Alan Joveness Quilantang (born December 13, 1958),[citation needed] known professionally as Allan K., is a Filipino comedian, actor, and television personality. He is one of the co-hosts of the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga.[1]
Quilantang also previously owned comedy bars Zirkoh and Klownz until their closure during the pandemic in 2020.[2]
Career
Early years
Quilantang began his professional singing career after he graduated high school and joined a band, performing in bars around Bacolod. In 1984, he flew to Manila to work in sing-along bars as a singer[3] and as a stand-up comedian.[4]
Quilantang was discovered in 1995 through a reporter during a press conference of Eat Bulaga! where the show's impending transfer to GMA Network was announced.[4] The reporter who frequented the place where he worked at that time, asked if there were any new talents to be introduced, then followed up by asking if they had heard of an "Allan K." who performed at The Library—a comedy bar in Malate, Manila.[5] The noontime variety show's producer, Antonio Tuviera, was unaware that his children also frequented the same place, thus, they ended up contacting and visiting the bar on the night after the press conference.[6]
1995–2014
Quilantang's first appearance in Eat Bulaga! was in the segment "Bulagaan" in 1995.[7] He became a regular host of Eat Bulaga! starting with his own segment entitled "Allan Knows Best", attending to the viewers problems and giving out advice.[4]
In 2002, he opened his first comedy bar Klownz in Quezon Avenue.[8] Subsequently, in 2004, he opened Zirkoh—also a comedy bar—in Tomas Morato.[9] They were home to several stand-up comedians such as impersonators Ate Gay and Boobay; comedy duo Jose and Wally; and various other celebrities who had performed there nightly throughout the years.[10]
Alongside Eat Bulaga!, Quilantang also hosted All Star K! together with singer and host Jaya from 2004 to 2009. Shortly after the show concluded, he co-hosted once more with Jaya in BandaOke! until 2010. Later in the same year, Quilantang co-hosted the comedy talent show Comedy Bar with actress and fellow comedian Eugene Domingo.[11][12]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Quilantang closed down his comedy bars Klownz and Zirkoh. After trying to keep his businesses afloat, he soon filed for bankruptcy in July because of accumulating expenses and increasing losses.[14][9] On the December 12, 2020, segment of "Bawal Judgmental" on Eat Bulaga!, Quilantang and his co-host Wally Bayola publicly shared that they were afflicted with COVID-19. In his statement, he said that he was brought to the hospital because of persistent symptoms, leading to his confinement in an intensive care unit (ICU) for 3 days. Eat Bulaga! pillar Vic Sotto revealed for the first time that the doctors told him that Quilantang "doesn't look good", describing how critical his situation was.[15] Quilantang did not undergo intubation and eventually recovered.[16]
2021–present
In 2021 as he recovered from the aftermath of the pandemic, Quilantang opened a Japanese restaurant[17] and a new comedy bar closely resembling its predecessor's name.[18] In November 2022, he launched another comedy bar also similarly resembling the name of his former business.[19]
Personal life
The name Allan K. was derived from a play on his surname Quilantang by his gay colleagues who called him Allan "Qui" (Tagalog:[ˈki]) which later evolved to be pronounced as Allan "K" (Tagalog:[ˈkeɪ]); he eventually took a liking to how it sounded and used it as his stage name.[20][21]
Quilantang is gay.[22] In an interview in 2016, he revealed to the press about having an ongoing relationship with an undisclosed Filipino-British man who he said was a reality show winner.[23]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Quilantang's brother died in May[24] and his sister in July,[25][26] but with the quarantine and protocols in place, no funerals were held for both siblings; in July he permanently shut down his businesses;[27] and ultimately[clarification needed] in August when he acquired a severe case of COVID-19, facing death.[28] Quilantang described the year as "seemingly cursed".[29]
In an Instagram post, Quilantang announced the death of his brother in October 2021.[30]
In a special episode of "Bawal Judgmental" on Eat Bulaga! on December 25, 2021, Quilantang admitted that he had a relationship with a woman in his early days in Bacolod to conceal his sexuality.[31] For the first time, he revealed learning about the possibility of him having a child through a psychic he met where he performed.[32] With the persuasion of the other hosts, Quilantang publicly appealed to the woman to confirm whether he did have a child with her and have them tested through DNA matching; he also stated that he is open to taking responsibility for the child whom he estimated to be at least 30 years old at the time.[33]
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