Paolo Ballesteros: Not bothered by gay rumors

Eat Bulaga" mainstay Paolo Ballesteros doesn't feel insecure that the number one noontime program decided to infuse new blood into the show by tapping the talents of the Mr. Pogi winners. In fact, Paolo is happy that he has new company, unlike before when he was the only "papa-ble" host in the top-rating noontime program. At least, now he can share his skills in hosting with his brand new and young co-hosts.

Paolo is a favorite of the Sunday afternoon series "Love to Love" on GMA 7 and he is reunited with Ciara Sotto in the forthcoming season of the romance-themed Sunday series to air on July 2. He is playing a gay role in the series while Ciara plays a tomboy.

He doesn't have a problem playing a gay role even if he has been rumored to be gay as well. He knows what he is and is not all bothered by talks questioning his sexual preference. Paolo says he doesn't have to explain anything. Besides, no one is spared from rumors regarding one's sexuality. He's aware that showbiz newbies go through such kind of baptism of fire.

Paolo was asked on the possibility of him taking on a gay role for a movie, which would require kissing and a love scene with his screen partner. He says it would depend on the script and the director who would handle the film. But he added that he would thoroughly think about such offer before deciding to accept it or not.

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Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert wants to find out what big-budgeted Hollywood film is opening on July 5, the playdate of "Umaaraw Umuulan," the digital film that he and his siblings (Hero and Harlene Bautista) produced under their Heaven's Best Productions. Their first venture as film producers, the digital film stars Ryan Agoncillo and Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman in the lead roles. Herbert himself portrays a deaf-mute in the film, his acting assignment after a long while.

"We would certainly want our first venture as producers to make money that's why we want to find out who we are up against with," says the amiable Vice-Mayor of Quezon City at the presscon of "Umaaraw Umuulan" last week. "It would not help our cause a bit if we would be put up against a big budgeted film like 'Superman Returns,' but since we heard that the said film is opening on June 28, we might have a chance at the box-office."

"We are only a small production outfit but we are proud of our project," says Bistek whose last movie was "The Ping Lacson Story" that featured Rudy Fernandez in the title role. On TV, he appeared in the sitcom "Mary D'Potter" with Maricel Soriano and in the gag show, "Klasmeyts" with Paolo Contis, Bayani Agbayani, and Michael Flores. Both shows are now defunct.

"We concede that we cannot go up against a big movie like 'Superman Returns' but if there is no Tagalog film that is opening on July 5, we will go for broke and take our chances," adds Bistek who invested his savings from his last two ABS-CBN shows to shore up the production budget for "Umaaraw Umuulan" which is a project of the late director Luigi Santiago, who got shot in a posh restaurant last year.

Apart from being confident that they have a good project at hand, they also consider themselves lucky in having been able to get the reigning Miss International as one of their lead stars in "Umaaraw Umuulan."

Still, Bistek, Hero and Harlene are keeping their fingers crossed and praying hard that their initial venture as producers would rake in money so they could go on producing anew.

This August, Bistek will be seen in the new ABS-CBN fantasy-series titled "Super Inggo" where he plays the father of Sam Concepcion (grand prizewinner in the Big Division of Little Big Star Season 1).

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Singer-comedienne and stand-up comic artist K Brosas is celebrating her birthday on July 15 and she's marking it by doing a special birthday concert to be held at Ratsky Morato. What makes K excited about this gig is the fact that this is her first-ever solo show since doing her first major concert at the Music Museum last November.

K, who is a regular in the GMA shows "Hokus Pokus" and "Bitoy's Funnest Videos," doesn't have any special wish on her birthday. "Sana patuloy na gumanda ang aking career," she says. "Of course, I also would want to be able to spend more time with my daughter Kristal," adds K who no matter how busy she is with her career, she still finds the time for her daughter Kristal.

She's preparing a total of 12 big production numbers for her birthday show, wherein she'll not just figure in solo spot numbers but will also work with various guests from Ms. Regine Velasquez to Gerald Santos, grand prizewinner in the recently concluded "Pinoy Pop Superstar Year" 2.