Mariel Rodriguez is back in the limelight. The bubbly host and new mother was formally reintroduced this week joining the fun and wily bunch of ABS-CBN’S It’s Showtime.
It took quite a while for Mariel to come back to the limelight. First, she thought she wasn’t quite ready yet physically and psychologically. It took a lot of will and determination for her to win back her confidence to face again her fans. And, of course, it was quite hard for her to leave her bundle of joy, Maria Isabelle, who is turning 2 this year. Mariel was transformed into a full-time, hands-on mom to her cute baby daughter and tremendously enjoyed the quiet life.
But she couldn’t turn back the industry she so loves, and even revealed to Gab Fab that her work in Showtime is one of the things she really looks forward to. I talked to her personally on her first day back and here’s what she said:
“Honestly, it felt like the first day of school. I was so uneasy and nervous, not so much for me but for my baby, because it’s the first time mommy would leave her for a long period of time…which was a few hours lang actually pero matagal na ’yun kasi we’ve always been together eh. So my fear was really that she might cry and look for me.”
I had to ask Mariel if her precious daughter indeed looked for her, and she replied, “Yes, she did look for me. She would knock on my bedroom door kasi she was thinking lang na mommy was just sleeping. Actually when I learned that, it broke my heart. I was the one crying pala, not her! [Laughs] And that was just five minutes after I left the house! [Laughs].”
Did she feel nervous coming back? Mariel said, “I was nervous and I felt a little rusty because it’s been two years since I last worked, but, thankfully, the people at Showtime, all the hosts and the production, made me feel comfortable as I could be. Before the show, I prayed hard that everything would be OK.”
So now that her comeback week is over, what can she say? “Everything’s perfect,” she said. “I love what I’m doing in Showtime, and after that, I’m with my baby again, so yes! Everything is good!”
Good luck, Mariel! Glad to see you back.
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RISING singers Princess Sevillena, Kimberly Baluzo, Louie Anne Culala, Carmela Ariola and Ace Bartolome recently completed the Wishful Journey concert—their first major project as bonafide recording artists since their online singing competition stint on Wish 107.5.
The event coincided with the unveiling of the Wishful 5’s debut album, Wishful Journey, released under Star Music, and is composed of 18 original and revival tracks.
The five belters were the top contenders of “Wishcovery: Your Road to Stardom Starts Here,” the online singing competition of Wish 107.5 that aired on the radio station’s YouTube channel from September 2017 until March 2018.
All five have secured an exclusive two-year recording contract with Star Music, and a five-year management deal with Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International, the content provider for Wish 107.5.
“Never did I imagine that all these would happen to me in just a year—winning a huge contest, having my first album, and launching it at the Big Dome. The pressure is naturally there, but I believe that people will enjoy what we’ve prepared. We just need to focus on one goal: to make them happy,” shared the “Wishcovery” grand winner Princess.
Apart from the five young artists, Yeng Constantino, Morissette, Kris Lawrence, Daryl Ong, and Pilipinas Got Talent Season 6 grand winner Kristel de Catalina will also perform as the concert’s special guests. Days before the big show, Star Music released the Wishful 5’s collaborative single, “Patuloy ang Pangarap,” on digital platforms. The videos for Princess’s Wishful Journey album tracks—“Sana’y Maghintay ang Walang Hanggan,” “Ikaw Lamang,” “Walang Kasing Ikaw” and “Pangarap Kong Bituin”—are also now available on the record label’s YouTube channel. Besting the thousands of singing hopefuls who auditioned for “Wishcovery,” the Wishful 5 held their final sing-off at the Big Dome in March. As grand champion, Princess won P2 million worth of cash and contract, a house and lot, a brand-new car and a round-trip ticket to New York for a musical training. Kimberly was named first runner-up, while Louie Anne, Carmela and Ace were hailed as the second, third and fourth runners-up, respectively.
Their debut album is available for purchase at the ABS-CBN Store.
For more details, visit www.starmusic.ph.