The Pinoy Big Brother house has long been a reset button for hopefuls in showbiz. For many who’ve slipped through the cracks or simply never had the spotlight, the show remains one of the few platforms that can introduce a name—and make it stick.
This was especially clear in the latest PBB Celebrity Collab edition. For the first time in history, a Kapamilya flagship aired on GMA, ABS-CBN’s former rival. In this partnership, what really stood out was how the season quietly revived stalled careers and introduced unfamiliar names to a new audience.
Big winner Brent Manalo admitted that entering PBB was a last attempt. “If PBB didn’t work out for me, I might quit because I received a lot of rejections,” he said at a Star Magic press conference last July 14. After leaving the yellow house, he was surprised to find himself with a growing fan base.
At the reunion event held inside the PBB house, Brent stood alongside fellow Big 4 Ralph de Leon, Esnyr Ranollo, and River Joseph. Ex-housemates Kira Balinger, Klarisse de Guzman, Xyriel Manabat, and Bianca de Vera were also present. Together, they looked back on how PBB had shifted their trajectories.
“Grabe yung experience, parang fever dream talaga,” Brent shared. “Before, twenty people would show up at mall shows. Now, it’s hundreds—maybe thousands.”
While still processing the attention, he said he’s committed to earning the support he’s been given.
Ralph, who had been evicted and later returned to the competition, said the experience brought him closer to his faith. “When I can’t run to anyone else with my problem, who else is better to go to?” he said. “I feel like everything that happened is all because of Him.”
Esnyr said that the experience gave him exposure and inner strength. “When I entered the house, I felt weak. Now, I can say I’m stronger because of what we went through.”
Meanwhile, River Joseph was tagged online as the “green flag” of the season. While flattered, he said he was simply being himself and doesn’t feel pressured to live up to the label.
Before the press conference ended, Star Magic and ABS-CBN production head Laurenti Dyogi addressed the housemates, urging them to stay grounded: “Minahal kayo ng tao… hinding hindi kayo makakalimutan ng sambayanan.”
A follow-up event, The Big PBB Collab Concert: PBB Collove, is set to take place on Aug. 10 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with Kapamilya and Kapuso talents sharing one stage.
