She then embarked on doing live shows, notable for her performances as Meldita, a satiric portrayal of then-first lady Imelda Marcos, Loida Dimagiba and Carmeling Lawiswis.
[8] Dubbed as the second lady of television and the "Queen of Stand-up Comedy",[9] she is cited as one of the pioneers of impersonation, famous for portraying the likes of Amanda Pineda, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Bonnie Buendia and Imelda Marcos.
[8] Tomas returned to TV as main host of the morning talk show Teysi ng Tahanan and the weekly political satire Abangan ang Susunod Na Kabanata, playing the wealthy but eccentric Barbara Tengco.
She earned praises from the critics and viewers for her portrayal as the "cane-wielding" Doña Cielo Fierro in the ABS-CBN television series, Dirty Linen (2023).
[5] Tomas is celebrated as one of the "country’s most brilliant artists"[1] and one of the greatest comedians of all time,[9] noted for her "style and distinctive approach on comedy.