A news anchor recently went viral after she struggled to keep her composure while reporting on an athlete whose name closely resembles a Filipino term referring to a private body part.
Newscaster Barbie Muhlach drew amusement and laughter online over her lighthearted moment on live television when she struggled to contain her laughter while delivering a sports report during a broadcast of “Balitang A2Z” on Friday, Feb. 20.
The segment featured the arrival in the Philippines of South Sudanese-American basketball star Bol Manute Bol, also known as Bol Bol, whose name bears similarity to a Filipino term for pubic hair, prompting Muhlach to briefly laugh on air.
The report featured the arrival in the Philippines of basketball star Bol Bol, whose name bears similarity to a Filipino slang term for pubic hair — prompting Muhlach to briefly laugh on air.
At the start of the segment, Muhlach was seen attempting to maintain composure. However, as she continued discussing Bol Bol’s arrival and upcoming stint in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), she eventually let out a soft laugh before finishing the report professionally.
The clip later circulated across social media platforms, drawing amused reactions from viewers.
Her co-anchor Raff Herida also playfully shared the video on Facebook with the teasing caption, “Kaya pa Ms Barbie Muhlach?”
Muhlach reposted the clip and explained that “muffled laughs” inside the studio further triggered her reaction.
“Buti naman at we can all share a light-hearted moment ahead of yet another series of stressful and polarizing news events this coming week,” her post read.
She added that despite working in media since 2009, it had been years since she laughed that hard while on air and expressed hope that the athlete was not offended.
“Been paying my due in media since 2009, and ’di ko talaga akalain matatawa pa ko but […] It’s the muffled laughs at the studio that really got me ahahaha,” she wrote. “I just hope we did not offend Mr. Bol.”
Bol Bol previously played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for teams such as the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns.
The 7-foot-2 player is set to suit up as an import player for TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, where fans are expected to see his highly anticipated debut.
