I Love New York
Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal
Mark Herras and Jennylyn Mercado

Thanks to Reggee Bonoan of Manila Standard Today here. Although mababaw ang anlysis niya sa ibang details, at least may connection siya at kayang kumuha ng mahahalagang spoilers.

Nikki Lirag, who?

Some members of the production staff of GMA-7 are wondering why Nikki Lirag, one of the umbras in Majika, the new telefantasya of the Kapuso Network, has been included in the show without undergoing any audition or workshop.

She is getting equal billing with the other umbras—Sheena Halili, Nicole Anderson, Ehra Madrigal, and Valerie Concepcion—who have been in show business for more than two years.

Who is Nikki Lirag? Where does she come from? Is she a commercial model or a product of a reality search? We asked around and we were surprised when our mole informed us that this greenhorn actor is actually the niece of GMA Films’ president Annette Gozon Abrogar. Also, our spy informed us that a good-looking guy included in Love to Love Season 9 and in Now and Forever also got a good part in the said shows without getting a hard time. We learned he is a son of an ambassador who is reportedly a family friend of the Gozons.

Now, are you surprised why some of the avengers of Starstruck Batches 1 and 2 don’t have projects in the Kapuso network. Need we say more?

Putting things in order

Last Sunday, seven Pinoy Pop Superstar Year 2 grand finalists were introduced to the public on SOP. Aside from the Santoses— Harry, Gerald, Acelle—Denver, Ira, and two finalists from US will compete to vie for the title and the prizes. But, is it true that there were supposed to be eight finalists had not things been put into its proper order?

Based on detailed information spilled to us by a GMA executive, the staff of the Pinoy Pop Superstar discovered that a contender named Ronnie Liang actually has a manager. According to our source, the said talent search hosted by Regine Velasquez aims to discover amateur singers and applicants with managers are disqualified.

This contestant, who qualified to be in the grand finals after winning for four weeks, lied to the management long enough that he was able to earn sufficient cash prizes. A familiar name in show business whose wards include a singing group is managing this guy Liang.

The Pinoy Pop Superstar executives were reportedly too kind and too nice because they even tried to settle things out by asking this Ronnie to choose between the show and his contract with his manager but he chose the latter.

The Pinoy Pop Superstar production made it appear that this Liang guy lost in the contest by re-shooting the episode in which he won. A graceful exit for him, I must say, that also saved the show from embarrassment.

How can they deny the fact that he deceived them and he wasted so much of his and others’ (including the staff, judges, and Regine’s) time, energy and even opportunity for other aspirants to make it in showbiz?

Sex Bomb’s charm

QTV 11’s Ganda ng Lola Mo seems to be getting lucky these days because it won’t be axed after getting good ratings in its last episode where Sex Bomb singer Rochelle Pangilinan appeared. The said episode, which proved that Sex Bomb girls still have charm, rated four percent, twice the show’s usual rating.

Our mole told us that since the show could only muster a two percent rating since it started airing, the bosses decided recently to give the show a deadline. A new show is in fact ready to replace it. The unexpected turn of events during the last episode gave the show another chance.

Three QTV 11 programs will be launched after Holy Week including the Ultimate Celebrity Dancer which was supposed to have been launched last November. Jay-R and 2005 Miss International Lara Precious Quigaman are being tapped to host this program.

The gag show Laugh to Laugh, which stars the Jaboom twins and Ryan Yllana (brother of Jomari and Anjo), will be axed by the management.

Dream date

2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman will be hosting along with Paolo Bediones and Ethel Booba Extra Challenge. The reason: she will be Richard Gutierrez’s dream date.

Precious will pose as one of the challengers and Richard does not know that she will be his date, and this is the concept of the dream date episode.

The show, if you still don’t know, is being threatened in the ratings by ABS-CBN’s Gulong ng Palad.

We asked the amiable program manager of the show Melo Esguerra if he is getting the beauty queen to replace Ethel who now has her own show called Jologs.

Esguerra clarified that Precious will be joining EC for that particular episode only and Ethel will never be taken out of the show because she has a good team up with Paolo.