Brent Manalo has finally addressed a controversial moment from his ‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition’ stint after an old ‘Tapatan’ clip resurfaced online and brought renewed criticism against him.

The issue regained attention following Brent’s playful exchange with fellow ‘It’s Showtime’ host Darren Espanto during the ‘Miss Q&A’ segment on September 4.

Their banter began when Brent teased Darren about his dancing, saying, “Ang galing niyang sumayaw. Halatang galing siyang The Voice.”

After Brent later mentioned his own reality-show background—“Ako, subok ako sa hamon ng buhay dahil nanggaling ako sa PBB”—Darren fired back, “Parang wala ka naman masyadong ganap doon sa loob ng bahay.”

Darren eventually approached Brent to make clear that they were only joking. The network also described their interaction as “biruan lang” amid questions about whether the exchange had become personal.

While the moment itself appeared to end between the two hosts, the attention surrounding it led to renewed online discussion about Brent’s time inside the “PBB” house. An old clip from the show’s “Tapatan” segment began circulating again, bringing another wave of criticism against the reality-show winner.

It was this renewed backlash that Brent addressed in his subsequent statements—not a personal conflict with Darren.

Brent said he had previously chosen not to defend himself over the old controversy because he preferred to let his work speak for him.

“I took all the lashings and never said a word cos I’m a firm believer that you should always let your work speak for u,” he wrote.

He then directly addressed what happened during the controversial ‘Tapatan’ exchange.

“To discuss it briefly, pinagmumura po ako don,” Brent said.

“And I let my emotions get the best of me. It wasn’t my proudest moment.”

Brent acknowledged his own reaction and said he remains open to constructive criticism as he continues to learn from his mistakes.

At the same time, he drew a distinction between criticism and what he described as “unwarranted hate.”

“But if your sole purpose in life is to throw unwarranted hate at me, pls keep your opinions to yourselves cos it will never be acknowledged by me. Hindi po ako punching bag. Maraming salamat po,” he wrote.

“This chapter has been closed,” he added regarding the past controversy.

Brent also addressed criticism surrounding the opportunities he has been receiving since winning ‘PBB’ and becoming a regular ‘It’s Showtime’ host.

“With all the opportunities being given to me right now, I am truly grateful to the management and everyone who believes in me and my capabilities. But these things were never handed to me, it was years of waiting and hard work,” he said.

He asked viewers not to begrudge him the chance to perform the jobs being entrusted to him.

“Huwag niyo po sanang ipagkait sakin na gawin yung trabahong binibigay sakin. I am simply doing my job. I hope to one day be able to show up to work and not walk on egg shells cause everything I say or do is being watched closely just to fault me for something so minuscule.”

Brent also described himself as a “work in progress,” acknowledging that criticism comes with being a public figure while asking for room to improve.

He similarly addressed the divided reaction to his ‘PBB’ victory.

“Regarding my PBB stint—Admittedly, my win was polarizing but it is my journey and i hope to be able to look back at it with pride. I never once took that win for granted. I owe it to all those who fought for me,” he wrote.

Brent rose to wider prominence through ‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition,’ where he emerged as a Big Winner alongside Mika Salamanca. He later became a regular host of “It’s Showtime.”

Meanwhile, Brent and Darren have continued working together following their viral exchange, with their September 4 banter having been characterized as a joke between the two hosts.