Karl Bautista is finally reaping the seeds he sowed.
The athlete-architect, who has made a name for himself on TikTok after garnering over 144,000 followers, is Blacksheep’s searcher for the upcoming boys-love dating game show Hello Searcher.
While failing to establish himself on a bigger platform prior to this, Bautista did not expect he’d be chosen this time around.
I’m not really a celebrity but I audition here and there. Rarely do I get callbacks but I said I’ll audition (for this show) because Mela is a good friend. Now I’m here and I feel really excited,” he said in a statement.
What made Blacksheep creative supervisor Daniel Saniana and creative head Kookie Labayen choose Bautista is his “charm that we are really looking for in a searcher.”
Bautista will meet six contestants called “searchees” who will undergo challenges until one remains.
For him, it’s their passion that will make a searchee stand out.
“I think if you have a passion, it will (spark interest in me) because I’m very curious about a lot of things.. if they can keep up with the conversation and make me more interested in their lives. Humor is always a plus for the spark,” he said.
Miss Trans Global Mela Habijan will serve as the Mother Sparker or the host of the show.
Hello Searcher is still accepting auditions for aspiring searchees through Sparks Call. It is open to male Filipinos aged 21 and above, and are based locally or abroad as long as the latter is willing to fly back to the Philippines.
Fill out the online form and send audition videos through this link: bit.ly/HelloSearcherSC.
Hello Searcher will air on Blacksheep’s YouTube channel.
Breaking steriotypes
Bautista is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
In an interview with Multisport.ph, he shared how he knew he was different early on in life and how he proudly came out in college.
Bautista also grew up playing sports which is why he now tackles the stereotyping of men in sports.
However, he feels like there’s still a long way to go in terms of genuine acceptance.
He expressed, “Right now, at face value, it seems like we’re getting there with companies supporting the community and the entertainment industry starting to accept queer characters. But where it counts, such as LGBTQ+ rights, the SOGIE bill and the outlook of the Church towards the community, we have ways to go. But we’re definitely heading in the right direction albeit slowly.”
Get to know him more on TikTok and Instagram (@karlbauuu).