Comedian Nikko Natividad’s recent Facebook posts have sparked conversations on social media about the ongoing controversy surrounding ABS-CBN’s noontime show ‘It’s Showtime.’

The issue began on May 31, 2024, when host Vice Ganda reprimanded contestant Axel Cruz for kissing fellow contestant Christine during the ‘EXpecially For You’ segment.

Several netizens criticized Vice Ganda’s call-out, feeling that Axel was humiliated on national television. On Thursday, June 6, 2024, Nikko Natividad shared his thoughts through a series of Facebook posts, expressing sympathy for both Axel and Christine, who have been facing backlash since the incident.

“Naaawa ako sa dalawang contestant. Gusto lang nila ma-experience at ng exposure pero sobrang trauma yung nakuha nila,” wrote Nikko.

Nikko also recounted his own experiences of feeling humiliated and being a victim of power-tripping on television. “Ipagpalagay na natin na bebeso talaga yung lalaki. Hindi naman nya intensyon manyakin sa live yung babae. Ang mali lang nya ay hindi nya alam na need pala muna magpaalam bago bumeso.(kunwari lang na bebeso talaga sya ha). Naaawa lang ako sa lalaki na may nagawang mali pero hindi nya talaga intensyon. At sympre dun sa babae. Na offend man sya o hindi sya lang ang makakapag sabi nyan. Kung na offend man sya alam ko na mapapatawad nya yung lalaki. Sobra lang kasi napahiya yung lalaki na sasabihan pa na tatadyakan at pwede kasuhan.”

While Nikko did not mention anyone by name, netizens speculated that his comments were aimed at Vice Ganda, given their known close relationship. Nikko is a former member of the all-male group Hashtags on ‘It’s Showtime,’ where Vice is a main host.

The incident involving Axel and Christine has been widely debated online, especially after Vice Ganda retracted an initial tweet expressing his intention to apologize to Axel. On June 1, Axel clarified that he did not kiss Christine but rather engaged in a “bro code” shoulder-to-shoulder gesture. He apologized for any misunderstandings and for anyone who was offended.

Christine supported Axel’s statement in a TikTok video, saying she did not feel kissed by Axel. Following this, Vice tweeted on June 2, expressing his intention to apologize, saying, “Sorry na mali ang reaction ko. Ang dating kasi sakin at sa ibang andun eh na-off si girl na sinunggaban sya ng halik and i thought na she felt violated. Since hindi naman pala I will apologize to the guy.”

However, during the live episode of ‘It’s Showtime’ on June 4, Vice withdrew his apology, stating, “Binabawi ko yung twineet ko na I will say an apology because I do not need to apologize for what I did. Ito ang aking paniniwala, at paniniwala din namin na hindi kinakailangang mag-apologize because what we did was right.”

Vice explained that their reaction was based on their observations and Christine’s initial response. The show’s hosts, unit heads, producers, and psychologists discussed the issue and spoke with both Christine and Axel. Vice revealed that Christine admitted to feeling uncomfortable with Axel’s actions during a conversation with the show’s staff and psychologist on June 3.

“Talagang na-off siya at may naramdaman siyang hindi siya kumportable sa ginawa nung searchee,” Vice stated.

Vice also mentioned his personal conversation with Axel, who understood the situation and was learning from it. He urged netizens to stop bashing both Axel and Christine.

“Nakikiusap po kami na nawa po’y ihinto ninyo ang pamba-bash kay Axel at kay Christine. Una, si Axel, nakausap ko siya, maganda na nauunawaan niya. Pinuproseso niya ito at tinutulungan po namin siya, ha, pati psychologist namin ay tinutulungan siya. Magkikita pa nga kami ni Axel, ipinangako ko sa kanya,” Vice concluded.

This incident underscores the complexities of managing on-air interactions and the significant impact of public scrutiny on those involved in televised events.