Ryan is back
Bayani San Diego Jr
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Publication Date : 01-08-2008




Ryan Agoncillo of the Philippines returns to his first love, hosting, with two new big TV shows.
After a string of acting assignments with fiancée Judy Ann Santos (most notably, the movie Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo and the TV soap Ysabella), Ryan has been tapped to host TV5’s Talentadong Pinoy (Talented Filipino) and ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Fear Factor (South America), Philippine Daily Inquirer learned from different sources from the two networks.
His last hosting gig, ABC 5’s Philippine Idol, wrapped up almost two years ago.
Going back to hosting, Ryan noted, is both “nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time”.
“My hosting skills are a bit rusty,” admitted Ryan, who has won hosting trophies from the KBP Golden Dove and Aliw Awards.
He said he was nervous when he auditioned for PFF. “I thought I did terribly.”
He, however, believes that the vacation from the biz worked wonders on him.
Professionally, he said he was in “limbo”, but personally, he was having the time of his life.
His time away from work, he explained, allowed him to take stock of “what’s truly important.”
Quality time
For the last six months, Ryan has been travelling the world with Judai, to whom he proposed marriage on the eve of her birthday in May.
“From the US, we went to Cuyo, Palawan (for the Ploning shoot), where we stayed in February,” he recalled. “Then we toured Europe for a month as a birthday treat for her. Early this July, we flew back to France for the Paris Cinema film festival. Last week, we went to the US again.”
He hosted the US show of the noontime top-rater and was awed by its trio of comic geniuses Tito, Vic and Joey, and the rest of the troupe.
He hopes that the quality time that they’ve enjoyed for the past six months will be more than enough to compensate for their busy schedule in the next few weeks.
After marathon tapings for Talentadong Pinoy', he will fly to Argentina where he’ll stay for over a month for PFF.
To prepare for the rigorous demands of his new jobs, Ryan has beefed up his workout regimen.
US-based Pinoy trainer Nio Halcon, who works with Ultimate Fighting champions like Randy 'The Natural' Couture, drafted a CrossFit training programme for Ryan, on top of his regular running and gym sessions.
‘Suicide drill’
He fondly calls Halcon’s fitness programme a “suicide drill”.
“It’s 10 minutes of hell,” he said. “It’s designed to increase your heart rate in 10 minutes. At the end, I felt as if my heart was in my throat. I was cursing myself after two sessions.”
He said the intense training would help him cope as he juggles two new shows.
“I actually started exercising for the soap Pieta,” he said, which he will begin working on in September, upon his return from South America. “More than looking good, I also need to be fit, physically and mentally, for my new assignments.”