Kapamilya actress-vlogger Ivana Alawi drew laughs and kilig after candidly reacting to her kissing scene with Joshua Garcia during a recent press conference for their upcoming series.
Asked about their on-screen pairing and the intensity of their intimate scene, Alawi did not hold back. TV5 entertainment reporter MJ Marfori shared a video of the interview where the actress described the experience as “grabe.”
When asked directly whether Garcia deserved the popular moniker “Higop King,” Alawi readily agreed.
“Oo, Higop King, ganun!” she said, laughing.
Alawi admitted she was surprised by how intense the scene turned out to be and said she did not expect Garcia to be that all-out during the take. She recalled reacting immediately after the scene.
“Grabe ka naman,” she said she told the actor—prompting Garcia to reply, “Humigop ba?”
Despite the playful banter and kilig, Alawi stressed that everything remained professional on set.
“Siyempre crush ko naman ‘yun, pero professional pa rin!” she said.
Alawi has previously been open about her admiration for Garcia, particularly his ability to deliver emotionally charged scenes, and the actor has expressed appreciation for the praise.
In November last year, ABS-CBN officially announced that Alawi and Garcia would star together in the new series ‘Love is Never Gone’, with parts reportedly set to be filmed in Morocco. The project marks their first time headlining a series as an on-screen pair.
The nickname “Higop King” has long followed Garcia, who has repeatedly gone viral for his kissing scenes in past teleseryes. After experiencing it firsthand, Alawi agreed with netizens’ assessment.
“Oo, Higop King! Ganun, grabe. Ayun yung last scene talaga namin. Hindi ko alam [na ganoon siya ka-intense]!” she said, laughing.
