BB FANS

October 20, 2005

Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) on Thursday showed the audition clips of housemates Cas, Uma and Sam, disputing allegations in a poison e-mail that the three did not undergo an audition and were promised to be the ultimate survivors of the reality show.

The e-mail titled "The truth behind Pinoy Big Brother" claimed that Cas, Uma and Sam did not go through the rigid audition process that the rest of the 10 housemates went through to make it to the PBB house.

It said that Uma is a talent of ABS-CBN, while Sam is a nephew of PBB director Lauren Dyogi. It also claimed that Cas's entry to PBB was backed by a politician.

The e-mail mentioned of a July 14, 2005 meeting at Cafe Milano in Malate, Manila, where PBB executives Linggit Tan and Dyogi met the three housemates. In the meeting, Cas and Uma were promised that they will not be eliminated and would end vying for the ultimate survivor of the 100-day challenge. Sam, on the other hand, will be allowed to enter the house in case of forced eviction. The meeting, it said, has been recorded.

Dyogi laughed off the allegations saying that it only proves that the popularity of the show is phenomenal.

Dyogi said there was no truth in the allegations, including the issue on his relation with Sam: "He is not my nephew. I don't even know of a relative in Surigao."

He also challenged the people behind the malicious e-mail to just show the evidence against PBB.

Dyogi said he expects more attacks will be made against PBB, but that will not stop them from working harder to make the show No.1.

Full Story abs-cbnnews

October 22, 2005
By JOY GRATE
abs-cbn NEWS.com

The liberated lass from Bicol, Chx (Chiqui Llamaso Alcala), became the fourth housemate to be evicted from the "Pinoy Big Brother" house on Saturday.

Chx, who was nominated by Big Brother himself for violating house rules on confidentiality, had the least public approval at six percent. Franzen got the highest share of votes with 36%. Cass had 21%, Jason, 20% and Sam, 17%.

Chx got the ire of Big Brother after she broke an important rule when she repeatedly asked comebacking housemate Jenny about things happening outside the house.

Jenny reentered the house after quitting weeks ago to attend to her ailing father. Last week, Jenny was voted by the public to return to the house following Bob's forced eviction.

Chx became controversial when she teased and caused Sam to kiss him in a welcome party prepared by the group to welcome the Filipino American. The kissing act later became a subject of debate even among the housemates.

The scene was shown over the program's primetime edition, which later became the ground for the show's one-night suspension by the Movie and Television Review Classifications Board.

Seeing the mammoth crowd that welcomed her as she emerged from Big Brother's house, Chx said she was happy to be back in the real world.

"I am very happy to be finally outside the house, ganito pala sa labas (So this is how it looks like from outside)," Chx said as she waved with the crowd shouting her name.

The Bicolana, however, admitted that she would miss her housemates especially Say, whom she said has become like a sister to her. "And of course, Sam, I'll miss him,"

"And what was that kiss from Sam for?" show host Tony Gonzaga could not help but ask. Chx blushed and replied: "Oh, well, he's special."

With Chx's eviction there are now only eight housemates left in the house: Cas, Sam, Uma, Jayson, Franzen, Jenny, Say, and Nene.

The winner of the 100-day challenge has a chance to win a whopping P5-million package that includes a house and lot, a brand new car, a business franchise, and P1 million in cash.

October 24, 2005
abs-cbnnews

Evicted housemate Chx (Chiqui Llamaso Alcala) on Monday admitted that the bold photos that have been circulating in the Internet are hers but clarified that they were not taken inside the Pinoy Big Brother's house.

The liberated lass from Bicol cried in front of the media during a press conference hosted by PBB as she made the confession, her biggest challenge so far after becoming part of the reality show.

Chx, who became the fourth housemate to be evicted from PBB on Saturday, said the pictures were taken by her boyfriend, Love, more than a year ago.

The photos, she said, were stored in her cellular phone, which she left in a taxi.

"It could be that the one who found the phone was the one who circulated them," Chx said. She added that it was not her boyfriend who caused the photos' circulation.

Chx also clarified that she did not have to explain her actions inside the house, especially her affection to housemate Sam, to boyfriend Love.

"Prior to entering PBB house, we have agreed to part ways," she said.

Chx became controversial when she teased and caused Sam to kiss him in the Hawaiian party prepared by the group to welcome the Filipino American. The kissing act later became a subject of debate even among the housemates.

The scene was shown over the program's primetime edition, which later became the ground for the show's one-night suspension by the Movie and Television Review Classifications Board.

Chx later apologized for her acts.

However, just before leaving the house during Saturday's eviction, Chx did it again surprising not only the public and the housemates but also Love, her boyfriend of seven years.

Asked what the kiss was for, Chx said: "Well, he’s special."

"I really got jealous when she did that good-bye kiss to Sam," Love said in an interview over "The Buzz." "I thought it was too much of her to do that."

Chx and Love went together on "The Buzz" on Sunday and admitted publicly that they were back in each other’s arms after talking for hours right after Saturday night’s eviction.

Chx said she was touched to learn that Love has always been present with her family during all of the Saturdays that they were asked to be in the studio. She said she knew it was not easy for her boyfriend, but he has been there just the same and she loved him more for that.

A day after the interview, however, Chx seemed to have changed her mind anew after seeing Sam's confession shown over PBB primetime.

"Chx, with you leaving tonight, it made things and staying here a hundred times harder for me. I really miss you a lot. I hope you were serious with what you said. But if not, I mean, I think that fate would decide, I think that either way, you should follow your heart. I really miss you a lot, wish you could be here right now. When I get out of here, you better give me a huge hug," Sam confessed right after Saturday's eviction.

Sam's confession, Chx admitted, thrilled her saying that she did not really think that she was special to the Filipino American.

"It's true that I promised to wait for [Sam] and I will," Chx told the media in Monday's presscon.

But while Chx is waiting for Sam, Love is just on the sidelines waiting for her. --Joy Grate

November 2, 2005
abs-cbnnews

Pinoy Big Brother on Wednesday night nominated Franzen for the second time after the young father from Tondo, Manila violated a major house rule.

In a live telecast of PBB primetime, Big Brother summoned Franzen to the confession room to inform him of the consequences of breaking the "no secret message rule" of the house.

Franzen, he said, was automatically nominated for the sixth eviction set on November 19, the eviction episode after Jason's and Sam's duel this Saturday.

Big Brother also reminded Franzen that it was not his first offense, a proof of which was his earlier nomination for the fourth eviction.

"I have nominated you the last time because of your series of violations. The public had saved you but you did not learn from it. You don't seem to value the people's desire for you to stay by making one violation after another," Big Brother told a teary-eyed Franzen.

Franzen said he was sorry for his violations and swore that he did not mean any harm by them.

The controversial letter

Franzen's second nomination stemmed from an incident on Tuesday night when he wrote a letter to his nominated buddy Jason, a violation that merits a possible disqualification.

On Tuesday night, while waiting for dinner, Franzen stayed alone inside the boys’ bedroom to write a personal letter to his nominated buddy Jason. After writing it, he placed it inside Jason’s drawer, prompting Big Brother to summon him to the confession room and investigate the incident.

In his confession, Franzen admitted that he wrote a letter for Jason to thank him for their wonderful friendship inside the house.

"Gusto ko lang magpasalamat sa iyo sa magagandang payo mo at pagbibigay sa akin ng lakas na loob. Narinig ko ang kanta mo kanina at na-inspire akong sumulat sa iyo. Hanggang sa kanta mo, hindi mo ako nakalimutan. Kung anuman ang mangyayari, ako pa rin ang iyong kanan, ikaw ang aking kaliwa. Iyo ang Cavite, akin ang Tondo, joke lang," the letter said.

The controversial part of the letter, however, pertained to the line: "Secret lang to ha! Keep this for me. Franzen kosa."

Under the "Microphones" section of the house rules, it states that "Housemates must wear their radio-mics at all times. Any attempt to cover the mics or to communicate through writing secret messages or mouthing words to the cameras is prohibited. Big Brother may disqualify a Housemate who breaks this microphone rule."

Franzen said that he was not aware of any rule prohibiting the act that he did.

"Siguro nadala lang ako ng nararamdaman ko, Big Brother. Masyado akong nagpadala kaya wala na sa isip ko yung mga ganoong bagay," teary-eyed Franzen said. The housemate got shocked and became speechless when he read the item in the house rules that pertains to his violation.

"Yung ‘secret lang to ha’ parang sikreto lang sa akin. Kasi ayaw ko nang ipaalam sa mga housemates. Hindi ako yun, magbibigay ng salita sa kanya na sasabihin ko pa sa housemates ko," Franzen explained.

Other violations

Writing down a secret message was not the only violation that Franzen committed in the past two days.

On Monday, Franzen did not follow Big Brother’s wake-up call and took a bath beyond the allotted shower time for the housemates.

Previously, Big Brother also nominated Franzen for eviction after committing several violations of the house rules such as when he put off the light at the boys' room on September 30 and when he locked the room on October 9.

Franzen is only the second housemate to be nominated by Big Brother after Rico Barrera who also became the first to be kicked out of the house.

It would be the third time that he will be nominated for eviction. He was nominated on the first and fourth eviction episodes, but was saved by the public after garnering the highest votes on both occasions.

The fifth eviction night is slated on Saturday when the viewers will decide who between housemates Jason and Sam will have to stay in or be evicted from the house by calling in or texting their votes.--Joy Grate

Pinoy Big Brother storms NCCC Mall!

FORMER housemates Chx, JB, and Rico of ABS-CBN's reality-TV smash, Pinoy Big Brother, sent NCCC mall shoppers in frenzy on October 27.

Fans filled up the Activity Centre and the railings surrounding the stage area, as shoppers, young and old witnessed their favorite house mates perform song numbers from JB and Rico, in addition to a short dance number with Chx. NCCC loyal shoppers with tape receipts worth 300 pesos from NCCC Supermarket, Hardwaremaxx and NCCC Department Store, were able to get ringside seats to view their TV idols.

"Ang daming tao. Hindi namin ine-expect na marami ang sumusubaybay sa amin kasi wala talaga kaming TV, radio, cable o cellphone man lang," says Chx, who appeared happy with the reception given to her despite being the latest evicted house member. When asked if she expected to be evicted after staying in the Big Brother house for 2 months, "Actually, ine-expect ko na kasi parati naman akong na-nonominate every week. Nami-miss ko nag si Say, pati na rin si Sam," the latter was linked with Chx when she initiated a kiss witnessed in national TV which caught the ire of the MTRCB chief.

JB hopes to once again meet Say once she gets out of the Big Brother house, even saying that "ako ang unang lalaking sasalubong sa kanya paglabas na paglabas nya." Though sad about his eviction, he does not regret being evicted and would not want to go back anymore. He feels that the time he spent in the Big Brother house was enough time for him to learn something about himself.

Rico meanwhile had to be confined early in the morning at the San Pedro Hospital due to food poisoning, and had to miss his morning schedule with Chx and JB. He says, "medyo masaya na malungkot ang pagka-alis ko sa Big Brother house, kasi hindi ko ine-expect na matanggal pero thankful pa rin ako dahil marami akong nakuhan exposures and offers pagkalabas ko sa Bahay ni Kuya."

So what's a PBB Mall Tour without the signature moves? As the crowd joined them in singing Pinoy Ako by Oranges and Lemons; JB, Rico and Chx, swiftly exited via backstage leaving the crowd asking for more. Maybe next time.
Sorry, link not working

November 5, 2005
abs-cbnNEWS.com
By JOY GRATE

Sam Milby, the Filipino American who came to Manila to try his luck in showbiz, ended his "Pinoy Big Brother" (PBB) stint on Saturday after the public chose to save housemate Jason Gainza of Batangas.

Sam, who became the fifth housemate to be evicted from the PBB house, garnered 46.2 percent of the total votes, while Jason got 53.8 percent.

With only 7.6 percent difference, the duel between the wacky housemate and the heartthrob was the tightest so far in PBB's history.

Sam was often described as the most popular and most-loved housemate not only because of his good looks but also because of his pleasant personality.

This, however, was not enough for him to topple the equally well-loved Jason.

Most of the fans interviewed said they had a hard time choosing between the two but they opted to save Jason because he is a family man.

"I voted for Jason because I want him to have a chance to be the ultimate housemate. I think he needed it more than Sam because he has a family, while Sam is sure to have a showbiz career when he comes out," a young lady fan said.

Another sentiment raised against Sam was his being "not a pure Filipino." "I would rather vote for Jason who is Filipino inside-out. Kaya nga Pinoy Big Brother e," one fan added.

Certified heartthrob

Sam appeared in disbelief as he saw the pandemonium that welcomed him as he emerged from the house -- an indication, they said, that he was already a certified heartthrob.

Fans who gathered in front of the house to witness the fifth eviction night were practically in uproar upon seeing the Piolo Pascual look-alike.

"Thank you all, thank you so much," was all Sam could utter.

Asked what his plans are after his eviction, Sam said he will follow his dream in the entertainment industry.

The housemate, who was first seen as a model in a toothpaste commercial, has a talent for singing, dancing and playing the guitar.

He has also proven his gift in writing songs with his composition "Magmahal Muli," which is already dominating the airwaves. He wrote the song in English prior to entering PBB house and the housemates translated it in Filipino. He presented the song, with housemate Say on vocals, during the housemates' concert and it became an instant hit.

Sam said he really valued his stay in the house as a great experience especially because he met real friends in her housemates.

But if there is one great lesson that he has learned from PBB, it is that he realized that he is proud to be a Filipino.

"I am Sam Milby, born American, died Pinoy," said Sam of what he would like for his epitaph to bear.

Sam's mother, who came to the studio to surprise the evicted housemate, was also all praises for his son for what he had show inside the house. "I am so proud of you, son. I know that you did your best," she said as she embraced Sam.

With Sam's eviction, there are now only seven housemates still left in the house: Cass, Uma, Nene, Franzen, Jason, Jenny and Say. Sam joined housemates Chx, Racquel, JB, Rico and Bob who were evicted earlier.

The ultimate housemate stands to win a whopping P5-million package that includes P1 million cash, a house and lot, a brand new car and a P1.5 business franchise.

Weekly eviction

Meanwhile, PBB host Willie Revillame announced that the program's eviction episode will be held every week beginning this Saturday. Eviction nights were previously held every other Saturday.

Nomination nights, on the other hand, will be held every Monday.

November 7, 2005
ABS-CBN News

It's a five-way fight again in the battle for survival at Pinoy Big Brother's (PBB) house.

On Monday, Franzen, Cass, Jason, Say and Jenny were nominated for eviction from the house.

Of the seven housemates remaining, only Uma and Nene were not nominated on Monday. Both also have yet to taste being nominated for eviction since their entry in the house.

The nominations Monday saw Cass, Jason, Say and Jenny being named by their housemates while Franzen was nominated by Big Brother after he violated a major house rule last week.

One of the five will have to go on Saturday when PBB holds its sixth eviction episode.

The fate of the five now lie in the hands of viewers who can only save their favorite housemate by texting or calling in their votes. The housemate with the least number of votes will be evicted.

This is the second time that the public will have to choose among five housemates. The first time was among Jason, Franzen, Cass, Sam and Chx, who became the fifth housemate to be booted from the house.

The housemates said that while it has become even harder for them to nominate one another because the friendship, they have already gotten used to the process.

"I am not at all offended with my nomination, I don't take it personally against my housemates. I know that we just have to do it," Cass said of her nomination.

The Davaoeña, however, felt a little embarrassed that she had to ask help for the third time from friends and supporters in the "outside world" to help her stay in the house.

Jason, who was also nominated for the third time, once again appealed for support from her family and fellow Batagueños. The wacky father of two and former overseas Filipino worker has been very vocal that he joined PBB for his family's future.

First time nominees Jenny and Say also solicited the public's approval.

Jenny said she was banking on the people who have made her comeback in the house possible. The mother from Olongapo City earlier quit when she opted to attend to her ailing father, a move that endeared her to the public. She was voted to go back to the house after housemate Bob's forced eviction due to health reasons.

For her part, Say said she was keeping her fight in the house despite the early eviction of boyfriend JB. She appealed to the public to save her from eviction. She said that she still has so much to prove to the public in terms of fulfilling the challenges in store for the housemates.

Franzen, another three-time nominee, appeared most affected by the nomination.

Apart from the pressure of having to survive another eviction, the father from Sampaloc, Manila, was also feeling the hit inside the house not only from his housemates but also from Big Brother himself.

His latest nomination, in fact, again came from Big Brother himself.

On Wednesday last week, Big Brother nominated Franzen after he wrote a letter to convey his secret message to buddy Jason. The letter contained his appreciation for Jason's friendship, but it became controversial because of its final line which said: "Secret lang to ha! Keep this for me. Franzen kosa."

Under the "Microphones" section of the house rules, it states that "Housemates must wear their radio-mics at all times. Any attempt to cover the mics or to communicate through writing secret messages or mouthing words to the cameras is prohibited. Big Brother may disqualify a husemate who breaks this microphone rule."

Franzen said that he was not aware of any rule prohibiting the act that he did.

Big Brother also reminded Franzen that it was not his first offense, a proof of which was his earlier nomination for the fourth eviction.

Franzen's latest violation also cost the housemates 50 percent of their budget for this week, and consequently a zero budget for food and other needs in the house after they also lost their remaining 50 percent budget when they lost in their weekly task.

While the housemates were forgiving to Franzen, he admitted that he has a lot to make up to his housemates as well as to Big Brother.

November 12, 2005
ABS-CBN News

Comeback housemate Jenny Suico finally bade farewell to her P5-million dream on Saturday as she was evicted from Pinoy Big Brother (PBB).

The 29-year old mother from Olongapo, who returned to the house last month after quitting in September to attend to her ailing father, became the sixth housemate to be booted out.

Jenny, who got only four percent of votes, was bested by Franzen (37.9%), Cass (26.7%), Jason (20.8%) and Say (10.6%).

Dubbed as the "Comeback Queen," Jenny is best remembered as the housemate who chose to quit early in the challenge after learning that her father was seriously ill.

On October 15, however, she returned to the house after the public chose to bring her back over Rico, JB and Racquel. Her return to PBB house was made possible by the forced eviction of Bob de la Cruz because of his unstable medical condition.

The doting mother said she had wanted to stay at the house for the chance of winning the P5-million package.

"From the beginning I had said that I am doing all these for my son's future. I know, however, that with my eviction there will also be opportunities for me that would help me achieve my dreams for my family," Jenny said.

She followed in the footsteps of Rico, Bob, JB, Racquel, Chx and Sam.

With Jenny's eviction there are now only six contenders left in the house: Uma, Nene, Franzen, Jason, Cass and Say.

On Monday the remaining housemates will again nominate at least two of their fellows from whom the public will choose who to save from eviction.

The seventh evicted housemate will be announced on Saturday.

Under the rules the nomination will stop until there are only four housemates left. From the final four, the public will choose the ultimate housemate through text votes.

Meanwhile, Star Records handed PBB a Platinum Award for its "PBB Pinoy Ako" album for having sold more than 45,000 units.

Star Records said the album has been selling like hotcakes since its release and is, in fact, already on its way to hitting double platinum.

The album is a compilation of hit original Pilipino music (OPM) that reflects on the Filipino character including PBB's theme song, "Pinoy Ako" by Orange and Lemon.

Star Records also announced that it will soon release PBB's second album featuring the performances of the housemates, including Sam Milby's own composition "Magmahal Muli."

This early, the record label said it is confident that PBB's second album will be as much a hit as the first.

November 15, 2005
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Would it be Franzen or Cass?

"Pinoy Big Brother" (PBB) on Tuesday turned to the public for help in deciding who to save between Franzen and Cass from eviction.

The announcement came after PBB revealed that Endemol, the Netherlands-based company that owns the Big Brother franchise, had recommended the automatic eviction of Franzen after violating another major rule of the house.

The twist, however, came as Cass, who felt she was party to blame for the violation that her housemate committed, volunteered to be evicted in place of Franzen.

With this dilemma, PBB deemed to let the public decide on the fate of the two housemates.

PBB also considered the results of Sunday's nomination, which also showed Franzen and Cass getting the two highest points.

As in the previous elimination process, the public can save either Franzen or Cass by texting or calling in their votes.

The housemate who will get the least number of votes will be evicted on Saturday.

Cass to the rescue

While Big Brother has already decided to evict Franzen, a dilemma came when another housemate attempted to save Franzen.

Cass volunteered to exit as she pleaded to Big Brother to save Franzen.

The housemate from Davao, whom Uma has once described as "the cheapest sexy star," did not do it once but twice.

"Big Brother 'yan po ang desisyon ko. Ako na lang po ang aalis. Si Franzen na lang po ang mag-stay. Naawa po kasi ako sa kaniya, mahirap lang ang pamilya niya. Ewan ko po ayoko lang talagang nalalaman na may mga taong iiyak. Ako na lang," Cass cried.

With that, apparently, Big Brother had nowhere to go but the public.

Now, not only do the fate of housemates lie in the public--but the fate of the house, as well.

Perennial violator

On Sunday, the regular nomination night was deferred by PBB following the discovery of another major violation by two of the housemates.

PBB did not reveal the violation and the housemates involved until after the matter has been fully investigated. Endemol, which designed the program and created the house rules, was also sought advice for the matter.

It was only on Tuesday that Kuya revealed the full story over PBB Primetime. The violation again involved Franzen who was caught mouthing words to housemate Cass minutes before Saturday night's eviction.

Under the "microphone section" of PBB rules, mouthing words is tantamount to keeping secrets and is thus prohibited inside the house.

PBB Primetime showed a video footage of the incident several times.

The program also showed Franzen's recent conversation with Kuya, apparently revealing a different side of him.

"Alam niyo Big Brother hindi ko alam kung bakit sa higpit ng security sa bahay na ito ay may nakakapasok pa rin impersonator, na kamukhang-kamukha ko," Franzen said when asked why he did naughty game with Jason in the morning.

At one point, Franzen also raised his voice on Kuya: "Sina-psywar n'yo ba ako?"

He knows

The housemates said they were sure that Franzen was aware that "mouthing words" was a violation of the house rules.

"One time he asked me what 'mouthing word' meant and I clearly explained it to him. I even demonstrated it to him," Say said.

Asked if they believe Franzen should be evicted for his continued violations, Uma said: "Yes, he should be evicted."

The violation was supposed to be the last for Franzen, who was nominated twice by Kuya because of disobeying the program's rules.

Franzen was automatically nominated for the sixth eviction set on November 12 after he wrote a secret note to his buddy Jason, violating a provision under the Microphone section of the PBB rules.

Prior to this, Kuya also nominated to evict Franzen after he committed several violations of the house rules such as when he put off the light at the boys' room on September 30 and when he locked the room on October 9.

"I have nominated you the last time because of your series of violations. The public had saved you but you did not learn from it. You don't seem to value the people's desire for you to stay by making one violation after another," Big Brother told Franzen during his second nomination.

Franzen said he was sorry for his violations and swore that he did not mean any harm by them.

November 16, 2005

"Pinoy Big Brother" (PBB) on Wednesday suspended voting for this Saturday's eviction episode.

A statement posted on the PBB Web said that the suspension was prompted by another incident that occurred inside the house.

The story behind the suspension of voting will be told in full over "PBB Primetime Bida" on Wednesday, after "Vietnam Rose."

"This means that there will no longer be voting for either Cass or Franzen," the PBB statement said.

The telephone and text message voting was supposed to determine who between Franzen and Cass will be evicted on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Kuya said that he was leaving the fate of the two housemates to the public after Cass made a last-minute appeal to save Franzen from automatic eviction.

PBB revealed that Endemol, the Netherlands-based company that owns the Big Brother franchise, had recommended the automatic eviction of Franzen for violating another major house rule.

In a footage shown on national television, Franzen was caught mouthing words to Cass minutes before last week's eviction. It also showed Franzen writing words with his finger on the table and Cass looking at what Franzen had written then saying "Ah."

Under the microphone section of PBB rules, mouthing words is tantamount to keeping secrets and is thus prohibited inside the house.

PBB sought advice from Endemol, which recommended Franzen's instant eviction for his latest violation.

Several of the housemates said they were sure that Franzen was aware that "mouthing words" was a violation of the house rules.

"One time he asked me what 'mouthing word' meant and I clearly explained it to him. I even demonstrated it to him," Say said.

Asked if he believed Franzen should be evicted for his violation, Uma said: "He always does that. He does one violation and gets punished again and again because the people support him. Yes, he should be evicted."

Franzen's friend and fellow housemate Jason also agreed to evict the father from Sampaloc, Manila.

Cass, the soft-hearted housemate from Davao, however, volunteered to leave the house to save Franzen.

"Big Brother 'yan po ang desisyon ko. Ako na lang po ang aalis. Si Franzen na lang po ang mag-stay. Naawa po kasi ako sa kaniya, mahirap lang ang pamilya niya. Ewan ko po. Ayoko lang talagang nalalaman na may mga taong iiyak. Ako na lang," a tearful Cass said.

The violation was supposed to be the last straw for Franzen who has already earned two eviction nominations for disobeying house rules.

Kuya first voted Franzen for eviction for turning off the lights in the boys' room on September 30 and locking the room on October 9.

On November 12, Kuya nominated Franzen for the sixth eviction night after he wrote a secret note to buddy Jason, violating a provision under the microphone section of the PBB rules.

"I have nominated you the last time because of your series of violations. The public had saved you but you did not learn from it. You don't seem to value the people's desire for you to stay by making one violation after another," Kuya told Franzen during his second nomination.

ABS-CBN News

November 16, 2005
By JOY S. GRATE
abs-cbnNEWS.com

"Pinoy Big Brother" (PBB) on Wednesday announced the automatic eviction of Franzen Fajardo after the father from Sampaloc, Manila once again disobeyed Kuya's orders.

Prior to announcing Franzen's eviction, PBB also suspended the text message and telephone voting for Saturday's eviction. The voting was supposed to determine who between Franzen and Cass will be evicted Saturday.

The announcement came a day after PBB gave Franzen his final chance.

PBB on Tuesday revealed that Endemol, the Netherlands-based company that owns the Big Brother franchise, had recommended the automatic eviction of Franzen.

Cass, who felt she was partly to blame for the violation, however, made a last-minute to save Franzen from automatic eviction when she volunteered to leave the PBB house instead of the young father.

Heeding the appeal of Cass, PBB left the fate of the two housemates to the public.

Franzen, who has yet to be informed of PBB's decision, becomes the second housemate to leave the house by forced eviction. He will leave the house on Saturday.

Housemate Bob was the first to undergo forced eviction from the 100-day challenge when he failed to return to the house within 24 hours due to his deteriorating medical condition.

With Franzen's eviction, there are now only five housemates left: Uma, Jason, Cass, Say and Nene. The last housemate standing inside wins a P5-million package that includes P1 million in cash, a brand new car, house and lot and a business franchise.

Act of frustration

Franzen's forced eviction stemmed from an act of frustration Wednesday night when he disobeyed Kuya by indirectly revealing to Jason part of the conversation in the confession room.

Franzen was caught on camera talking to his closest buddy about Kuya's offer to make him an actor.

Based on the house rules, housemates are not allowed to disclose conversations they had with Kuya unless they are told otherwise.

Prior to leaving the confession room, Kuya reminded Franzen to keep their conversation a secret to other housemates especially to Jason.

The rest of the housemates were also reminded the same, particularly since the subject matter of the conversation with each of them involved Franzen's recent violation.

The violation Wednesday night was Franzen's second. During the eviction night last Saturday, he was caught mouthing words to Cass. Video footage also showed Franzen writing words with his finger on the table and Cass looking at what Franzen had written then saying "Ah."

Both acts are prohibited since under the house rules, all conversations between housemates must be heard by Kuya.

No money-making scheme

PBB, meanwhile, clarified issues that it has made the voting process a money-making venture.

The issue came out after PBB initially decided seek public help to decide the fate of Franzen and Cass instead of automatically evicting the housemate more popularly known as "Kosa."

PBB said that for every P2.50 per text message sent in to vote for the housemates, only 10 percent goes to the program.

"Seventy percent of the proceeds goes to the telecommunications companies, 10 percent to the content provider, 10 percent to Endemol and 10 percent to PBB," it said.

PBB also announced that based on the results of the suspended voting for Franzen and Cass, the lady from Davao came out leading by a wide margin.

As of 7:20 p.m. of Wednesday, Cass garnered 38,256 votes or 73 percent of total votes, while Franzen had 13,944 votes or 27 percent, it said.

PBB said that for this voting, the 10 percent that was supposed to go to the program will be donated to the Most Holy Redeemer Parish of Araneta Avenue in Quezon City.

November 19, 2005

Franzen Fajardo left Pinoy Big Brother's house Saturday ending his quest to become the ultimate survivor of the 100-day challenge.

The so-called "Kakosa ng Bayan," who was evicted for violating several house rules of Kuya, became the eighth housemate to leave the house.

He followed the footsteps Rico, JB, Racquel, Chx, Sam, Jenny and Bob.

With Franzen's eviction, only five housemates are left: Uma, Jason, Cass, Say and Nene.

One more housemate will leave PBB next Saturday. Those who will be nominated for eviction will be known on Sunday through a nomination process.

Next Saturday's eviction night will also determine the Final 4 housemates who will vie for the P5-million package at stake for the ultimate PBB survivor. The package includes P1 million in cash, a brand new car, a house and lot and a business franchise.

Rest of the story abs-cbn news

November 22, 2005
By Carmela Fonbuena
Newsbreak Staff Writer

A few more weeks and the first season of “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB) will come to an end. In case you’ve been sleeping, ABS-CBN’s hit show has got Filipinos glued to their TV sets seven nights a week for the last three months. Why, it’s even being blamed for the Pinoys’ indifference to the scandals rocking the Arroyo administration.
The reality show is a smart mix of everything that appeals to the Filipino viewer: it peddles hopes, nurses big dreams, fuels gossip and controversy, and empowers texters, who are the ultimate judges.

The contestant who leaves the PBB house last will win P5 million worth of prizes—P1 million in cash, a house and lot, and a car, among others—and join the roster of “Big Brother” winners worldwide.

When the episode started airing in August, it rated 42 percent of the audience share, according to AC Nielsen data. Its rating has averaged 30 percent since. The windfall of ads ranged from condiments to catering services and computer inks. The PBB house, located across the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City, has turned into a tourist destination, too. Tarpaulin ads gawk at the fans who wish to be around the neighborhood of the contestants turned celebrities.

And thanks to PBB, ABS-CBN employees will be enjoying a 15th month pay this Christmas.
PBB is the 31st sibling of the six-year-old “Big Brother” copyright—a reality television format introduced in 1999 by the Netherland’s Endemol production company. The title and setting are a takeoff from George Orwell’s 1984, a novel that describes a restricted society under the close watch of the all-knowing Big Brother. In the book, all who opposed Big Brother lost their lives or their minds. In “Big Brother,” the show, the contestants are evicted from the house one by one. “Big Brother” has since become such a global hit that in the US, UK, and Spain, it is now on its seventh season.

PBB business unit head Linggit Tan has said in published reports that PBB is the most expensive project the network has ventured into. Buying the franchise from Endemol got the biggest chunk of the cost. ABS-CBN did not disclose how much.

With an invaluable copyright to the show, Endemol has been strictly monitoring copycat shows worldwide. It sued at least two shows that resembled its format—one in Croatia and another in Brazil. Endemol won in both cases.

But even Endemol’s rights to the format of “Big Brother” did not go unchallenged. Creators of “Survivor”—another reality television show patronized by Filipino viewers long before “Big Brother” was introduced locally—sued Endemol in 2000 for copying the “Big Brother” concept from “Survivor.” “Survivor” was introduced in Europe in 1997 as “Survive.”

“Big Brother” and “Survivor” resemble each other in the way both formats confine a number of contestants in a limited environment and evict them in a knockdown system until only one contestant remains and wins. PBB shut in 13 relatively unknown contestants, or “housemates,” in a house rigged with 26 cameras and microphones strategically placed all over the house to monitor all their activities—and for all the viewers to watch on TV or cable channel. “Housemates” are not to have contact with the outside world—no TV, radio, telephone, or Internet. A man’s voice, known only to the “housemates” and the viewers as Big Brother, plays god in the house. He gives out the chores and weekly tasks to the “housemates,” reprimands or punishes them for violations of the established house rules, and rewards good deeds they have done.

“Survivor” is usually set on an island or a desert, subjecting the contestants to difficult survival situations. But eviction rules are different. The viewers choose the winning “housemate” by texting in their votes—“American Idol” style—and not by the contestants voting themselves as in “Survivor.” “Housemates” cannot form alliances typical in “Survivor” to evict a competitor.

After years of legal battle, “Big Brother” won the case in the Dutch Supreme Court in 2004 and sealed its ownership of the television format. The decision said that there were no “substantial similarities” between the two formats and that there was “no infringement” on the format of “Survivor.”

First posted 10:24pm (Mla time) Nov 23, 2005
By Nini Valera
Inquirer News Service

Franzen Fajardo, the latest “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate to be evicted, declared that he felt like a man again the minute he stepped out last Saturday night in a dramatic forced eviction.

Speaking in Filipino, Franzen told Inquirer Entertainment on Tuesday that he could be himself again—playful, carefree, and human.

“It’s difficult to control your emotions in that setting,” he said, referring to the PBB setup where at least two dozen cameras are trained on the housemates 24/7.

In the beginning, Franzen, 23, managed to hide his true colors by keeping a low profile. He hardly talked to his housemates and kept to himself. But after striking a friendship with house mate Jayson, Franzen turned into a brazen caricature of his self-effacing self.

Full story in ing7

November 27, 2005
abs-cbnnews

Uma escaped the eighth and final nomination night of "Pinoy Big Brother" (PBB) on Sunday, while the other four remaining housemates were in line for next week's eviction.

Jason, Nene, Cass and Say were nominated and garnered the most points from each housemate's vote.

All five, including Uma, were asked by Kuya to vote live and in the presence of everybody else.

Uma gave two points for Nene for nomination. He said the feisty girl nicknamed "Kumander" is a strong contender in the reality TV show. He gave Jason a point for the same reason.

Cass gave Nene two points, saying that "kumander" needs to patch things up with her mother, whom the latter met within the 100-second chance given by Kuya. The sexy Davaoeña allotted one point for Jason because "he seems to be missing his child."

Jason had two points for Say. He said the "colegiala" only wants exposure to enter show biz. He added that Say comes from a well-to-do family so she would not be needing the P5-million prize. He gave Cass one point because "she is a strong competitor."

Say gave Cass two points because according to her, the Davaoeña makes a big fuss out of little things. She gave Jason one point for always poking fun at her.

Nene gave Uma two points because "he complicates things." One point was given to Say because she seems bored and homesick the past days, Nene said.

With the results of the nomination, Uma is automatically included in the "Magic Four," consisting of housemates who will get a chance at winning the grand prize of P5 million including a house and lot, a car and business franchise, among other things.

The four nominees for eviction, meantime, asked their fans and supporters to vote for them so they will not be booted out of Kuya's house next week.