ACTOR-TV host Edu Manzano said he refused to go back to hosting the ABS-CBN game show ?Pilipinas Game KNB?? because, at 54, he felt too old to be seen dancing on TV.

?I?m turning 55 in a month,? Edu told entertainment writers over lunch recently. ?I can?t see myself still dancing the ?Papaya? at that age. I remember trying to push myself to dance that, even if my hips were aching. I had no choice because it was the show?s opening number.?

In 2008, Edu, along with choreographer Mel Feliciano, turned ?Papaya,? a wordless play on vocals recorded by Polish singer Ursula Dudziak in the 1970s, into a global fad. It was featured on ABC?s ?Good Morning America,? MSNBC and Reuters. YouTube still has several videos of the ?Papaya? dance, including a version featuring Philippine Army soldiers.

?The question my youngest son Enzo asked when he first heard I was going to have a new game show was, ?Dad, are you going to dance?? Parang ayaw na niya,? said Edu, whose his birthday is September 14.

Exclusive deal

Edu recently signed a three-year exclusive contract with GMA 7. He will host the game show ?Asar Talo Palaging Panalo? starting next month.

?It will still be fun, even without the dancing,? he said. ?There will be more interaction with the contestants. I like the concept ? Pinoy na Pinoy [Very Filipino].?

?Asar Talo? will air in the late morning time slot, just before the noontime program ?Eat ? Bulaga!?

Edu said the offer to transfer to GMA 7 came in late June. ?It was a very good offer. I gave ABS-CBN 24 years of my life. I did what was expected of me. However, we also have to accept the fact that this is a business. GMA 7 said I would be the most effective host for the game show they wanted.?

Edu will also be working on a talk show similar to his 1980s program ?Not So Late Night with Edu,? but ?topics will be broader and more relevant,? he noted.

?My [Kapuso] bosses said I could also develop shows that I like,? he added. ?I could also appear on other GMA 7 programs. My work there is not limited to just two shows.?

Edu also hopes to host a travel show.

Last seen in the sitcom ?OK Fine Whatever? in 2003, Edu said he?s still open to doing a teleserye, but only if the work schedule would be followed strictly.