Ryan Bang, fiancée Paola Huyong reminisce on how their kilig love story started

Mary Ann Bardinas

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1736904492040Ryan Bang, fiancée Paola Huyong reminisce on how their kilig love story started--.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div>We may still be several days away from February, a.k.a. the “love month,” but the kilig feels were already in the air for those who got to watch the latest video uploaded on the official YouTube channel of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/itsshowtime">“It’s Showtime”</a> host Ryan Bang, wherein he and his beloved non-showbiz fiancée, Paola Huyong, reminisced on how their beautiful love story began. It can be recalled that it was in August 2023 when Ryan proudly made the announcement on the noontime show that he already had a girlfriend. And a few months later, Paola made her first-ever appearance on his YouTube channel in March 2024 when he documented their trip to Tokyo, Japan together. However, it was only in this vlog through which the couple first opened up about their beautiful love journey that started because of their love for football.<div><iframe width="1255" height="716" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fs2YPZxpioI" title="First Interview with Paola about How We Met at Siesta Horchata Cafe | Ryan Bang" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> According to Ryan, it was in April 24, 2023 when their paths initially crossed at a football field. Paola could still vividly recall how she admired his beautiful broad back then while they were both playing for a friendly match. On his part, Ryan recounted how everything went slow motion for him upon seeing her and told his personal assistant, Joyce, that he was, somehow, already certain that Paola would become his girlfriend.The two got the chance to talk for the first time when they became teammates for a game in May 17, 2023 and had their first-ever picture together the following evening. It was the same moment when they exchanged numbers as Paola asked for a copy of the video of her scoring a goal that Ryan’s P.A. was able to capture on camera. He was also able to find her Instagram account and learned about her horchata business, so he ordered 22 bottles of it for his employees out of curiosity.Ryan mustered the courage to ask Paola about her status a week later when they played football again together and discovered that she’s still single despite going into dates and having suitors since she was looking for a Christian man. He took it as an opportunity for him to impress her by telling her that he’s been a Christian even before he was born, as it was only after his pastor-aunt prayed over his mother, who was about to give birth to him, that he came out of her womb.“I think, at the end of the day naman, when you’re looking for someone, you want your person to have the same values, ‘di ba? You want to be on the same page. You can be different but, at the end of the day, you want the same foundation,” Pao said, as she explained where she was coming from.They had their real first date at the concert of his It’s Showtime co-host and “mommy” Vice Ganda on June 2, 2023, the same night that she and Paola met for the first time. Ryan recalled how shocked he was during that time since the Unkabogable Star wasn’t all glammed up yet when that happened. She even attended the concert’s after-party, wherein he introduced her to everyone as his niece. “To be very, very honest, I didn’t think that he even likes me kasi ‘yong feeling with Ryan is very ‘titohan’, tropa,” Paolo admitted, explaining that it’s because he would talk to her or give her reminders just like how uncles usually do. “I really didn’t think na there would be something. Ryan’s very nice and he’s very friendly to everyone, so I wouldn’t really think also na [he] would even like me kasi marami rin namang other girls diyan na pretty saka nasa showbiz.”After going on a few dates either with just the two of them or with their friends, Paola finally confirmed that Ryan had been exerting efforts for her not just as “a good friend” but as someone who wanted to be his boyfriend. She described the moment, “It wasn’t really like butterflies in my stomach. I was just really at peace.”The “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/itsshowtime">It’s Showtime</a>” host mustered the courage to ultimately ask her to be his girlfriend on June 28, 2023 during the birthday celebration of her older brother in Pansol, Laguna. He did it by giving her tickets to the Manila concert of British rock band Coldplay here in Manila, which, if she accepted, would signify that she also agrees to be his girlfriend. Just when he assumed that she would say “no” to his proposal, Paola agreed to become both his date to the concert and his girlfriend. On the other hand, Paola revealed that the thought of Ryan asking her to be his girlfriend actually popped out of her mind out of the blue while they were on the way to the venue. “Normally kasi ang ligaw phase for me, one year getting to know. Basta minimum for me is six months to one year. But then, I’ve been praying talaga as in. Basta ang non-negotiable ko kasi, same faith, same values, and the fact that you love your parents so much means a lot to me already na meron tayong same foundation. So, sabi ko, ‘Lord, you know if he asks me, I’d probably say ‘yes’ then and there. Then that happened,” she recollected and added that she also didn’t think that she would want to let him go.Ryan concluded the video by hinting that they would tackle the story of their engagement in the next video he’s going to upload in his YouTube channel.

Ryan Bang and his non-showbiz fiancée Paola Huyong enthusiastically chronicled how he got promoted from being her “good friend” to becoming her boyfriend.

Ryan Bang and his non-showbiz fiancée Paola Huyong enthusiastically chronicled how he got promoted from being her “good friend” to becoming her boyfriend.

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Ryan Bang, fiancée Paola Huyong reminisce on how their kilig love story started

Ryan Bang, fiancée Paola Huyong reminisce on how their kilig love story started

Mary Ann Bardinas

Published Jan 14, 2025 10:45 PM PHT

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Updated Jan 15, 2025 09:30 AM PHT

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Ryan Bang

Paola Huyong

Ryan Bang fiancée

Vice Ganda

It’s Showtime

Ryan and Paola

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