Billy Crawford ready to ‘give it up’ and leave PH after ABS-CBN shutdown
Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia admitted they were ready to give everything up and leave the country after ABS-CBN lost its bid to renew its franchise earlier this year.
In an interview with TV5’s Usapang Real Life on Saturday, Dec. 12, the couple said they were deeply affected by the network’s shutdown.
“I thought I was actually gonna sell everything and we were gonna move out of this country. We were ready to just give it up,” Billy said.
He added, “ ‘Cause, wala e, I didn’t have a job. And if I did, it wasn’t really sustainable. I couldn’t sustain my family, I just had a newborn. So, it was a lot to think of.”
Billy, who started out as a child star during the mid-80s, was a long-time ABS-CBN talent, having been with the network since 2008.
The shutdown coincided with Coleen’s pregnancy which, Billy said, was the reason why he was unable to show his “full, full support” toward ABS-CBN when the network was fighting for, and eventually lost its bid for, a new franchise.
“I couldn’t stress her (Coleen) out,” Billy said.
“It was hard, I’m not gonna lie. There were a lot of nights when I cried. There were a lot of nights where I called most of my friends sa ABS-CBN,” he said. “At the end of the day, ano lang yan e, life kind of resets itself.”
Billy eventually found work at TV5’s as the co-host of the network’s noontime show, Lunch Out Loud.
Addressing those who criticized his move to TV5 after ABS-CBN lost its franchise, Billy said: “We will be loved, we will be hated. We just have to be in the middle.”
“But right now, I’m just thankful that I have a job. I’m just thankful that I do what I love to do. At my age! And hopefully, it will be like this for a long period of time.”
Banner image and thumbnail from Billy Crawford's Instagram page