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The hosts of Startalk have been filling our Saturday afternoon entertainment quota for the past eleven years. My, how time flies!
The hosts of Startalk have been filling our Saturday afternoon entertainment quota for the past eleven years. My, how time flies! The secret to the show's long-lived success isn't just based on luck, however. A lot of effort goes into it, both from the hosts and staff. The result: an entertaining, enjoyable show that's as much fun to be in as it is to watch. Text by Yvette U. Tan. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio.
"Enjoy gawin (ang Startalk). Just like
Nuts Entertainment, parang laro lang sa akin. Parang laro lang sa grupo. Kaya masaya. It's not work, it's playtime,"
Joey De Leon says.
"Happy kaming lahat. May kanya-kanya na kaming ano, parang meron na kaming rapport and chemistry," Says
Lorna Tolentino, also fondly known as LT.
""We feel like brothers and sisters together. We look forward to Saturdays na makita yong isa't isa. Nobody or no one among the group feels insecure from the other,"
Lolit Solis says.
"I call it the perfect combination,"
Butch Francisco, the fourth host, says.
In a show that has the latest showbiz chismis as its bread and butter, it's important to be able to go with the flow, to get used to ever-changing chika.
"Kailangan masanay ka na iba-iba yong guest eh," Joey says. "Iba-iba yong tao, iba-iba yong issues, iba iba yong intriga, kaya kailangan marunong ka kung kalian ka magiging seryoso, kung kailan ka magiging mapagbiro."
One of the things that Joey dislikes in some of the show's guests is their wishywashy-ness when it comes to who they will present their story to. "Actually isa lang kinaiinisan ko yung mga guest lumalagari. Kunyari nasa amin, after a few minutes nasa kabila, o kaya nasa ibang show naman. Ok lang siguro iyun, pero dapat magpapaalam beforehand para hindi kami nasa-shock."
Of course, working on the show has its lighter side, too. "I get to greet too many people from the bati. Mana kay Manay Lolit ano!" LT laughs. "Fun kasi, hindi sya talaga ganun ka work na alam mong gaya ng soap na kailangan mo talagang magconcentrate na iyak ka dito. Ito hindi. You just need to concentrate na kainlangan yung wits mo and yung wisdom mo is working all the time."
There are many reasons a show gets to be as long lived as
Startalk . Not the least of them the research and dedication that goes into creating an episode.
"Yung nangyayari from Monday to Friday, nacocover kaagad ng Startalk. And then you cannot argue with the ten years na nandodoon na, iyong sa tagal ang dami ng dumating, and dami ng nawala. May dumating na bago. Still, hindi natitinag yong ratings ng
Startalk. And siguro talagang meron na siyang mga viewers alam na nilang na pag ganitong time andyan ang
Startalk," LT says.
To Manay Lolit, it's "The researchers. The staff. Sometimes you don't know the story, they do. They work very hard. Sometimes nga dito na sila natutulog eh, especially Fridays para matapos ang episode."
Butch, too, credits the staff for their dedication. "It's really the hard work of the staff. I have to give credit to them. Everyone here works so hard," Butch says. "One thing that we can assure you is that every time something happens in the business, we'll get it here first. We try to be very, very balanced."
The
Startalk hosts would like to extend their warmest thanks to the people who are the reason the talk show is at the top of its game the viewers.
"I'm thanking the viewers na hindi nagbabago. Ginawa nilang parang part na ng life nila ang pagpanood ng Star Talk," says LT.
"Well, alam nyo naman ang tsismis. Kahit magreact ang iba na baduy ito o bakya ito, at the height of kabakyaan let's admit it, kahit sa America ang gossip number one entertainment.
So, we'll keep on entertaining you, through
Startalk," Joey says.
"I hope they stay with us," says Lolit. "Make us the longest running talk show. Make us 25 years like
Eat Bulaga . Baka sakali. But I can not imagine myself 25 years. Mga ilang taon ako, 60 going 70, parang di ko maimagine ang sarili ko na at that age eh nang-iintriga pa ako."
Says Butch, "Thank you very much for supporting Startalk. I mean all those ten years going to 11. How time flies when you are having fun."
Catch
Startalk every Saturday afternoon only on GMA.
