Darren Espanto grateful for ‘It’s Showtime’ family’s support through ups and downs: ‘I’ve witnessed so many great moments’

He shared this in an interview before taking the stage for Backyard Live Spotlight: Darren, a sold-out intimate show for his fans at the Backyard Warehouse Studio in Quezon City on Sunday, October 25.

According to Darren, his co-hosts on the noontime show, which just marked its 17th anniversary, have never failed to back his career.

For him, the It’s Showtime family is a real family, one where everyone shows up for each other no matter what.

“Alam niyo po, ano talaga, ‘yung pamilya ng Showtime, totoong pamilya siya, eh. Like, as cheesy as it may sound, at the end of the day, we’re all there for each other sa mga personal na mga ganap ng isa’t isa, sa mga important life events ng isa’t isa. ‘Yung ano talaga siya, eh, pamilya siya kahit sa group chat,” he told PUSH ABS-CBN.

The show has had its share of highs and lows. Still, Darren said he has seen firsthand how the hosts have stayed close through it all.

“Tsaka in the past three years that I’ve been part of the show, I’ve witnessed so many great moments. At saka, I’ve learned so much from my co-hosts. At may mga ups and downs talaga. It’s not always going to be a great day. But at least we have each other,” he shared.

Darren’s regular stint on the program began in February 2023, when he took a seat on the Tawag ng Tanghalan judges’ panel. His spot as a regular host was made official in March 2024, on the same day It’s Showtime sealed its deal to air on GMA.

He thanked co-hosts Jhong Hilario, Vhong Navarro, Teddy Corpuz and Amy Perez for coming to watch his show that night.

Fellow host Cianne Dominguez was supposed to be there too, Darren said, but she could not make it because she had just entered the house of Pinoy Big Brother: Collab 3.0. The new season, produced by ABS-CBN together with GMA, kicked off on October 24, with Cianne as one of its Kapamilya housemates.

“It’s really nice to just have that kind of support system on and off cam from the Showtime family as well,” he said.

Twelve years into his career, Darren explained why he chose to do a smaller, more intimate show this year.

“Nakaka-miss din pala kasi talaga. Na-realize ko ‘yun nung nag-Music Museum ako,” he said.

He added that the gig gave him a chance to get closer to his fans, many of whom have followed him for more than a decade.

“Parang it’s important to be able to actually connect also to the people who are listening to you, streaming your songs and stuff like that. So this is really for the Darrenatics na laging nakasuporta, at alam mo ‘yun, ‘yung I’m able to connect to them more tonight. Parang ang ganda lang na venue to be able to reach out and just have fun,” he said.

For Darren, this kind of show feels different from his past concerts.

“Kasi parang hindi siya official show na ginagawa ko na kailangan formal, kailangan scripted and all. That’s what I like about this place,” he said.

He got the idea after watching his friend, singer-songwriter Angela Ken, perform on the same stage.

“Kasi nung napanood ko si Angela [Ken], para lang kaming magka-FaceTime na nag-sspill siya. Para lang kaming nakikipag-usap sa isa’t isa habang nakikinig sa gig niya. Parang magkakaibigan lahat ng nasa room. Parang magkakabarkada lang lahat ng nandito, so that’s also why I was excited to do this show as well,” he said.

Angela also wrote the song “Paano Kung Tayo Na Lang” with Darren. The track’s new music video, which stars fellow It’s Showtime host Jackie Gonzaga, was lined up for an exclusive premiere at the show.

Darren also revealed that Vice Ganda had planned to watch. Later, though, Vice found out the show fell on the same day as Vice and Ion Perez’s anniversary.

“Unang tanong ni Ate Vice tungkol sa Backyard Live noon, ‘Ano ba ‘yan? ‘Yung kaharap ka lang namin? ‘Yung ganun lang kalapit kami sa inyo?’ Kasi gusto niya ‘yung parang habang nag-sspiel ako, gusto niya akong kulitin.

“Pero unfortunately, hindi niya na-realize nakasabay ‘yun nung anniversary nila today ni Kuya Ion. So ano sila, nasa La Union ngayon,” he said.

October 25 is the date Vice and Ion count as the start of their relationship, which makes this year their eighth anniversary. The couple exchanged vows in a commitment ceremony in Las Vegas in October 2021.

Born in Calgary, Canada, Darren caught the attention of Filipino viewers in 2014, when he finished second in the debut season of The Voice Kids. Now known as “Asia’s Pop Heartthrob,” he has since made a name for himself as a recording artist, concert performer and TV host.

— By Paolo Lim