'King of Talk' Boy Abunda returns to GMA after 23 years
Veteran talk show host Boy Abunda, known as the "King of Talk," has signed a new contract with GMA Network.
The media giant officially announced the "homecoming" of one of the most respected television personalities in the Philippines in its Instagram page on Thursday, Dec. 15.
"Nagbabalik na ang King of Talk sa GMA! Welcome home, Kapuso!" GMA wrote. Prior to this, the network had already been teasing the showbiz icon's return since Dec. 7 through pictures of an empty fuschia couch, which was later filled in by Abunda in the official reveal.
They accompanied the announcement with photos showing Abunda signing the contract with the network's executives, including Senior Vice President Lilybeth Rasonable and Vice President Janine Piad-Nacar.
"Nag-umpisa po ako dito sa GMA-7, meron pa akong buhok no'n. Ngayon wala na po, pero laban pa rin," Abunda joked during his speech as he was welcomed back to the company.
He went on, "Mula ho sa aking puso, maraming salamat po sa inyong tiwala. Sa aking kakayahan bilang isang presenter, bilang isang talk show host, bilang isang interviewer. Maraming salamat po sa iyong paniniwala po sa aking pagkatao. Maraming salamat po sa makapusong pagtanggap n'yo dito sa akin dito sa GMA-7."
Abunda's extravagant career in the talk show business kicked off with the 1994 GMA talk show Show & Tell before he worked on Startalk alongside longtime friend and former co-host Kris Aquino.
He eventually bid farewell to GMA Network in 1999 and transferred to its rival company ABS-CBN, where he served as a host of The Buzz, one of the longest-running entertainment news and talk shows in the country.
He departed in 2020 after spending 23 years with the Kapamilya network, but had expressed interest in returning to television. He maintained that he was sticking with ABS-CBN in an interview last year, sharing at the time that while he was in talks with other networks since the start of the pandemic, he was still waiting for the network's comeback since it shut down following its failed bid for a new franchise.
