Eric Tai is a Tongan actor, model, TV host, comedian and rugby union player who played for the Alabang Eagles and represented the Philippines national rugby union team in 15s and 7s. He was also one of the hosts of It's Showtime, where he goes by the screen name, Eruption.
Tai was part of the Philippines national rugby union team in 2011. For two years he did not play for the national team. In 2013, he made his return to the national team. In club rugby, Tai played for the Alabang Eagles.
Acting career
Before his stint in the Philippines he was already pursuing a career in acting, commercial modelling, and hosting in Australia.
Television
He made a guest appearance in It's Showtime as a hurado or a judge in a segment of the variety show and also made a dance exhibition. In 2012, he became a full-time host in the show and became known under the screen name "Eruption". He was offered to be part of various television shows in ABS-CBN but declining saying that he wants to focus with It's Showtime. As part of McCann Erickson's "Everybody Break Now" advertising campaign for KitKat, Tai portrayed Dan, the Breakinator in a television commercial for the chocolate brand. He took a break after his stint in a Canadian Tour of It's Showtime in September 2014 and returned in December of the same year. Tai announced his departure in It's Showtime in early 2016. Co-host Coleen Garcia also left. His last appearance in the television show was in December 2015. Tai along with his wife, Rona Samson joined the fifth season of The Amazing Race Asia as contestants. Tai is formerly part of an action adventure series Bagani in 2018, which he plays a Giant guy. This was Eric Tai’s 1st Teleserye, followed by his 2nd teleserye Ngayon At Kailanman which he plays as a bodyguard in 2019.
Film
Tai appeared in Madaling Araw, Mahabang Gabi, an independent film which also featured Angelica Panganiban. In May 2012, Tai expressed his desire to act in an action film but he says he doesn't find any opportunity to do so in the Philippines.
Tai is married to Rona Samson. The two became engaged in August 2014 when Tai proposed to Samson in Albay. They got married in March 2015 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cubao, Quezon City. They got involved in a second marriage ceremony in May 2016. In 2015, Samson experienced a miscarriage and was informed by her doctor that she can only conceive a child with Tai through in vitro fertilization. This led the couple joining The Amazing Race Asia and plans to use the prize money to go through with the procedure. Tai also said that his esports events paid him well and helped him through the process. Video games is also a hobby of Tai which according to his wife proved beneficial for their stint in The Amazing Race. She said this hobby helped them in the puzzle solving aspect of the reality show.
