Ruben Gonzaga

Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2 Big 4—Ruben Gonzaga, Riza Santos, Gaby dela Merced, and Will Devaughn—made their first public appearance in The Buzz yesterday, January 6, after coming out from Bahay ni Kuya.

WILL DEVAUGHN. Fourth placer Will Devaughn revealed his thoughts about leaving the Big Brother house, his appreciation of the show, and of course, his true feelings for co-celebrity housemates Riza Santos and Ethel Booba.

"I'm absorbing everything," replied Will when asked by Ruffa Gutierrez about his thoughts after leaving the Big Brother house. "In every little detail that I learned in the house, I feel it now. It's a life lesson in three months—a complete life lesson."

Ruffa kidded, "Three months where nagpatibok ka ng dalawang puso sa loob ng bahay ni Kuya?"

With that, the studio audience grew wild as Will grinned, as if remembering the good old days.

Ruffa asked, "Kay Ethel at kay Riza, kanino ka ba talaga in love ngayon na nasa labas ka na ng Bahay ni Kuya?"

"Yung dalawa talaga, ah, ibang-ibang tao. Si Ethel talaga, explosive, expressive, that's what I like about her. Si Riza naman mabait, matalino, church-oriented. So yung dalawa, it really depends. In love? Hindi pa," said Will.

If that's the case, then who would he consider knowing more now that there's no camera pointed to his direction?

Will smiled and said, "Si Riza, kasi I think I can learn a lot from her even if she's younger than me. Pero I enjoy our small talk and I know, ibang usap na."

Changing the subject, Ruffa asked, "Ikaw ba, Will, were you really thinking na papasok ka sa Big Four? Siyempre ang dami mong competition sa Bahay ni Kuya. What made you stand out?"

"Hindi ko alam, parang me and Riza and, syiempre, me and Ethel. Baka si Gladys [Guevarra] din, e, parang sort of put a twist into it as Kuya would say."

Where does Will Devaughn go from here?

"For me, dahan-dahan lang whatever I'm doing. So, sana more movies and more endorsements. I'm just happy to be here and to be part of the Big Four," Will said with a grin.

GABY DELA MERCED. Dubbed as the Racing Goddess, Gaby finished third among the Big 4. The hot racer responded to news about her being courted by Derek Ramsay.

"Magkaibigan po kami. We're really good friends," she explained.

How about Diether Ocampo? Rumor has it that he courted her, too.

Gaby laughed, "Matagal-tagal ko na siyang kilala, and good friends din kami. Dapat tutulungan ko nga po siya sa foundation niya."

Her decision to join PBB was completely supported by her dad, although her mom had her doubts. Why was that?

"Hindi kami mapanood sa mga shows and sa mga narining daw niya na, pagkarinig niya na 42 cameras, e, napraning siya. Pero nung nalaman niya kung paano pinalabas yung show, e, more than happy sa nakita niya," said Gaby.

What are her plans now that she's outside the Big Brother house?

"Gusto ko talagang kumarera sa U.S. Pareho pa rin yung pangarap, pero sigurado pabalik-balik ako," she answered.

Gaby was known to have always sacrificed herself for her housemates inside the House by volunteering to exit. What was she thinking?

Gaby explained, "Well, yung sa first voluntary exit, e, naramdaman ko na nawala ako ng direksyon. Yung kay Mommy Yayo [Aguila], e bago pa siya umalis at napag-usapan yung four hundred thousand, e, kinausap ko si Big Brother at sinabi ko na kung kailangan ng kapalit, e, I was willing to do it."

RIZA SANTOS. This FHM Babe finished second place, but that's just the beginning for Riza as she starts the New Year with loads of projects and the possibility of finding love with fellow PBB housemate Will Devaughn.

Boy Abunda wasted no time in getting straight to the point concerning the PBB love triangle between Riza, Ethel, and Will. He asked, "Mahirap bang karibal si Ethel Booba? You know Ethel likes Will. Na-bother ka ba at crush ni Ethel si Will?"

"No, Ethel is not a task," Riza said. "Hindi po ako na-bother, kasi medyo I'm very mahiyain."

Boy asked, "Sino si Will sa iyong buhay? Papayagan mo bang mahalin ka ni Will Devaughn?"

"Kung may isang pipiliin ko sa mga housemates, e, definitely si Will kasi I like to get to know him better," Riza said.

How about Polo Ravales and Mark Bautista? Did they woo her, too?

"Kaibigan. They're both my friends," answered Riza.  

Boy also asked: "Mark, Polo, Will—sino ang bibigyan mo ng pagkakataon na ligawan ka?"

"I definitely like to get to know Will better," Riza shyly said.

With that, Will stepped on the stage and sat beside Riza, much to the delight of Boy and The Buzz's studio audience. Now that they're face to face, what would they want say to each other?

Will spoke first, "Honestly, ito ang unang araw, di ba, [outside PBB] so sana we get to know each other more. Ito yung totoong test, so simula na."

"Malalaman natin sa takdang panahon," Riza replied.

RUBEN GONZAGA. Big Winner Ruben Gonzaga has everything laid out for him as he starts a new life after PBB. The comedian from Davao talks to The Buzz about his plans for the prize money and what he wants with his career. But first, is he planning on settling right here in Manila?

"Pag once na nakaaalis na po ako dito, e, lilipat na kami dito. By next month po, e, lilipat na kami dito," Ruben announced.  

Is the post-PBB Ruben afraid of showbiz now that he has attained national fame?

"Medyo may katog dahil once na sumikat ang tao, e, marami nang ibabato na intriga sa iyo," said Ruben.

How does he feel now that he's the first ever male winner of PBB?

"Siyempre, masaya po," a smiling Ruben answered. "Yun lang po ang sandata ko, kasi na alam nila lahat na pamilya ko ang prayoridad ko. Sa lahat ng sumuporta, salamat."

About his winnings, does he already have a plan on what to do with it?

"Unang-una ko pong gagawin, kasi may napalanunan akong bahay, e, nanay at tatay ko po sa Davao, e, bibigyan ko ng totoong bahay," Ruben said.  

Finally, the locally known comedian sent out a message to his wife by saying, "Mahal na mahal kita. Alam mo ‘yan, ha. Lagi mong isipin na kahit Big Winner na ako, e, ako pa rin si Ruben. Ang Ruben na nakilala mo, habang buhay."

To end the interview on a funny note, Boy asked Ruben if the comedian is also fit to don a sexy image?

"Ayoko talaga mag-bold," Ruben jokingly said, while slowly taking off his polo.

Wedding songs started playing as soon as the housemates were up the day of Ruben's wedding. "This is the day," Ruben kept on saying. Soon, he was called into the secret room to dress up. The other housemates meanwhile were called into the confession room and were also told to get ready to leave for the wedding. Kuya informed Will that he was to serve as Ruben's best man while Ethel will be Jeselle's maid of honor.

Ruben was already teary eyed upon seeing Jeselle walking down the aisle in the arms of her parents. He was happily surprised too when he saw his fellow housemates joining his entourage. With the blessing of the Church finally bestowed on their union, Ruben, his bride and their families proceeded to the big yellow house for the reception. The housemates cheerily welcomed everyone and soon they were all sharing in a sumptuous feast.

Ruben and Jeselle's family gave messages of encouragement and were followed by the housemates' congratulatory remarks. Ethel had something special in her tube though for the newly weds. Before everyone left for the wedding, the comedienne asked Big Brother if she could give Ruben a wedding gift of two honeymoon tickets to Hong Kong. Of course, Kuya gave Ethel the permission and as she presented her gift, Ruben was utterly taken aback by her kind gesture. Again, Ruben was in tears while thanking Ethel for giving him the support he needed inside the house. The serious moment was interrupted though when his son suddenly asked for his attention. "Nagmomoment ako anak..." Ruben quipped, causing everyone to laugh.

The time for the guests to leave arrived and the housemates had to face another live event, totally not expecting Kuya's first barage of challenges. The five HMs remained stubborn and refused to give in to the first test of naming the person who doesn't deserve to be part of the Big Four. They remained hard headed to the point of scattering the medallions on the floor and pretending to stomp on them. Will even joked and said 'Kuya you wear this!'. The housemates were rash in their actions and the consequence of this greeted them early this morning. The video of the incident played on the plasma screen which bothered everyone greatly. And what's worse, Kuya's not speaking to them at all.

We've seen Kuya go silent on his HMs in the previous editions. Is this another one of Kuya's tests? Or is the owner of the house simply mad at his boarders? Could a Big Five be possible?

Fresh from Ruben’s wedding this afternoon, the five remaining official celebrity housemates must take on Kuya’s new and difficult challenges, without the ‘help’ of Ethel and Mariel. Yes, Gaby, Ruben, Will, Riza and Jon will be celebrating New Year’s Day without the celebrity house guests. The two ladies thanked everyone for being such good people and wished them all the best of luck. Once on stage with Toni and Bianca, the three kids from Payatas Ethel and Mariel sponsored were awarded food carts which their families can use to earn a living. The two were also surprised when they themselves received food carts. But Ethel received a bigger surprise when her ex-boyfriend Alex Crisano appeared on stage to welcome her back to the outside world.

While Ethel was basking over Alex’s attention, Big Brother was getting down to business with the housemates and told them his first challenge. The housemate were instructed to give an X medallion to the person who doesn’t deserve to belong to the Big Four. Everyone was horrified and Riza, who was first called to do the deed, did not budge from the sofa.

” I think we are all deserving … we should be the Big Five,” Riza explained tearfully to Big Brother. Kuya then called on the others but like Riza, they all declined to name someone ‘undeserving.’ Ruben even mentioned that all of them even talked abou sharing their prizes to the 5th placer just like what they did with Yayo.

Big Brother then proceeded to the second task which was naming the Big Winner. Every one placed their star medallions on Ruben’s neck for they all felt he’s this edition’s Big Winner. For Gaby, Will, Riza and Jon, Ruben embodies what the first placer should be — he was dilligent with all of the tasks, he was a humble guy and most of all he was such a loving person, who cared not only for his family but also his friends. Ruben got teary eyed with all his fellow housemates’s testimonies. The funny man from Davao chose Gaby though as his Big Winner for he felt that the racer proved she can do anything, even tough jobs that are considered for men only.He also stated that he liked Gaby’s firm conviction on her beliefs, giving her move to save the pigs as an example.

This afternoon in Uber, Big Brother spoke to the Komedyanteng Promdi in the confession room about his feelings about his upcoming wedding. Although he is still unsure of when the big day will be, Ruben confessed that he is excited to finally profess his undying love to the mother of his two children in front of God and the public. According to Ruben, the wedding day will serve as the culmination of the years he and Jeselle fought for their love. However, a part of Ruben could still not describe the way he feels about the wedding. Ruben then told Kuya that he looks forward to seeing his whole family and the other relatives of his girlfriend, and most especially, their two lovely children.

But like how all the housemates stood together in every task, Ruben will not be alone in this event. After his live conversation with Ruben, Big Brother called on Jon and Will to discuss what their plans are for Ruben's bachelor party. The Fil-British hunk decided to have fun games and reggae music instead of the usual alcohol drinking. Jon added that he wants to bring the Davao atmosphere inside the famous yellow house to pay homage to Ruben's roots. On the other hand, Will was still unsure on what to give his bestfriend for a gift on his bachelor party. But since Fil-German hottie observed that his best pal comedian is fond of electronic gadgets, specifically digital cameras, Will figured that Ruben might appreciate a camera of his own which he can use to take pictures of his family and friends during special occassion. However, Kuya started asking Will on his 'future' plans and he asked him of who between Ethel and Riza would he rather marry. Without a second thought, Will chose Riza whom he feels more close and comfortable to. But he got concerned, however, of how Ethel will react once the sexy-comedienne finds out his choice as he doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

The girls, on the other hand, spent the whole afternoon learning how to make a special carrot walnut cake for Ruben. Expert cake maker Penk Ching showed Ethel, Riza, Mariel, and Gaby all the basics of baking as tomorrow, all our housemates will have to work on Ruben's wedding cake on their own. Will our celebrity housemates get it right?

Big Brother decided to connive with Mariel, Donni, Ruben, Riza and Will. Whether they were asked to make a sacrifice or a pleasant surprise for the Racing Godess remains to be seen. But for now, what's made privy to all of us is the special task which they started to accomplish right after they played tug-o-war.

With a touch of irony, they were told to take a bath first before proceeding to the storage room where their costumes lay in waiting for them. There the five selected celebrities covered their bodies with paint, following a unified checkered flag design, which we mostly see in circuits. To complete their outfit, they wore a strapped-tire on their waists. Then they came out of hiding by skating around the house with their brand new roller blades!

Naturally, Gab immediately realized that the task is related to her. She asked if it was a punishment but Mariel said no. Other than that, the five of them were tight-lipped regarding their "secret mission" which is extended till later. In fact, they were instructed to sleep on the living room for tonight with their costumes on!

Big Brother has chosen Ethel Booba (whose real surname is Gabison) and Ruben Gonzaga to deliver the wacky and the not so wacky news in Pinoy Big Balita. Prior to choosing the two, Big Brother held an audition to all the housemates and had them one by one deliver a news from the outside world.

The housemates were shocked about the news article regarding the Glorietta blast and they are all clueless if it’s true or not. Jon Avila got worried because her mom likes to shop in the malls. However, Big Brother did not reveal that the news regarding the Glorietta blast was true.

This morning, Big Brother ordered another task that tested our housemates' patience, teamwork, and strategy. In the activity area, Baron, Donnie, Will, and Ruben must work together in building a pyramid using crystal water goblets. But the twist in this task was that they must the pyramid on an unstable beam and the pyramid must stand for at least 10 minutes.

Ruben and Baron took charge of building the pyramid, but the difficult part was that they have inflatable buoys on their body which kept them from moving freely. Meanwhile, Donnie and Will stood on the each sides of the wooden beam placed on top of a tin drum. Donnie and Will must work with one another in keeping the beam as steady as they can while Ruben and Baron placed the goblet pyramid. During the task, the pyramid fell down several times, and this almost pushed Baron off the edge of his patience. Good thing Ruben always reminded his mates that they can do the task for as long as they stick together. On the other hand, Donnie and Will felt the strain on their legs as they tried to keep their feet on the unstable beam. But after several minutes of painstakingly trying to build the balanced goblet pyramid, Kuya called off the task, and the four guys left the activity area in disappointment. Nevertheless, they assured each other that they all gave their best shot to make the pyramid work.