PINOY fans of South Korean and Filipino artists went home happy seeing their idols perform and receive the recognition they deserve for their world-class talents at the Asia Artist Awards (AAA) 2023, held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on Thursday, December 14.
But it might not be the only reason why they had smiles on their faces leaving the venue—thanks to comedienne and host Melai Cantiveros, who made attendees and even non-attendees crack up at her humor.
In case you’re wondering, here’s why.
Interview with IVE’s Won-young
The 35-year-old host trended on X (formerly Twitter) because of her hilarious response and her comic facial expressions during the interview by host Jang Won-young of K-pop girl group IVE.
The K-pop idol asked Cantiveros how she felt attending the star-studded night graced by South Korean and Filipino artists.
The comedienne responded, “Attending AAA is a very honor; I feel like I’m the first honor, a valedictorian in attending AAA.”
“I cannot believe this [is] happening,” she added.
Her amusing answer drew loud cheers and giggles from the audience, and quite possibly even those who were watching the event from their homes.
Some netizens praised Cantiveros for delivering the “Pinoy humor” well at the event.
Korean artists react
Cantiveros not only caught the attention of the Filipino crowd but also the sought-after Korean celebrities.
During the interview, she was also asked about which artists she would like to meet the most among the attendees at the AAA 2023, to which she replied:
“I’m so very idol, Kim Seon-ho. And then, NewJeans because my daughter loves NewJeans.”
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that the “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” actor glanced and smiled at Cantiveros during her interview.
Suho of popular boy group EXO and “King the Land” star Lee Junho also looked at the Filipina host.
“Kapag ako tiningnan ng tatlong yan mahihimatay ako on the spot Melai how to be you pooo!!!” said a netizen.
NewJeans members also waved at Cantiveros upon hearing her answer.
“[P]h comedian actress melai said she wanted to meet newjeans and the girls’ reactions are so cute jdjfjff,” another X user said.
Hilarious speech
Cantiveros, who topbilled the Philippine-South Korean action-comedy film “Ma’am Chief,” was among those who received the AAA Best Actor Award.
Her comic acceptance speech onstage tickled the audience. She began her message on a funny note: “If someone [questions] why I have [an] award, don’t worry, I question too.”
“Because I just receive[d] [an] award all my life from my mother and father every time they are angry to me. But tonight, my heart is very kuan. I think it’s because God moves in mysterious ways,” she quipped.
This caused roaring laughter to erupt at the arena, as the crowd apparently enjoyed listening to Cantiveros’ speech.
Even the artists – including P-pop kings SB19 and Bang Chan of K-pop boy group Stray Kids (SKZ) – couldn’t hold in their laughter, as seen from the fancam clips uploaded on X.
“Melai, happy pill ka ng SB19! HAHAHA!” said a fan.
Meanwhile, a TikTok user made a fan edit of Cantiveros’ speech where they highlighted Bang Chan’s reaction to the comedienne.
A text in the video read, “Bang Chan kanal humor enjoyer.”
One X user also noticed how Bang Chan, who grew up in Australia, translated the speech to other SKZ members.
“[T]awang tawa si bang chan sa kanya pls tapos ang funny pa kase trinatranslate niya sa members yung ments ni melai,” it said.
The Filipina host also shared online photos of her with South Korean actors Kim Young-dae and Moon Sang-min and her trophy.
Aside from Cantiveros, the AAA Best Actor award was also given to Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Dong-hwi, Lee Jun-hyuk and Kim Se-jeong.
