In fairness, they’re against fooling the public about their personal relationship.

Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez may be quick on the draw on stage as they throw jabs at each other on anything and everything, including their failed marriage.

 Yet, the ex-couple maintain that their rapport on stage stems from a friendship that has grown out of their years together as a TV couple on Penthouse Live and as a married couple with two grown boys.

Pops finds their team “weird.”

“Whether we’re okay or not, when we’re onstage, we are a team,” she said.

“Once we mount the stage, we let go of everything we were going through. We focus  on the show. We sometimes talk to each other about it onstage.

“That was really weird. I guess we can call that professionalism.”

Pops said she learned from their ‘Penthouse Live’ director, Fritz Ynfante, the minute you step onstage, it is important that you entertain the people. They know nothing what you both are going through."

“I guess I carried that all throughout. It was very difficult. It was always difficult.”

Martin says it’s important not to mislead the audience. The both of them are clear about not overstepping their boundaries to the point of hinting towards any form of reconciliation whatsoever.

Martin: “We notice how good a team we have become.”

Pops: “We were so private about what happened to us. We are now more open to talk about us. We don’t make fun of it, it was serious, but we talk about it in a lighter way.”

Martin and Pops reunite in Always and Forever on Feb. 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

***

PASSERBY:

People are amazed at Coco Martin’s 2,000 square-meter mansion somewhere in Fairview, Quezon City. They’re also in awe of Willie Revillame’s generous gesture of donating one million pesos to Rufa Mae Quinto at the height  of a legal crisis the actress is currently facing. Is Rufa about to join Wilie’s TV show as a co-host anytime soon?

People are also asking whether or not Kris Aquino is pushing through with her plan to stage a TV comeback. We’re among those who anticipate her return to talkies, having trust in her interviewing and entertaining skills. We do hope and pray that Kris regains her strength and good health soon.

‘Green Bones’ (amount undisclosed) has emerged as the second top-grossing film at MMFF 2024, after ‘And The Breadwinner Is’ (400 million pesos as of Jan. 14, 2025). Its success speaks well of audiences’ growing maturity and their preference for films that are not only entertaining but are also relevant.