That's My Bae

That's My Bae (also known as EB Baes or Trops) is a Filipino dance group formed in the That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest segment of the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!,^[1] and officially formed in August 29, 2015. The group is composed of Kim Last, Kenneth Medrano, Joel Palencia, Tommy Peñaflor, Jon Timmons and Miggy Tolentino.

History

2015: That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest and Gab's departure

On July 6, 2015, Eat Bulaga! launched a new segment called That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest hosted by Sam Y.G. and Alden Richards. It is a dance contest for male contestants who are referred to as "baes," a slang word for "baby/babe as a term of endearment. The contestants dance to the 2014 hit single "Twerk It Like Miley" by Brandon Beal to showcase their talent and looks. The daily winners underwent a series of elimination rounds until only seven contestants remained in the grand finals of the competition. The seven grand finalists were Gab Bayan, Kim Last, Kenneth Medrano, Joel Palencia, Tommy Peñaflor, Jon Timmons, and Miggy Tolentino.

On August 29, 2015, Kenneth Medrano was named as the grand winner of the competition. Subsequently, Medrano and the six other grand finalists were regularly seen on Eat Bulaga! as a dance group now known as That's My Bae. The name of their group was taken directly from the title of the segment from which they were discovered. To further give them exposure, That's My Bae was given their own segment entitled ATM with the Baes. At this point, they were considered as a mainstay dance group in Eat Bulaga!.

The group was still composed of seven members until the quiet departure of Gab Bayan on December 2015. Bayan left the group in order to return to Far Eastern University and to focus on his studies.^[2] Without any formal announcement, JV Suzara, a contestant in That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest who finished as a semi-finalist, was added to the group as a replacement.

2016–present: Acting ventures, JV's departure and 1st anniversary

After the end of ATM with the Baes, That's My Bae appeared in several other segments of Eat Bulaga!, including Hotline Bae, Dancing in Tandem, and Kalyeserye. Kenneth Medrano was even given a minor role as Peping during the flashback retelling of Nidora and Anselmo's love story in Kalyeserye. The members of That's My Bae were also included in AlDub's wedding entourage for Kalyeserye.

In February 2016, JV Suzara decided to leave the group after his short stint as a member. Suzara then formed his own group called Bae Alert, an all-male dance group composed of other semi-finalists from the That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest segment of Eat Bulaga!. Meanwhile, That's My Bae continued on with only six members.

In March 2016, the members of the group were included in the cast of the "Walang Kapalit" episode of the annual Eat Bulaga! Lenten Special presentation. Medrano was given a main role, while the other members made cameo appearances during the episode. Although Medrano had a supporting role in Buena Familia, his participation in the Lenten special was his first portrayal as a lead role.^[3] In June 2016, Medrano starred in the morning drama series Calle Siete, and was paired with showbiz newcomer Taki Saito. Soon, Saito was regularly performing with That's My Bae on Eat Bulaga!.^[4] Meanwhile, Kim Last was added as a regular cast member of the Sunday comedy-variety show Sunday PinaSaya.

October 8, 2016 was declared by Eat Bulaga as "Bae Day" in order to celebrate the anniversary of the formation of That's My Bae. On that day, Eat Bulaga! also announced that the group will be given their own television show entitled Trops with Taki Saito. They will also be accompanied by showbiz newcomer, Toni Aquino, daughter of Eat Bulaga! host Ruby Rodriguez. Trops is That's My Bae's first acting career as a group. The show premiered on October 24, 2016. It is produced by TAPE, Inc. and broadcast on GMA Network.^[5]

Members

Current

Kim Last (2015–present)

Kim Michael Last (born January 20, 1997), or simply known as Kim, is a British-Filipino born and raised in Kings Cross, London.^[6] He immigrated to the Philippines when he was 17 years old. Last was a secondary school graduate studying government politics at Chelsea Academy in London prior to joining the competition. He also had a short stint as a backup dancer for Morissette Amon and KZ Tandingan, and was about to become a personal trainer in boxing until he joined That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest. After becoming a well-known member of Eat Bulaga!'s in-house dance group, Last also became a regular cast member of the noontime comedy-variety show Sunday PinaSaya.^[7] Last is the youngest member of the group.^[8]

Kenneth Medrano (2015–present)

Kenneth Earl Gesulga Medrano (born May 9, 1991), or more simply known as Kenneth, is from Cebu City, Cebu. Prior to joining the Eat Bulaga! segment, Medrano was a Hotel and Restaurant Management junior at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation. He also had a part-time job as a bartender and a model, but is best known for his viral Dubsmash videos.^[9] Medrano gained fame after becoming the grand winner of the That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest segment of Eat Bulaga!. Buena Familia gave Medrano his first breakthrough acting role as Pacoy Alvero.^[1]

Joel Palencia (2015–present)

Joel Palencia (born March 7, 1992), or simply known as Joel, is from Antipolo, Rizal. Prior to joining That's My Bae, he was a junior pursuing a Tourism Management degree at the Antipolo branch of Our Lady of Fatima University. Palencia joined male beauty contests before trying his luck in That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest.^[8]

Tommy Peñaflor (2015–present)

Thomas Peñaflor (born February 12, 1993), or better known as Tommy, is from Dinalupihan, Bataan. He is a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology graduate in the Perpetual Help College of Manila, but opted to dance and to act his way to a career in show business. He first joined and finished as one of the Top 15 semi-finalists in the 2014 Gandang Lalake contest on ABS-CBN's It's Showtime before joining Eat Bulaga!'s dance competition.^[10] In That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest, Tolentino was eliminated in the weekly finals of the competition, but was given another chance as a contender in the wildcard round.^[8]

Jon Timmons (2015–present)

Jonathan Mark Cabico Timmons (born February 21, 1991), or simply known as Jon, is a Filipino American born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He was an AA Science graduate at El Camino College in Los Angeles before joining That's My Bae. In California, he also had a part-time job as a cashier at a mall and then at a pet store. Timmons was simply visiting the Philippines when he joined That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest to try his luck in the Philippine showbiz industry. After becoming part of That's My Bae, he decided to stay in the Philippines. Timmons is the oldest member of the group.^[8]

Miggy Tolentino (2015–present)

Luis Miguel Evangelista Tolentino (born April 20, 1996), more simply known as Miggy, is from Caloocan City, Metro Manila. Prior to That's My Bae, he was a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree at the Universidad de Manila. Before joining That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest, Tolentino guested in some shows while endorsing perfumes and skin care products.^[8]

Former

Gab Bayan (2015)

Jose Gabriel Garra Bayan (born July 4, 1996), simply known as Gab, is from Pasig, Rizal. He was a sophomore at Far Eastern University before he joined That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest, in which he was a grand finalist. He then became one of the seven original members of the show's in-house dance group That's My Bae. However, Bayan left the group a few months later in order to return to Far Eastern University and to focus on his studies.^[2]

JV Suzara (2015–2016)

John Vincent Suzara (born March 29, 1996), or simply known as JV, is from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Suzara joined That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest, but was eliminated in the semi-final round. After Gab's departure from That's My Bae, he was added to the group as a replacement. However, Suzara also decided to leave That's My Bae a few months later to form his own group called Bae Alert, an all-male performance group composed of other semi-finalists from the That's My Bae: "Twerk It" Dance Contest segment of Eat Bulaga!.^[11]

Timeline

Television

References