For many millennials, MTV wasn’t just background noise—it was the place to discover new music, watch the coolest video jockeys (VJs), and catch up on the latest pop culture trends. So when news broke that MTV is closing several of its channels after four decades, nostalgia hit hard, especially for former MTV VJ Andi Manzano.
Photo: Andi Manzano/Instagram
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Andi reflected on how being part of MTV shaped her career and her life. “MTV was such a huge part of my life,” she wrote. “It opened doors, taught me so much, it let me experience things I never imagined I would—like meeting artists and different people, hosting in front of massive crowds and the biggest stadiums, and just being part of something that defined a whole generation.”
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Andi first joined the network after joining the MTV VJ Hunt in 2007, where she won alongside Kat Alano. She recalled being so nervous during her first hosting assignment for the “Top 10 Countdown.”
“My first day hosting the ‘Top 10 Countdown,’ I was shaking so much. We had to memorize and ad-lib 15 pages. It took me two hours to finish that first shoot,” she shared.
Beyond the glitz and the excitement, what Andi remembers most are the people who made the experience worthwhile. “More than anything, it’s the people I’ll never forget—the people behind the scenes who made the whole ride so fun,” she added.
Actress Anne Curtis, who also had a stint as a host on MTV Philippines, commented on Andi’s post, calling their time at the channel “nostalgic.”
“We were babies. I remember being so nervous and excited about being an MTV VJ,” Anne wrote.
According to a report from the BBC, MTV will shut down five of its channels—MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live—by the end of 2025. Its main channel, MTV HD, will continue to air, but primarily with reality shows.
In the Philippines, MTV went off-air in 2018 after several revivals under different branding. Over the years, it produced some of the country’s most recognizable VJs, including Donita Rose, Belinda Panelo, Cindy Kurleto, Marc Abaya, G Toengi, and KC Montero.
While the shutdown marks the end of an era, Andi’s words remind us of what MTV meant to so many—a space that launched careers, celebrated creativity, and defined a generation of music lovers.
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