Billy Crawford ‘super unbothered’ by rumors linking weight loss to drugs

By Dustin Moskovitz On Jul 11, 2023

Billy Crawford

While he admitted that he was once an alcoholic, Billy Crawford maintained that he has never touched drugs in his life contrary to persistent rumors that drug addiction was the reason behind his weight loss.

“A lot of people have been talking on my behalf, alleging that I’m an addict or whatever. But first of all, I think it’s unfair to tell someone what they are. I don’t do drugs… I have stopped drinking alcohol. I don’t smoke. I have no vices,” Billy told reporters in a recent interview.

“I have an addictive personality, but the Lord is always there to save me, really. There had been temptations. But with a snap of a finger, he led me away from them. Nililihis ako sa bisyo. I’m thankful for that,” he added.

Billy struggled with alcoholism six years ago and weighed 235 lbs. “I was unhealthy. But then, I started losing weight after I stopped drinking. And it [weight loss] continued because I never looked back—zero alcohol intake,” he said. “I’m not sick.”

Now, at 41, Billy has never been healthier. “I’m 148 lbs. I feel healthy and I feel good. I don’t necessarily exercise tremendously, but I eat right, drink enough water. And maybe my child is just heavy! It can get tiring,” jested Billy, who has a 2-year-old song, Amari, with wife Coleen Garcia.

“I used to do intermittent fasting and tried keto diet,” he added. “Now, I’m super healthy and I can’t ask for more.”

Intrigues can be annoying from time to time, but it’s par for the course in the entertainment industry, Billy pointed out. But the singer-television host doesn’t let them get to him. “I’m super unbothered,” he said. “My wife knows who I am and what I am… That’s what’s really important. What other people say about me does reach me, but I don’t care.”

“Coleen’s happy. We’re a happy family,” he added. “And if others want to destroy us just to seek attention, [I can say that] none of those are true.”

Billy, who used to cohost the variety shows “It’s Showtime” on ABS-CBN and the now defunct “Tropang LOL,” said the recent programming rigodon in the noontime slot can only be good for viewers.

After their departure from TAPE Inc., Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon moved to TV5 and launched a new show called “E.A.T.” “Eat Bulaga!” remained on GMA 7 with a new roster of hosts. “It’s Showtime,” on the other hand, moved to GMA 7’s free-to-air network GTV.

“I’m just happy that the industry is moving. We lost viewers during the pandemic because everything was online,” he said. “But it’s great. Who would have thought that a Kapamilya would be a Kapuso and a Kapuso would be a Kapamilya or Kapatid. We should all be thankful to have work.”

Asked if he feels sad that “Tropang LOL” has already ended and could have possibly made the noontime slot a four-way ratings battle, Billy said, “At the end of the day, this is a business. People tend to forget that. You come and go. Some [shows] will last, some will be short-lived. And we understand that,” he said.

“It’s the higher-ups who decide for us. We’re all replaceable. So, I just try to enjoy the moments when I have projects. I’m super happy,” said Billy, who will sit as a judge-mentor in the upcoming talent search, “The Voice Generations.”

Whether or not Billy will appear in any of the current noontime shows is unsure. “If I could go to ‘Bulaga,’ ‘It’s Showtime’ or wherever, it’s OK. I go where work takes me,” he said.

But for now, Billy would rather not subject himself to the pressures of doing a noontime show. “Noontime comes with stress,” said Billy, who has experienced firsthand how difficult it is to build a new noontime show. “There’s pressure. So for now, hindi muna.”

As GMA 7 chair and CEO Felipe L. Gozon recently declared, “TV war is finally over.” But “friendly competition,” Billy surmised, will continue. “There’s still healthy competition. And at the end of the day, the viewers are the winners here. After all, this is what we artists are here for—we hope to entertain them,” he said. INQ

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