Netizens couldn’t help but look for Karylle when Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera appeared on It’s Showtime on December 16, Saturday. As of December 17, “Karylle” is a top trending topic on X.

Dingdong and Marian guested on the noontime show to promote their comeback movie, Rewind, a “family drama with a ‘touch of magic realism'” and about second chances. The film marks Dingdong and Marian’s first time to work with ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema.

While on It’s Showtime, netizens wondered why Karylle, one of the program’s hosts, was missing.

Incidentally, a few days before, before ABS-CBN’s 2023 Christmas Special, Karylle had tweeted that she was not feeling well.

“Woke up sick so I’ll be missing work for a couple of days! Stay healthy, everyone.”

Meanwhile, a Kapamilya fan account claimed that Karylle was busy with rehearsals for a musical.

“Sa mga gumagawa po ng issue about Karylle, heto po ang sagot: May rehearsal siya for Rama Hari which is set for another run in February 2024. ‘WAG NYO PONG SISIHIN ANG SHOWTIME, KALMAAAA!”

Coincidentally, earlier in December, Karylle had poked fun at the possibility of meeting Dingdong and Marian on It’s Showtime, as the show launched its newest segment, “EXpecially For You,” which reunites former lovers while the other searches for a potentially new partner.

Fans will know that Dingdong is Karylle’s ex-boyfriend. The two dated from 2005 to 2008 before breaking up due to a “conflict of priorities.”

At the time, Dingdong and Marian had been paired as a love team for over a year, causing fans to speculate that Marian might have triggered their split. In 2010, Marian and Dingdong would confirm their relationship, later marrying in 2014. Earlier that year, Karylle also married Spongecola frontman Yael Yuzon.

Despite the intrigues, Karylle and Marian have both expressed that there’s no bad blood between them. In 2018, Vice Ganda shared that when Karylle bumped into Dingdong and Marian, she greeted the couple and felt at peace.

“Nakasalubong niya sa isang show,” Vice narrated. “Nakasalubong niya si Marian. Gandang–ganda daw siya kay Marian kaya bineso niya daw. Pagbeso niya [sinabi niya], ‘Uy, ang ganda naman!’ Tapos pagtalikod niya na-realize niya na ang payapa na daw talaga ng puso nila kasi nag-beso sila tapos gandang-ganda siya kay Marian.”

In an interview, Marian spoke about the encounter and had only good things to say about Karylle, saying, “Mas maganda na good vibes lang at lahat magkakasundo at mas maganda talaga na pinaiiral mo ang love.”