More than a year after they first met on It’s Showtime, the madlang people were definitely delighted when host Vice Ganda and newcomer Ion Perez finally confirmed the circulating rumors about their relationship last October after the former made an announcement during his enchanting and moving Magpasikat 2019 performance.

It can be recalled that their initial meeting happened in September 2018 when then-27-year-old hunk model and male pageant titlist first reported for duty as the newest Kuya Escort in the Miss Q & A Intertalaktic 2019 segment of the hit noontime program. The audiences truly enjoyed their staged love triangle skits with dancer Jackque “Ate Girl” Gonzaga everyday and were thrilled as well by their playful banters and sweet gestures on-screen. Unbeknownst to us, a colourful romantic affair was already brewing between them that are now incredibly cheered for not only by their family, friends, and the LGBT community, but of their ardent shippers as well.

However, did you know that it was not actually on It’s Showtime that their paths first crossed? Avid viewers of the Unkabogable Star’s Sunday night comedy talk show Gandang Gabi Vice could possibly remember that in October 2017, Ion appeared in one of its episodes wherein he and his fellow Misters of Filipinas winners were among the audience members. The 43-year-old host-comedian’s “anak-anakan” and guest co-host “Gigil Kid” Carlo Mendoza handpicked him for an on-the-spot interview and song number.

After a year of not announcing it to the public, the couple has been open about their relationship as they confidently talk about it in their separate interviews and share a few details about it. Besides, they also generously give us glimpses of their off-cam shenanigans and bonding moments through the photos of them together which they upload on their respective Instagram accounts and to which they attach cheesy captions to, just like these snaps we collated in this gallery.