MANILA, Philippines - When Judy Ann Santos was offered by ABS-CBN to host the cooking show for kids, Junior Master Chef Pinoy Edition, she didn’t have any hesitation and quickly accepted it.
“Yes, I accepted it right away, but when I got home, that’s when I had second thoughts about it,” she said. “I asked myself, did I make the right decision? As far as acting kasi is concerned, karugtong na ng pusod ko yan. But as for hosting, this would be the first time I would try it. Instead of getting nervous about it, though, I decided to just take it as a challenge to explore other fields in the industry, so that I can grow at hindi na lang lagi akong umiiyak sa pagda-drama in a teleserye.”
She added, “As the show went on, I realized that I’m enjoying myself too much in hosting it. I’m so glad that viewers have accepted me as a host, but honestly, sa tingin ko, my hosting needs some more improvement. I also have to thank my husband (Ryan Agoncillo), who’s the real host in our family. All his valuable inputs about my hosting helped me a lot.”
Juday has three top chefs as her co-hosts in the show: Chef Lau, Chef Ferds and Chef Jayps. What do they think of Juday as the show’s main host? Chef Lau (Rolando Laudico): “She’s very talented and not just a good actress. She’s a natural so I have no doubt na kahit anong pasukan niya, she’ll excel in it, like hosting.” Chef Ferds (Fernando Aracama): “I’m her fan and I believe she’s the last superstar of our generation. Magaling siyang tumikim ng nilulutong dishes.” Chef Jayps (JP Anglo): “I first met her in an island in Palawan when they were shooting Ploning. Four years later, I didn’t know we’d get to work together. The real Juday is so mabait, very generous in sharing what she has. She took us to her kitchen and told us, you can use whatever ingredients you want to use. She’s the most down-to-earth superstar I’ve ever met.”
The final four kiddie cooks are Philip Amarillo, Kyle Imao, Mika Tanaka, and the most good-looking of them, Jobim Jalbuena, who says he wouldn’t mind trying showbiz if there’s an opportunity. The top winner will bag P1M cash plus a culinary scholarship. The second placer will get P500,000 while the third and fourth placers will get P250,000 each.
We asked them how they’ll remember their Ate Juday as the host of Junior Master Chef. Philip: “Mabait siya. Tinuturuan kami ng tama.” Kyle: “Sobrang sayang kasama kasi lagi siyang masaya. Nagpapa-deliver pa ng pizza.” Mika: “Hindi siya mataray kundi sobrang mabait. Very patient pag nagkakamali ka.” Jobim: “She’s super mabait, super helpful in the kitchen. She gives us tips and won’t just criticize our cooking. We’ll miss her.”
The show is a big hit so ABS-CBN now wants Juday to also host its adult version, Master Chef, with chefs Lau, Ferds and Jayps once again as her co-hosts.
After her hit Metro filmfest entry, My Househusband, what’s her next acting assignment?
“ABS-CBN says there will be a teleserye before the year ends, which is good kasi nami-miss ko na rin acting in a drama show. There are other movie offers but nothing is final as of now.”
But what if she gets pregnant again? “Then I’d have to give priority to that muna. Let’s face it, I’ll be 34 na in May and the more I get older, it’d get more difficult for me to get pregnant, so kung ibibigay ni Lord ngayon, I’d gladly accept it. At this point, I put my family ahead of everything else. Meantime, don’t miss the Live Cook Off Finale of Junior Master Chef Pinoy Edition tonight at 6 after TV Patrol Weekend.”