Easy on the eyes & ears

They could very well be tomorrow’s best bets in TV hosting. Suffice it to say that they are two of the best-looking young people on TV these days. But they are not only sights for sore eyes; they are also easy on the ears because they talk a lot of sense. In fact, they’re blessed with the gift of gab. Indeed, Pink Soda babe Bianca Gonzalez and Sunsilk beau Drew Arellano have surely gone a long, long way from their modeling gigs.

They headline a number of diverse TV shows that test their versatility and hosting skills to the max. Drew co-hosts the popular GMA 7 early morning magazine show Unang Hirit and co-anchors the top-rating Studio23 spoof news show Wazzup Wazzup. As if these two shows were not enough, Drew is also a regular cast member of the GMA 7 sitcom All Together Now.

Bianca, for her part, is also very much in-demand, juggling four (count ’em, four!) TV shows. She is a GJ (Game Jock) on the interactive show Game Channel Extreme over ABC-5. She is an E-Pal (or Entertainment Pal)-slash-Tad Jock on the Studio 23 daily news parody show Wazzup Wazzup. She also acts as guest co-host with Ryan Agoncillo on Cinema One’s Review Night. Last but certainly not the least, she is all set to co-host (with Ryan Agoncillo, once again) a youth-oriented debate show.

Without a doubt, Bianca and Drew are two of the most promising, most vivacious faces on TV today. Don’t let their carefree youthfulness fool you, however, because Bianca and Drew take TV hosting seriously. Truth is, this dynamic duo looks at hosting as a "mighty challenge."

"You always need to study, to do your homework," Bianca attests. "You always have to read. You have to be aware of what’s happening around you, or else you wouldn’t have anything important to say on air. You always need to look for interesting points so your spiels or discussions would come across as colorful and lively for viewers."

The hardest part, she says, is having to memorize on the spot the names of numerous guests.

"That can be quite tough, having to remember all those names!" Drew works just as hard as Bianca to prepare for his hosting chores. "The biggest challenge is doing adlibs," Drew owns up. "I am working on being snappy and spontaneous. It really sharpens your mind. It trains you to think on your feet."

Drew actually prefers hosting over his other job, acting. "Hosting allows you to be yourself. Which is better, I think. I am more comfortable talking than acting out what’s on a script." Being relatively new in hosting, Bianca and Drew have had their fair share of bloopers and boo-boos. They, however, have learned to roll with the punches, so to speak.

"Fortunately, on my shows, we are allowed to adlib," she pipes in. "We are allowed to have fun. If you make mistakes, you just have to learn to laugh at yourself," Drew says.

"I don’t hide it anymore," he adds. "I just turn it into a joke, a punchline. I just make fun of it."

Aside from earnestness and levity, another thing they have going for them is a treasure trove of experiences in the workplace and on campus. On top of being a model, Bianca, a senior Communication Arts student at the Ateneo de Manila University, works as a brainstormer for ABS-CBN 2 and has made a short film (entitled Stoplight that was shown in the CineManila International Film Festival).

Drew, who graduated with a Marketing Management degree from De La Salle University, once worked abroad (in a bank) and in the local advertising industry before modeling and showbiz beckoned.

Needless to say, their rich experiences have more than adequately prepared them for their current job as TV hosts. "I took a lot of courses on the productions side," Bianca relates. "That’s why even though I now go on cam, I have an idea about how the entire process works. So I don’t only think of what I have to do. I can also make things easier for the other people I work with."

"Since I worked in an advertising agency before, I didn’t have to adjust that much when I joined television," Drew remarks. "The field is basically the same. I also worked behind-the-scenes, on the production side, so I am very familiar with this world." They’re like babes lost in the chaotic, sometimes topsy-turvy woods, ahem, world of television.

Drew and Bianca met on the set of a planned youth show where he was supposed to work as host and she was signed up as writer. Although that show never materialized, Drew and Bianca hit it off beautifully and became quite a hosting tandem. (They’ve hosted a Meg magazine event, for one.)

"Drew is super funny," Bianca says. "We got along well instantly. He has a bubbly personality. He’s very charming. That’s one thing about him. Even though he often shows his wacky side on TV, when you get to talk to him off-cam, you’d realize that he is also very smart."

Drew speaks just as highly of Bianca. "She’s intelligent and very witty. We’re very comfortable with each other." Although he declines to give her tips on hosting ("since we entered the business at the same time"), he gives suggestions for her Wazzup stint.

"If you notice, all segment hosts on Wazzup have their own distinct persona," he points out. "So she should find a character and stick to it," Drew professes.

As for his own hosting character, Drew believes "I’m the one with no character." And he supresses a hearty laughter. Bianca and Drew are two peas in a pod. They’re quirky, quick-witted characters on their own, making them the brightest boob-tubes babies, not only in the future, but in the here and now.