Paolo denies causing Miriam and BF’s break-up - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo

Curtain-raisers:

* Carmina Villarroel was such a delight as pinchhitter for Kris Aquino (who’s in New York to interview American Sweethearts topbillers Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones) as Boy Abunda’s co-host on The Buzz last Sunday. Many televiewers noticed – and were impressed by – how good a talkshow host Carmina was. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Does Kris have a reason to worry? Next time, she should think 10 times before going on leave. Or if she can’t help it, maybe she should recommend somebody who won’t, well, outshine her.

* Thanks to the dozen of readers who called Funfare’s attention to an error in last Friday’s column about the Rockin’ Revival’s "trip down Memory Lane" weekend stint at Audiotorium (West Avenue, Quezon City). Yes, the readers are right: Evil Ways is a song by Santana and not by the Spiral Staircase. Thanks for the correction.

* Following the gimmick of an obscure starlet who offered herself as "exchange deal" for the Abu Sayyaf hostages last year, Katrina Paula (the kiss-and-tell starlet who said she did "it" on Marvin Agustin and told the whole world about it) has also presented herself to the Abu Sayyaf in the ongoing hostage crisis. The bandits’ head, Abu Sabaya, reportedly told Katrina: "O, sige. Pumunta ka rito at nang mapugutan ka namin ng ulo!" Ouch! Masakit ’yan, a!

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I bumped into Paolo Bediones and Miriam Quiambao, hosts of GMA’s Extra! Extra! at yesterday’s presscon for the new Viva romance-drama Pangako, Ikaw Lang which is bringing back the smash-hit team-up of Aga Muhlach and Regine Velasquez (first seen in the 1999 hit Dahil May Isang Ikaw).

While waiting for their turn to interview Aga and Regine, Paolo and Miriam sat quietly beside each other, her elbow resting on his knee, prompting a movie writer to conclude that, you know, there must be something "special" going on between them.

Miriam instantly removed her elbow from Paolo’s knee and insisted that they’re just friends, real friends, with Miriam looking up to Paolo as her kuya (and, presumably, confidante, Paolo being trustworthy, wholesome and "harmless"... nga ba?)

Asked about rumors that he was the cause of the break-up between Miriam and her long-time boyfriend Martin (surname deliberately omitted in deference to Miriam), Paolo said, "Of course, not!," seconded with the same emphatic answer by Miriam who was reported to have backed out from a wedding plan before end of the year.

"Well," Miriam shrugged, her eyes looking sad, "maybe it’s not the right time yet."

Paolo himself is said to have just broken up with singer Maxine and is currently fancy-free.

(Incidentally, Paolo and Miriam will pose as models on Wednesday, June 27, at Padi’s MINDAVE for the Ikalawang Palapag group composed of nine award-winning artists, namely Jasper de Leon, Raul Delfin III, Norman Dreo, Eric Quay Evano, Juan Sajid Imao, Dayong Mendoza, John Paul Olivares, Omar Sebastian and Kris Soguillon).

Maritoni not dying

Glad to know that Maritoni Fernandez is not dying, contrary to reports that she’s terminally-ill with breast cancer.

Maritoni clarified the report herself through a phone patch with Boy Abunda on last Sunday’s The Buzz.

According to Maritoni, she accompanied her mother to the US for further medical check-up after having been confined at a Makati hospital for six months. While there, added Maritoni, she took the chance to undergo an examination of a lump in her breast and it was found to be malignant.

"But I’m not dying," said Maritoni, obviously laughing and taking the tragic report in good humor. "The lump has been surgically removed and the doctor told me that I’m okay already. It’s a good thing it was diagnosed early."

On the same Buzz edition, sexpot Maureen Larrazabal clarified the rumor that she had gone blind after undergoing a laser surgery.

What actually happened was that Maureen forgot to remove her contact lens when she went to bed and she woke up with an infected eye whose vision soon deteriorated, forcing Maureen to go around in dark shades.

The latest report said that Maureen would be brought to eye specialists in the States by her rich boyfriend (who is the estranged husband of another sexpot).

Contact lens wearers, beware. I know somebody in the US who suffered the same fate as Maureen. She also went to bed with her contact lens on and when she woke up, the lens had gone out of place and sunk deep into her eyeball. As a result, not only her eyes but her whole head got swollen. She spent thousands of precious dollars for the treatment.