April 4, 2006
abs-cbnnews
By Tessa C. Mauricio
"Reborn" is how the former starlet Keanna Reeves describes herself after 58 days of captivity at the nation’s popular address, the Pinoy Big Brother house on Eugenio Lopez Jr. Street in Quezon City. As The Manila Times reported on Monday, the 37-year-old mother of two is the "last housemate standing" among the original 14-celebrity contenders of the ABS-CBN reality show.
On Sunday night, Reeves was declared the grand champion of the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition (PBB) in front of 10,000 cheering fans at the Manila Post Office on Liwasang Bonifacio. She bagged P1 million in cash, a condominium unit, an appliance showcase and a suite of computers and accessories.
Best known for her escort-girl exposé in the Senate in 2004, she told Life & Times that joining PBB was the best thing that ever happened to her. Despite putting several lawmakers on pins and needles after divulging that they would hire her "services," Reeves’s career did not take off as her supporters expected. She merely starred in a couple of forgettable movies, and in fact, was set to leave for Japan to work as a performer when PBB opened for auditions in January.
"Feeling ko malinis na babae na ako ngayon [I feel cleansed]," she said at the Big Four press conference. "Gusto ko lang disenteng trabaho at magpatuloy mag-inspire ng mga katulad ko na gustong magbago. Ang message ko sa inyo, kahit galing kayo sa putikan tulad ko, mahuhugasan din yan—basta magsabi lang kayo ng totoo at aminin ninyo ang mga kasalanan ninyo. [I just want a decent job and to continue to inspire other women like me. My message to them is that no matter what they’ve done in the past, as long as they tell the truth and admit their mistakes, they too can be cleansed.]"
Reeves gained the moniker "Inay" (mother) in the PBB house for the care she gave her housemates. Rustom Padilla, who came out and declared he was gay, felt most comfortable with Inay and first confided to her. She would also submit to many of Big Brother’s consequences to save her housemates from difficult situations. It was her golden heart, coupled with her sense of humor ("Hindi ko inaasahang mapapatawa nila ko sa loob sa dami ng mga pinagdaanan ko kaya ako na lang ang nagpapatawa sa sarili ko at sa kanila" [I couldn’t depend on them for the laughs so I gave them instead], that endeared her to her housemates and the 571,607 texters who voted for her to win.
Reeves chose to give the additional P1-million cash prize to the women’s liberation organization, Gabriella, who she said supported her throughout her exposé in the senate as well as her stay at the Big Brother House.
No longer a mama’s boy
PBB second placer John Pratts happily announced that he achieved his goal of becoming responsible and independent by joining the reality show. A pampered celebrity since his days as a child star, he admitted from the start that he is "a mama’s boy" who treated "work as play."
"I had very little patience before in shootings and tapings, but after doing housework, waking up early and learning—almost becoming addicted—to help others in the house, I really feel that I’ve changed."
Very close to his family, he was met with a grand welcome on Sunday night at the Pratts residence, with a renovated bedroom ("I always wanted a Japanese-style bedroom and now I have it!), and repairs on his Honda Civic all done.
"My Dad was even teasing me that a band was arriving any minute," he laughed.
Pratts earned a total of 372,198 text votes, and "new friends" in the housemates.
What now for Bianca and Zanjoe?
TV host Bianca Gonzales is going through major adjustments after 58 days in Big Brother’s house. On the day of the Big Four press conference, she drove all the way from her home in BF Homes Parañaque without her E-Pass or any money for the toll.
"Sobrang naninibago pa ako [I’m still a bit lost]," she admitted to Life & Times. Naturally, she caused quite a stir at the South Luzon Expressway. The tollbooth ladies all recognized her but could not let her through until a motorist picked up her tab so she could make it to the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City.
But from the looks of things, it isn’t only being free after 58 days of seclusion that is affecting the 23-year-old celebrity. She is in the process of talking things through with her boyfriend, the director Lino Cayetano (brother of Sen. Pia Cayetano), who left for the United States feeling betrayed by the apparent closeness that developed between Gonzales and the fourth finalist, Bench model Zanjoe Marudo.
"Of course he wasn’t happy," she said of her boyfriend. "I can’t blame him but I had no idea that the public perceived something was already going on between Zanjoe and me. The controversial kiss was just on the cheek. But, yes, we really became good friends. I can’t deny that I got confused at some point but mahal ko si Lino nung pumasok ako at mahal ko pa rin siya ngayong nakalabas na ako [but I love Lino now the same way I did when I entered the house]."
She cannot say if they are still officially together, except that she is happy Cayetano is willing to talk to her.
If Marudo can have it his way, though, he would like to carry on his friendship with Gonzales. And perhaps take it even further as he admitted to the press that he does love the pretty morena.
As Gonzales expressed doubt that she and Marudo would work together ("I’m more into hosting and he’s more into acting"), the hunk quietly quipped that he will probably get into hosting to be close to her.
He was also man enough to apologize to the "aggrieved party" and stated: "Gusto kong humingi ng paumanhin sa sino man ang nasaktan o nasagasaan ko; sana maintindihan nila ang nangyari [I would like to apologize to whoever I offended or hurt in the process]."
