Why Kris is still the best host on TV

There are many things one may say about the controversial Kris Aquino, who is dubbed the Queen of all Media, Queen of Horror, Queen of Game Shows and Queen of Talk. It is possibly in the last category where she excels and where she bares her soul.

Comments range from her being taklesa, full of herself to lousy actress, but few would say she is a bad host although many bloggers insist so. We have been watching her 8 a.m. daily show Kris TV on ABS-CBN sporadically to see what makes her tick. It is difficult to say. Only that practice makes perfect and she is getting better and better at this game.

As far back as 1986, Kris was already co-hosting in GMA Supershow, Luv Ko si Kris, Kris and then Startalk in 1995 with Boy Abunda and Lolit Solis where her abilities got to be noticed seriously. In 1996, she moved to ABS-CBN for Today with Kris Aquino which lasted until 2001, after which came The Buzz and Pilipinas, Game KNB? from 2001 to 2007.

 In January 2003 to May 2004, she hosted Morning Girls with Kris and Korina (Sanchez), which was intended for two weeks but went on for 16 months. In 2007, she officially left The Buzz and Pilipinas, Game KNB? after giving birth to her second son James Jr. Officially, she gave up hosting to attend to the new baby, but it was also obvious she no longer wanted to work with Cristy Fermin in The Buzz.

Then came the TV franchise Wheel of Fortune, Showbiz News Ngayon and in October, 2008, a return to The Buzz after ABS-CBN suspended Fermin. Kris, after two years, left Showbiz News and The Buzz purportedly to avoid any issues while brother, Pres. Noynoy Aquino, was in office.

However, it is obvious that no one can really shackle a host from what she loves most and late in 2011, Kris returned with Kris TV at 8 a.m. daily.

What do people think of Kris as a host? Writing of the December PMPC Star Awards for TV, Eric Borromeo said that the tele-prompter guided hosts and presenters in reading their spiels, but Kris obviously didn’t need much help. “Ang bilis mag-adlib ng Queen of All Media, which makes her a very good host, indeed.”

Blogger Pomme de Terre, however, commented, “She likes controlling the show. She’s the host (who) wants to be the guest, too (in her own show).” From Asker: “She loves the limelight… Notice how she always managed to bring the topic of conversation to her son, her husband and about her.”

Of the episodes we have watched, we can say that Kris has, indeed, matured as a host and while the comments regarding her love for hogging the limelight may be true, one good thing is that there will never be any danger of dead air, especially on a live telecast. The best thing about her, we think, is her broad knowledge of everything from cooking, music, fashion, psychology, books, to the rearing of children and her photographic memory that is the very best tool a host could have.

Last Jan. 17 to help plug her teleserye Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw with Anne Curtis and Robin Padilla, Kris TV had as guests Gary Valeciano who sang the theme song of the series, Jed Madela, Bryan Termulo and Zsa Zsa Padilla. It was a delightful mix, where Kris showed her convincing powers to make Zsa Zsa join in her tsinelas and even engage in a duet with Gary V. She even remembered the lyrics better than the singers themselves. Amazing!

Another memorable Kris TV episode was one with Cherry Pie Picache, Janice de Belen and Daniel Matsunaga. The two warring women from Ina, Kapatid, Anak let their hair down with Cherry Pie praying for six more kids at age 45, and Janice confessing that this is the “now time” for herself. We had seen Janice falling silent when ribbed on her love life by co-hosts Joey Marquez, Carmina Villarroel and Ogie Diaz in Showbiz Inside Report (SIR). Yet in Kris TV, she gamely answered questions regarding John Estrada, even his new wife Priscilla Meirelles, to the point of confessing she was alone on New Year’s Eve when her kids were with their dad. We have to give it to Kris on her knack for asking the right questions.

Getting guests to open up was again repeated in the Kris TV episode on raising beauty queens where Venus Raj’s mom practically bared her colorful life story, and Janine Tugonon’s nurse-mom confessed to being content separated from her former husband.

 In a recent interview, Kris had been quoted saying she remembered mom Cory Aquino’s advice to quit while still on top that spawned talks of retirement. But as things are going, we don’t see that coming soon. Not while Kris is getting better and better. Perhaps her dreams should include instead going regional, then international and developing her own TV franchise.

 (E-mail the author at [email protected].)