in.

“Without the workshops, hindi mangyayari yung magandang fluidity ng nangyaring improvisation. Sa totoo lang ang dami kong life learnings sa workshop. The 'yes, and' attitude, dala-dala ko pa rin to this day and I'm still sharing,” he said.