StarStruck V begins tonight

MANILA, Philippines - After the worldwide anticipation and excitement for its return, GMA 7’s StarStruck comes up with its biggest season yet as it premieres tonight.

StarStruck V invades Filipino homes with a new breed of aspirants who will soon become GMA Network’s next batch of TV sensations.

The network’s grandest, most ambitious StarStruck season got an overwhelming number of dreamers who auditioned not just in the Philippines but also in the US (L.A., San Francisco, New Jersey), Japan, Singapore and Middle East (Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai). Those who passed the auditions will be flown in to Manila, with all expenses, including airfare and hotel accommodations paid for by the show.  

The fifth season will be hosted by Dennis Trillo, Carla Abellana and Raymond Gutierrez. Dennis and Carla will host the live Sunday episodes while Raymond takes over all Saturday episodes with StarStruck alumni Mark Herras, LJ Reyes, Arci Muñoz and Paolo Avelino as segment hosts.

For 14 weeks, StarStruck V ups the ante of the competition with surprising twists and revelations. The hopefuls will try to outdo each other in painstaking tests sub-divided into four major performance categories: Singing, dancing, acting and imaging under the scrutiny of the high-profile and formidable StarStruck Council composed of director Floy Quintos, Iza Calzado and Lolit Solis.

The aspirants’ fate lies on the council and the audience’s votes. Elimination is conducted weekly until only four survivors remain.

The aspirants who will snatch a spot in the Final 14 will go through grueling talent tests, workshops, and trainings under five StarStruck mentors who will ensure that they would utilize their entire potential in every performance. The season’s mentors are Gina Alajar for acting, Douglas Nierras for dancing, Jai Sabas-Aracama for singing, Abbygale Arenas-de Leon for imaging and Barbie Chan for makeup.

The survivors are expected to showcase their versatility, give their best performances and improve their talents and personalities each week as they try to convince the council and viewers that they deserve to become stars. The aspirants will experience the biggest surprise twist dubbed, FACTOR V, which includes five of the most rigorous challenges and the most shocking twists in the history of the talent search.

Two winners will be proclaimed this season — The Ultimate Male and Female Survivors — in a two-hour Final Judgment Night to be held live at the Araneta Coliseum. At stake are millions of pesos in cash prizes and a management contract with GMA 7.

To provide updates on the hopefuls as the show progresses is Shout Out: The Starstruck Dailies will air starting Nov. 23 to give viewers behind-the-scene footage and highlights including the drama and struggles in the life of aspirants and the real issues they encounter as they take their dreams to the StarStruck stage. It will air daily with 15-minute updates before Family Feud.

StarStruck V airs Saturdays after Pinoy Records and Sundays after Kap’s Amazing Stories starting tonight with Shout Out: The Starstruck Dailies airing Mondays to Fridays.