Partners at home, partners at work

MANILA, Philippines – Marriage is serving Drew Arellano and Iya Villania well.

Not only are they partners at home but also at work as the husband and wife both host GMA 7’s upcoming comedy game show People vs. The Stars.

According to a show primer, the program lets celebrities play for a chance to win as much as P200,000 via a variety of tricky questions. If the stars fail to give a correct answer, the question’s cash value goes to the televiewers who will text their answer to the People Question of the Week.

The first time Drew and Iya worked together as Mr. and Mrs. was in Home Foodie last year. And the first time they ever worked together on TV and where their love story also began was through the teen-oriented GMA show Click in 2004.

Fast forward to 2017: They’re happy to do a show that allows them to be together and just be themselves.

“As you all know, drama is not our forte. So we thank God that we’re given a show like this because we can be ourselves,” said Iya in a presscon last Friday. “I think it’s exciting. At least, I get to be with him not only at home but also at work. Really exciting also because of the concept of the show, so it’s all the more fun to be working together.”

Drew added, “When we shot the first two episodes of the show, it was very natural for me to work with my wife, we’re really just that comfortable. At first, there was kaba (nervousness). This is a new challenge for us, this is a new concept. But when we started shooting it, we were just having good fun. Not just the two of us, but also the players, the stars, (that we were thinking) you know what, there’s a good chance that this show is gonna fly. The concept is original, it’s not too complicated… and for me, I think, it will definitely captivate the market.”

The hosting dynamics is also a breeze. It’s not just because they’ve been a couple for some 13 years now but also because they have years of hosting experience between them.

Iya said, “I guess whether or not you’re husband and wife, it’s really important to learn to be a good host and co-host and to complement each other.”

“(But) in totality, I think my wife is the better (host),” Drew said. “You know, happy wife, happy life.”

Outside People vs. The Stars, both of them are busy with other Kapuso shows: Iya as the Chika Minute anchor for the nightly newscast 24 Oras, and Drew with Unang Hirit, AHA! and Biyahe ni Drew. The energy is strong with this couple. 

Drew said, “I’m on fourth gear still, trying to squeeze out the talents that I have. When it comes to this show, it’s not too challenging because when you’re doing work that’s so much fun, you take the work a bit out of it. You just hope and pray that it’s a great show for the viewers, because with us, we’re always ‘Woo-hoo’ since it’s super fun. But the most important thing is the feedback of the audience.”

Based on a teaser, the pilot episode on Jan. 15, 5 p.m. will guest the trio of Alden Richards, Kristoffer Martin and Derrick Monasterio. Another episode will have Carla Abellana, Solenn Heussaff and Rhian Ramos as the celebrity players.

Meanwhile, making them more inspired in life and career these days is their firstborn Primo.  

Iya said that since they usually spend half-a-day in the studio taping the show, they would bring Primo with them to the set so she could breastfeed him.

“I don’t want him to be used to the bottle, gusto ko yung kailangan niya ako (I want him to need me),” shared the first-time mom.

Drew was all praises for his wife for being very hands-on with Primo. “She’s doing such a phenomenal job being a mom. She’s working, she wakes up, most of the times in the middle of the night without kicking me off the bed to wake me up, just to check on Primo and feed him… She’s just doing a phenomenal job. Every day I think is Mother’s Day for her.”

Asked how Drew supports her, Iya said, “He supports me by changing diapers, he also feeds him, he always tells me ‘Babe, just tell me if you want any help, if you want me to do anything.’ And when it comes to entertaining Primo, like dance or sing, it’s him.”

Looking every inch a proud husband and father, Drew also said, “It’s a good set-up for me right now that I only do three taping days for my TV work. So, if I’m not working, the good thing is my business entails me to stay at home and in front of the computer. When I’m not shooting for Biyahe ni Drew or AHA! for GMA, I’m usually at home. But how could you leave the house with that face? Everyone wants to be close to Primo.”