It’s one thing to be a great actor but it’s definitely another thing to be an effective TV host at the same time. Only a few are given such talent and one of them is none other than Luis Manzano.
We have seen Luis serving as an emcee in television shows of all sorts - from musical variety shows to reality game shows. And countless times he’s proven to be a great and effective presenter. Before we see Luis in his first TV gig for 2021, the third season of Your Face Sounds Familiar, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back at the programs he hosted.
Luis’ has been the “Pambansang Host” for nearly two decades, starting as early as 2003 as a host for the Sunday musical variety show ASAP, of which he continues to be part of, and becoming a VJ in the cable music channel MYX. In 2004, he then hosted the reality talent competition Star Circle Quest and the reality love team search program Qpids.
In 2006, he was assigned to host Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition and Entertainment Live in 2008, opposite Toni Gonzaga, Mariel Rodriguez and Bianca Gonzales.
In 2010, Luis would then team-up with Billy Crawford for Panahon Ko 'To! Ang Game Show ng Buhay Ko and Pilipinas Got Talent in 2013.
In 2011, he then did the comedy gag show Laugh Out Loud with Alodia Gosiengfiao and the popular game show Kapamilya Deal or No Deal in 2012.
Luis was also given the opportunity to land more projects as he fronted the game show Minute to Win It from 2013 to 2014 and 2016 to 2017. Luis also took charge in emceeing The Voice Kids Season 1 and The Voice of the Philippines Season 2 in 2014. He was accompanied by his co-host Toni Gonzaga as well as the “V reporters” Robi Domingo and Alex Gonzaga.
In 2015 to 2016, he brought his wit and candor to the game show Celebrity Playtime.
We can say that Luis is really one of the best in manning the stage of TV game shows as he hosted the well-known Family Feud in 2016 until 2017. Luis also took the hosting chores on The Voice Teens, in 2017 and became part of the It’s Showtime family as a guest presenter also in the same year.
Luis reaped recognitions for his hosting stints, repeatedly clinching Best Male TV host and Game Show Host starting in 2004 for Star Circle Quest from the Philippine Movie Press Club. He also bagged similar Star Awards for TV plums in 2006 and 2007 for ASAP, in 2011 for Pilipinas Got Talent and Entertainment Live, in 2015 for Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, and in 2016 for ASAP and The Voice Kids.
In 2017, Luis took the reins in the first incarnation of I Can See Your Voice.
And in 2019, Luis had a deluge of hosting projects, starting with the third season of Minute to Win It: Last Man Standing, challenging contestants once more to the most insane, mind-boggling dares in order to win cash prizes. He would also host the second season of I Can See Your Voice, which still airs to this day.
Then, he also hosted The World of Dance Philippines with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach as show presenters for the popular international reality-based dance competition. It had Billy Crawford, Maja Salvador, and Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano as judges.
Luis would cap his insanely productive hosting year as a co-presenter for another reality-based talent program Your Moment with Vhong Navarro, which was billed as the first 2-in-1 talent competition covering singing and dancing stages. Billy would return as one of the judges of the show, together with the King of Talk Boy Abunda, and singer-actress-performer Nadine Lustre.
Luis’s lucky streak continued in 2020 as he co-hosted the second season of The Voice Teens with Alex Gonzaga, as the country faced the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The show was also as unprecedented, having named four co-Grand Winners all under the tutelage of coaches Lea Salonga, apl.d.ap, Bamboo, and Sarah Geronimo in the finale.
Luis is certainly the “Pambansang Host” for years, and as such should remain as the premiere TV presenter for more years to come. Catch him in the upcoming third season of the celebrity impersonation talent program, Your Face Sounds Familiar, soon on the Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z Channel 11.