PBB Rewind: Loveteams we admired inside the house
Over the years, Filipino audiences have preferred and valued authenticity above anything else. Thus, when the Big Brother franchise, or PBB, premiered in 2005, it took over the country like a storm, paving the way for the emergence and popularity of reality shows.
Pinoy Big Brother’s format pushes for survival, where “housemates” come from diverse walks of life across the country. During the competition, they face weekly challenges, not just from Big Brother himself, but also from their colleagues and sometimes their inner conflicts—they must face all of these until one wins as the Big Winner.
Due to their isolation, housemates bond with other contestants, strengthen their camaraderie, meet friends or enemies, and possibly discover a love interest. The latter possibility always intrigues fans and audiences; thus, they look forward to it.
So let’s take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the PBB Loveteams we watched throughout the years, whether their relationships blossomed or faded, along with the longstanding seasons that captured our hearts since 2005.
Kimerald
Commencing this retrospective on a high note with Kimerald. Kim Chui and Gerald Anderson debuted on the first Teen Edition of PBB in 2006. Respectively, Kim became the Big Winner, and Gerald placed third, and the rest is history.
After their time inside the house, the loveteam’s relationship progressed further. They starred in various ABS-CBN television series, such as the loveteam’s premier drama, Sana Maulit Muli (2007), a Philippine adaptation of the South Korean series of the same name (My Girl) in 2008.
The loveteam also appeared in two theatrical releases from Star Cinema (Paano na Kaya & Till My Heartaches End), both released in 2010, which is around the same time of their split as on-screen and real-life couple that faced controversy.
Therefore, fans rejoiced when the former loveteam reunited in 2017 on Ikaw Lang Ang Iibigin, which is also the former couple’s most recent project together.
Recently, Kimerald moments and clips resurged on social media, and rumors about a potential comeback are making a buzz online. However, Kim Chui herself has publicly denounced the idea on her Twitter account.
Melason
Next is Melason from the PBB Double Up season in 2009. Like Kimerald, Melai Cantiveros became the Big Winner, and Jason Francisco placed third as well. Afterward, their careers took off, and so did their romantic relationship.
Under ABS-CBN, the loveteam produced various docuseries that showcased their relationship after their time on PBB, including Melason, Melason: In Da City, & Melason Promdi Heart (2010). They also starred in their first feature film together in The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles (2011).
Eventually, Melai and Jason shared vows as lifetime partners in 2013. Today, they have been happily married for almost 12 years and are raising two beautiful and cheerful children.
While Jason currently lies low in the showbiz spotlight and focuses on his private life as a parent, Melai continues to tickle the netizens with her natural comedic chops, along with her daughters, Mela and Stela. Who would forget their family moment that turned into a viral soundbite?
“Mama, thank you very much. You know that I love chicken nuggets!”
In 2023, Melai also made history as the First Filipina actress to receive the Best Actor Award in the Asia Artists Awards (AAA) that year for her performance in Ma’am Chief: Shakedown In Seoul.
Jaevon
The beginning of a new decade also marks a new era of Pinoy Big Brother. Coincidentally, the essence of being carefree, happy-go-lucky, and youthful spirit of the time was captured and reflected in the succeeding seasons of PBB during the early and mid-2010s.
From this era, over five seasons featured teen housemates: two regular seasons, Teen Clash (2010), Teen Edition 4 (2012); and three mixed seasons with teen housemate batches, All-In (2014), 737 (2015), and Lucky 7 (2017).
Thus, it is no surprise that the beloved reality show gained patronage from younger and fresher audiences as they find relatability with the housemates inside the house.
From Teen Clash, James Reid and Devon Seron became a popular tandem during their season. Hence, audiences called them Jaevon. They also won the Tween Popsies at the 2011 ASAP Pop Viewers Choice Awards.
Although they had projects together in a variety show and series, Shoutout (2010) and Good Vibes (2011), they went on their respective paths moving forward after their time inside the house.
Both pursued their careers in industry separately. James Reid got paired in another loveteam, later on with Jadine, and Devon Seron expanded her filmography from ABS-CBN to GMA Network.
PBB Teens?
An expression coined by the Unkabogable Phenomenal Box Office Superstar, Vice Ganda, perfectly encapsulates the PBB loveteams that emerged from Teen Edition 4.
Who could forget Myrves? Myrtle Sarrosa, the Big Winner, together with Yves Flores, alongside the other loveteam that formed in the same batch with Karen Reyes and Ryan Boyce.
Their interactions, showmance inside the house, and display of situationship—a term that was kind of unknown at that time, but best describes the circumstances made the season arguably one of the most nostalgic and controversial seasons of Pinoy Big Brother, leading the comedian to come up with the famous satiric expression, poking fun at the show.
There are also instances where a love triangle developed during All-In Season, where Joshua Garcia, Jane Oineza, and Loisa Andalio became a part of a complicated trio.
Bailey May and Ylona Garcia formed the Bailona loveteam on the 737 Season, where they both became finalists. They also worked on some projects together after their time on PBB, such as appearing as side characters in the Jadine series, On the Wings of Love (2015).
Today, they are pursuing their musical careers separately overseas. Bailey is currently a soloist, but a former member of the global musical group Now United, while Ylona is signed to the record label 88rising, which houses popular stars like NIKI and Jackson Wang.
Mayward is also one of the teen housemates who became a loveteam during and after their time in the show. Maymay Entrata became the Big Winner of her season and pursued acting, modeling, and music moving forward, and Edward Barber, who placed fourth, is active as a television and events host.
Gen11
After the COVID-19 pandemic and the disenfranchisement of ABS-CBN, Pinoy Big Brother’s viewership on national television faced challenges. Nevertheless, the reality show rose against odds and expanded its reach to newer heights, thanks to the internet.
PBB integrated the show’s format into modernity, from auditions to voting polls. Netizens are given great power to decide which housemate to save or eliminate, which could change the entire course of the season.
Courtesy: Pinoy Big Brother/ABS-CBN
The online community and social media discussions also strengthen shipping culture, which also maintains loveteams on PBB, and the prime example of this is JMFyang. The Gen11 Big Winner, Sofia “Fyang” Smith and JM Ibarra, whose strong personalities bonded inside the house, formed an undeniable chemistry that hooked the fans, strengthening their presence online.
Courtesy: VP Choice Awards
The couple previously received awards at the 6th VP Choice Awards earlier this year, and this winning streak might continue as they both secured a spot in the Top 20 finalists for PIPOL’s Face of the Year for the 7th VP Choice Awards next year.
Celebrity Collab
Courtesy: Pinoy Big Brother/ABS-CBN
The newest special season of PBB, Celebrity Collab Edition, which premiered earlier this year, marks the official collaboration of two of the biggest television networks in the Philippines, ending the rivalry between ABS-CBN and GMA once and for all.
Given that this newly introduced format directs housemates to compete as teams, the assigned duo every other week can create potential loveteams, whether romantically or platonic, as the season goes on.
The housemates’ residency inside PBB formed many tandems, including the duos AZRalph (AZ Martinez & Ralph De Leon), DusBia (Dustin Yu & Bianca De Vera), WillCa (Will Ashley & Bianca De Vera) KiSh (Kira Balinger & Josh Ford), and the most recent Big Winners, BreKa (Brent Manalo & Mika Salamanca).
While relationships either developed organically from the weekly challenges, production, or fans in the “outside world” motivated them, audiences will always find the next housemate or couple to look forward to, and the same goes for Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0 as the season progresses further.
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