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Nuts Entertainment gave our favorite sweet treats a totally new meaning with its Balakubak segment.
Doughnut, Lollipop and Popsicle, these are our favorite sweet treats. But these names have been given a new meaning ever since Nuts Entertainment brought to us the Balakubak segment. Doughnut ( Joey De Leon), Lollipop ( Janno Gibbs) and Popsicle ( Anjo Yllana) air every Wednesday as the highlight of the weekly gag and sketch show. They give us the most controversial guests and put them on the hot seat. Now, we turn the tables and put the wacky trio on the limelight. Text by Loretta G. Ramirez. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. The three nutty hosts do not fail to give us something to look forward on our Wednesday nights. Whether it be their controversial guests or their naughty questions, somehow they manage to give us an unforgettable show.. The Origins of Balakubak Joey De Leon, comedian par excellance, is the brains of most of the gags on the show, including the Balakubak segment. Backed by years of experience and a natural knack for writing funny scripts and songs, Joey shares how this famous segment came to be. “Wala, naimbento ko lang yung title. Nag isip ako ng nakakatawang tunog o salita, para kumagat at madaling tandaan. Pagkatapos nilagyan ko ng meaning. Pinilit kong lagyan ng meaning,” shares the veteran comedian while fondly remembering the beginning of this famous segment. Balita at Kwentong Bakla, is what Balakubak stands for. Catchy isn’t it? That’s Joey’s trademark, witty and funny concepts that are tailored to capture everybody’s attention. “Balita at Kwentong Bakla, kaya naging bakla (ang hosts). Kasi dati balita lang ang Balakubak, news iyan eh, pagkatapos naging interview kaya naging balita at kwento,” explains Joey. Evolving from a simple concept of delivering hilarious news, the segment is now a venue for a no-holds-barred conversation with a famous celebrity which is definitely much more interesting than the news. Lollipop, Doughnut and Popsicle Part of the fun that Joey wanted to incorporate on the show, were the names he gave the hosts of Balakubak. “Di ko alam kung ano ang nauna, yung pagka-doughnut ko dahil sa commercial na Dunkin (which he endorses) or ito. Palagay ko naman hindi, dahil mas luma ito. Nadagdagan ng nadagdagan yan eh, puro pagkain kasi yung ang cute. So naglaro na lang kami sa names ng food,” says Joey. Playing the role of Lollipop is the very talented artist, Janno Gibbs. He is in charge of the Bulungan portion of Balakubak where he whispers a secret question on to the guest’s ear and the guests whispers the answer back to Lollipop. He says that he enjoys what he is doing and would want to bring the biggest stars on the hot seat. “Marami pa kaming di pa nagueguest. Si Robin Padilla, Ate Vi at Maricel Soriano. Pangarap din namin ang mga non-showbiz, mga politician,” says Janno. Popsicle on the other hand, is played by another comedian who enjoys working with Janno and Joey. Anjo Yllana is a host, an actor and a politician. “Mas comportable ako sa comedy, although nag-start ako sa drama,” admits Anjo. He also said that he really has a funny bone in him. “Depende sa sitwasyon, kasi ako naman kalog naman talaga ko pero like in my case in real life public servant ako so kapag may mga problema syempre seryoso ako although I take time out na kapag nakikipag- usap ako sa mga tao talagang palatawa talaga ako, talagang palabiro.” Popsicle may soon be out of Balakubak in future episodes, since he is scheduled to take a leave of absence in compliance with R.A. 9006 (Fair Elections Act). But with or without Popsicle, Balakubak’s success is assured. With the comedic genius of Joey and Janno behind the segment, no doubt they will find a way to make Balakubak an entertaining part of our Wednesday nights. Catch these wacky characters on Nuts Entertainment during GMA’s KiliTV. You can also get in touch with Janno via Fanatxt. Simply text JANNO (your message) and send to 4627 at P2.50 per message.