Boy Abunda felt “powerless” and “irrelevant” due to ABS-CBN’s shutdown and the pandemic

Boy Abunda admitted that he thought his hosting career was done after the pandemic happened and ABS-CBN was shut down last July.

He was left feeling worried about what would happen to the entertainment industry next.

His career as a talent manager and producer was also negatively impacted.

“When it happened, the pandemic started, ABS-CBN shut down, I felt irrelevant. I’ll be very honest. I said, ‘What do I do?’ I felt powerless.”

The pandemic and the media giant’s shutdown was unprecedented in Boy’s perception.

“Not because I wield power to, but I was never hopeless. I felt powerless. I said I’m not gonna be able to do my shows. I’m not going to be able to produce my concerts, or a shoot for whatever,” he said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, The Boy Abunda Talk Channel. 

Strict health measures were implemented last March. ABS-CBN’s bid for a franchise renewal was denied by Congress last July 10 after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease and desist order against it.

This in turn forced ABS-CBN to get off free TV and downsize operations, which included the termination of thousands of employees.

Tonight With Boy Abunda and The Bottomline With Boy Abunda were also taken off the air.

In a live Facebook session with Monster Radio RX 93.1 on October 23, Boy shared that he had to do something after he felt “weak in the beginning.”

“I felt weak in the beginning. I felt I was on my way to obsolescence. Sabi ko, ‘Ito na ang panahon, malalaos na talaga kaming lahat, ako.’ I confronted that. I embraced that,” he said.

Boy has come to accept that he needs to adjust to what the new normal requires of him.

“But I don’t wanna say I don’t know because I’m comfortable with the spaces that are unknown to me. Remember, I come from nowhere. I come from nothing, so this is not a strange place for me. Not knowing what’s going to happen in the entertainment business does not weaken me anymore. I’m getting myself ready. I am reading, I’m watching shows,” he shared.

He believes that the entertainment industry will make a comeback, he just doesn’t know when.

“We will survive this. But exactly what it is, I don’t know. But not knowing excites me, because masisipag tayo, magagaling tayo, we work hard,” he said.

Just like all the other celebrities, Boy is now using social media to continue working.

His King of Talk on YouTube is one of his best programs where he shares with viewers the things he does amid the pandemic.

He has a podcast on Kumu, a community platform for streamers.

Last October 24, Boy revealed that he will be a host on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

“Yes, I’m going back to TV. Yes, I’m staying with ABS-CBN,” said Abunda.

“The news, I’ll be doing one with ANC. It should be a daily show live, Mondays to Fridays. It’s a political show,” he added.

Before that, Boy was slammed for hosting a dinner with GMA executives at the same time Kapamilya supporters were rallying along Sgt. Esguerra for ABS-CBN to be granted a franchise.

Comedian Ai-Ai Delas Alas posted a photo on Instagram that showed Boy with GMA heads.

“Thank you ama Mr. BOY ABUNDA for hosting the DINNER WITH GMA BOSSES .. salamat po sa time ms liliybeth , ms darling, ms ruth, ms gigi , ms nini and ms weng of aaai.. sarap ng kwentuhan .. yehey and thank you sa mga lady bosses for their time,” Ai-ai captioned.