At the grand media conference for Top Class: Rise To P-Pop Stardom—the newest, biggest, most advanced, and most interactive P-Pop talent reality competition in the country—Miss Universe 2018 and program host Catriona Gray described P-Pop as something uniquely Pinoy. She also emphasized how local talents can rise above and be known on the world stage when given the right opportunity and exposure.
“Our 30 trainees really came to deliver, seeing them in their element and chasing after their dreams is something that I am so passionate about supporting,” the 27-year-old beauty queen said of the P-Pop aspirants who were introduced to the public that day.
As someone who had been in a few dynamic competitions in the past, Catriona could easily relate to the struggles and challenges the trainees have to go through to emerge as victors in the talent show.
“So, my advice for them is just to be yourself. I know that it’s something that we hear a lot but it is what makes you stand out from others. Other than that, really be present in all of your mentorships and training with all the amazing mentors and guest artists that we have,” she carried on.
Catriona likened Top Class to beauty pageants since it’s all about being always on your toes to showcase your best abilities.
“If I were a trainee, if this was a beauty pageant and there was a special award, I would want to get the most improved award. This is what sets Top Class apart, it’s all about seeing the growth of our trainees and seeing how they develop and really come into their own,” Catriona underscored.
The whole cast of Top Class publicly gathered for the first time during the event held on June 12 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City. The event was hosted by VJ Ai, who is also the host of Kumu show P-Popsilog on the Top Classkumu channel.
Present to join Catriona in introducing the trainees were co-hosts Albie Casiño and Yukii Takahashi, and mentors KZ Tandingan, Brian Puspos, and Shanti Dope.
P-Pop’s new girl group G22 and monster rookies VXON also graced the event as special guest performers.
The state-of-the-art campus of National University Laguna will serve as the home of Top Class, an apt venue for a show that strives to bring out and hone the world-class potential of P-Pop talent in the Philippines.
Top Class: Rise to P-Pop Stardom is the product of a game-changing partnership between four Filipino entertainment powerhouses: Kumu, TV5, Cignal Entertainment, and Cornerstone Entertainment. With the combination of each powerhouse’s expertise in the world of Philippine entertainment, audiences are ensured that the reality show will be a truly unique entertainment experience.
The exciting and innovative competition starts this June 18 on Kumu (daily streaming) and TV5 (every Saturday).