Vice Ganda Stands Firm on Calling Out ‘It’s Showtime’ Contestant Over Consent Issue

Vice Ganda has made it clear that he has no intention of apologizing to Axel, a contestant on the “It’s Showtime” segment “EXpecially for You,” whom he called out for allegedly attempting to kiss another contestant, Christine, without her consent.

The incident occurred during the show’s EXpecially for You May 31 episode; Axel, who was not chosen by Christine, was asked to introduce himself to her. As Christine extended her hand for a handshake, Axel leaned in closer, which appeared to be an attempt to kiss her on the cheek. Christine promptly avoided the gesture.

Vice Ganda immediately addressed Axel, saying, “Hoy, ‘di pwede ‘yon. That’s bad. You don’t do that. You ask for permission. Alam mo bang pwede kang mademanda sa ginagawa mo? Hindi ka pwedeng nagnanakaw ng halik” (Hey, you can’t do that. That’s bad. You don’t do that. You ask for permission. Do you know you can be sued for what you did? You can’t steal a kiss).

Axel later took to TikTok to clarify that he was not trying to kiss Christine but was merely attempting a friendly shoulder bump, a gesture common among men after a handshake. Christine also released a separate video stating that Axel was not trying to kiss her but was leaning in for a hug. She thanked the hosts for their concern and apologized to Axel for the backlash he received following the incident.

In response to Axel and Christine’s clarifications, Vice Ganda initially said on his X (formerly Twitter) page that he would apologize to Axel. He explained that his reaction was based on his belief that Christine felt violated by Axel’s gesture.

Defending the Call-Out

However, during the June 4 episode of “It’s Showtime,” Vice Ganda and his co-hosts revisited the incident, stating that they, along with the show’s staff and psychologists, had discussed the matter with both Axel and Christine. Vice Ganda revealed that Christine admitted feeling uncomfortable with Axel’s action, despite her earlier public statement saying otherwise. The hosts chose not to disclose the reasons behind her initial statement.

Addressing the controversy, Vice Ganda stated, “Nagkaroon ng usapin kung tama or mali ‘yung ginawa namin; kung iyon ba ay sobra o nadiskriminada ba si Axel dahil base sa sinasabi ng tao na sa kanyang itsura kung bakit hindi nararapat ‘yung kanyang ginawa” (There was a discussion on whether what we did was right or wrong; if it was excessive or if Axel was discriminated against because people think his appearance made his actions inappropriate).

He continued, “Nakausap po [naming] muli si Axel at si Christine, at dahil po don ay binabawi ko ‘yung ni-tweet ko na I will say an apology because I do not need to apologize for what I did. Paniniwala namin na hindi namin kailangang mag-apologize because what we did was right” (We spoke again with Axel and Christine, and because of that, I retract my tweet that I would apologize because I do not need to apologize for what I did. We believe that we do not need to apologize because what we did was right).

Vice Ganda emphasized that every woman has the right to refuse or express discomfort with any gesture she finds inappropriate. He reiterated that the call-out was to protect Christine. Despite the resolution, he urged netizens to stop bashing EXpecially for You contestants Christine and Axel.