MANILA, Philippines — The highly anticipated return of “Gandang Gabi Vice” is already generating buzz, and it is starting with a guest who has a long-standing connection to Vice Ganda: Alden Richards.
Alden has been confirmed as the first guest of Vice Ganda’s returning late-night talk show, which will premiere on GMA Network on Sunday, September 13, at 10 p.m. The announcement was confirmed through a report on “24 Oras” and subsequently reported by multiple entertainment outlets.
The choice of Alden is particularly intriguing because Vice Ganda had previously admitted that she was starstruck by the Kapuso actor.
Their memorable encounter happened in 2017, when the two crossed paths at the 48th Box Office Entertainment Awards. Vice later shared a selfie with Alden and openly expressed her admiration for him. Nearly a decade later, that fangirl moment is coming full circle as Alden becomes the first guest of the revived show.
From fangirl moment to GGV comeback
Alden’s appearance is more than just a celebrity guesting. It also highlights the unusual television crossover behind the new season of “Gandang Gabi Vice.”
The show, which previously aired on ABS-CBN, is returning through a collaboration involving ABS-CBN and GMA Network, giving Vice Ganda the opportunity to welcome Kapuso stars who were previously outside the show’s regular guest pool.
Vice had already named Alden among the Kapuso celebrities she wanted to interview when the show’s GMA move was first announced. Her wishlist also included Michael V., Marian Rivera and other major Kapuso personalities.
Now, Alden is officially the first name to materialize from that wishlist.
A new era for ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’
The comeback also comes with changes to the show’s lineup.
GMA News previously reported that Vince Maristela would join Vice as a co-host. ABS-CBN has also announced additional members of the show’s new “Geng Gang,” including Divine Tetay and Verna, alongside Vince.
The new season is expected to feature a mix of Kapamilya and Kapuso stars, giving “Gandang Gabi Vice” a broader pool of personalities to interview and interact with.
For Vice, the return is especially meaningful. When the GMA collaboration was announced, she said she was excited to return to the kind of work that left her exhausted but fulfilled.
She also emphasized that the show’s new home would make it possible for her to finally welcome Kapuso stars she had long wanted to interview.
The Alden-Vice connection adds another layer
The decision to open the comeback with Alden gives the premiere an added narrative hook.
Vice’s 2017 fangirl moment with Alden has remained memorable among fans, making his selection as the first guest feel like a deliberate full-circle moment rather than an ordinary celebrity guesting.
And now, viewers will finally see how that dynamic plays out when the Asia’s Multimedia Star sits down with the Phenomenal Unkabogable Star on the revived “Gandang Gabi Vice.”
The question now is what will happen when Vice finally gets the chance to interview the Kapuso star she once openly fangirled over.
“Gandang Gabi Vice” premieres Sunday, September 13, at 10 p.m. on GMA Network. The episode will also be available for free streaming on iWant for viewers in the Philippines.
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