R&B singer and television host Billy Crawford made a much-awaited comeback to ‘It’s Showtime’ as one of the judges of ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’, joining Karylle and Marco Sison in Wednesday’s episode of the noontime show.
“As usual, nami-miss ko kayong lahat kaya nga nandito ako, nagbabalik ako,” Billy said during the live episode. “Pinag-uusapan nga kanina namin ni Sir Marco and K (Karylle), isa ako sa OG na hurado sa Tawag ng Tanghalan. It’s such a pleasure being back here once again sa It’s Showtime. So maraming, maraming salamat sa Showtime.”
Crawford’s return added excitement to the ongoing Pangkatapatan round of ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ Year 9, where the contestants from Pangkat Pula, Pangkat Bughaw, and Pangkat Luntian battled for survival in a tight competition.
For Pangkat Luntian under mentor Bituin Escalante, Angelica Magno delivered her version of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart.’ Karylle praised her for giving a fresh take on the well-known song but noted a few tempo issues.
Representing Pangkat Pula with mentor Nyoy Volante, Richel Balignot impressed the judges with her energetic rendition of ‘Salamin.’ Billy described the arrangement as “unexpected” and commended Richel for enjoying her performance on stage.
Meanwhile, Pangkat Bughaw’s Rob Limbawan, mentored by Mark Bautista, performed ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’ despite recently recovering from illness. Marco lauded Rob’s vocal control and how he ended the song with confidence.
After the round, Rob earned the highest score, resulting in a three-way tie among the three teams. The tie led to an Ultimate Pangkatapatan showdown, where mentors chose their best performers to represent their groups.
Noielle Rodriguez of Pangkat Luntian sang ‘Toy.’ Kent Villarba of Pangkat Pula performed ‘Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay.’ Lucky Nicole Galindez of Pangkat Bughaw belted out ‘Lovin’ You.’
Chief judge Marco Sison noted Kent’s performance had some missing spark, appreciated Noielle’s unique delivery, but ultimately found Lucky’s performance the most powerful and emotional.
Lucky emerged as the winner with 99%, followed by Noielle with 96.7%, and Kent with 96%, resulting in Pangkat Pula’s elimination from the competition.
However, mentors Bituin and Mark decided to save some members of Pangkat Pula. Kent Villarba and Aaron Lao were absorbed into Pangkat Luntian, while Mary Rose Blanes and Raquelle Macababat joined Pangkat Bughaw.
Billy’s guest appearance marked his latest ‘It’s Showtime’ comeback following his participation in Team Vice’s ‘Magpasikat’ performance for the show’s 14th anniversary in November 2023 and his surprise appearance earlier this year as a mystery singer in the ‘Hide and Sing’ segment.
