‘Celebrity Bluff’ exceeds Uge’s expectations

Eugene Domingo is very pleased with how the game show “Celebrity Bluff” has turned out. What was originally meant to be just a one-season affair has become a winner and is now on its sixth season. The show, aired every Saturday on GMA-7, has been doing well in the ratings and has chalked up two Best Game Show Host awards for Uge who admits she is immensely enjoying doing the show. 

“I think nag-click ang combination ng comedy namin nina Jose (Manalo) and Wally (Bayola). Plus, the show is very entertaining and informative. You learn while being entertained. Kahit ako marami akong nakukuhang information sa show which is very useful at talagang mapapa-isip ka,” related Uge when we visited her on the taping of “Celebrity Bluff” on Wednesday.

“We are all happy that we are doing well in the NUTAM ratings because I guess if we were not doing well, we would not have been extended. All of us in the staff have a nice and fun time during the taping. Walang stress sa amin,” she added.

Uge is nominated in the forthcoming fifth Golden Screen Awards as Outstanding Game/Talent Program Host for “Celebrity Bluff.” Uge is up against Mr. Fu (Jeepney Jackpot/TV5), Ryan Agoncillo (Talen-tadong  Pinoy Worldwide) and Valeen Montenegro (Jeepney Jackpot/TV5).

“Celebrity Bluff” is nominated as Outstanding Game/Talent Program alongside “Jeepney Jackpot” and “Talentadong Pinoy” both from TV5.She recently won as Best Game Show Host for “Celebrity Bluff” from a school in Central Luzon where close to 25,000 students voted for the awards. “I think we are really doing good,” said Uge who has successfully made the crossover from being a multi-awarded actress to a competent TV host.

What excites Uge these days is her forthcoming trip to Japan where she is joining the Osaka Asian Film Festival as member of the jury. “I am excited but nervous at the same time but prayers keep me going. I am doing this as a sign of gratitude. The Osaka Asian Film Festival has been very good to us, not just to me, but for their support to Philippine cinema as well,” she disclosed. 

The three Pinoy films competing in the festival are “Sana Dati” (a Cinemalaya entry last year), “Shift” (the debut film of singer Yeng Constantino which was an entry at Cinema One Originals) and “Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita” (which was an entry at the Cine Filipino Film Festival of TV5).

To be screened is Uge’s film “Instant Mommy,” a Cinemalaya entry. And she is excited with this trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. “It will be my first time to be a member of an international jury. Tapos first world country ang Japan, di ba? Malinis ang lugar, masarap ang pagkain tapos ang focus ng festival is on Asian cinema and that’s what makes it even more exciting,” she added.

Uge also said that she will be attending more festivals until July where her movies “Instant Mommy” and “The Barber’s Tales” are competing or have been invited for exhibition. These are what would take most of her time for now (aside of course from “Celebrity Bluff”) until July.

“Travel muna ako basta related sa art and culture ang sadya ko. Plus, attending festivals is my way of giving back kasi I have been blessed to be a part of many festivals. I am excited that I am part of the jury of the Osaka Asian Film Festival,” she said.

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Would you believe that German Moreno or Kuya Germs had been in the TV industry for 43 years? In an interview Monday at his GMA-7 office, Kuya Germs told us that his first TV show was in the program of Jeanne Young many years ago. He can’t recall the title although he said it was Director Mitos Villarreal who approached him and offered him to be part of the show as a disc jockey.

After that, he also became a part of “The Pip Show” (with Tirso Cruz III), then Superstar with Nora Aunor then another show with his friends Inday Badiday and Ike Lozada titled “Music Factory” which was produced by Vicor Music Corporation headed by Vic del Rosario, now the head of Viva Entertainment group.

But a great number of years Kuya Germs spent on TV were with the Kapuso network. These were “Germside,” “Germspesyal” (which ran for five years), “GMA Supershow” (14 years) and “That’s Entertainment” (which lasted for ten years). Those were the best years of his TV life. He even hosted the award-winning show “Negosiete” which ran for eight years.

His late evening Saturday show titled “Master Showman” just marked its 18th anniversary and Kuya Germs couldn’t have been prouder. It was a late night show and many believed it would not attract viewers, but Kuya Germs proved them wrong because “Master Showman” was one of the most watched programs abroad in the GMA Pinoy TV channel. It’s the number one show, even. And locally, “Walang Tulugan” has its share of loyal viewers who never fail to watch the show even if it meant staying up late from Saturday night until the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Kuya Germs is thankful that despite Walang Tulugan’s time slot, he continues to enjoy the support of his advertisers and his loyal televiewers as well. And he continues to get requests from parents and aspiring teenagers who want to be part of Walang Tulugan’s stable of young talents. “Gusto ko lang naman makatulong sa kanila na ma-ilayo sila sa mga bisyo by giving them the break on TV,” said the veteran host and star builder. “Nakakatuwa naman na marami pa rin ang nagtitiwala sa akin na mga magulang at mga bata na I can be of help para matupad ang pangarap nila.”

Kuya Germs is recipient of the Gawad Dolphy Lifetime Achievement Award at the fifth Golden Screen Awards to be held on March 21 at Teatrino, Promenade located at Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City.

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We’ve known Gelli de Belen since her younger days, when she started out in Viva Films as a young star and was paired with Raymart Santiago who was her love team partner then. Now, Gelli is 40 years old but she still looks young and has taken good care of her figure. You wouldn’t think she is a mother of two boys, aged 15 and 13 as she has definitely retained her good looks and slim figure.

“I really want to look good for health reasons na rin,” said Gelli at the presscon of her latest TV show titled “Confessions of a Torpe” which premieres this Monday on the Kapatid Network. She is reunited with former “Tropang Trumpo” colleagues Ogie Alcasid and Wendell Ramos. The new romance-comedy will replace “Madame Chairman” which bows out of the air tonight.

Gelli said that it was in one party for TV5 that she met Ogie again and where they got to talk. There were already rumors then that Ogie was set to join the Kapatid network but nothing was confirmed yet at that time. Now, she is happy to be reunited with Ogie whom she hasn’t worked with for a long time.

Also co-starring with them in “Confessions of a Torpe” is former beauty queen Alice Dixson who was a big crush of Ogie. “Sino ba naman ang hindi nagkaroon ng crush kay Alice?” said Ogie who was seated beside Gelli during the presscon.

In their new show, Ogie also has a crush on Alice while Gelli has feelings for him. The flashback scenes show Ogie, Alice, and Gelli as teenagers and when the story shifts to present times, a high school reunion is in the works. Ogie is eager to attend the reunion to meet his old friends, same with Alice and Gelli, who is now the principal of their school. What things will be revealed when the former friends meet again? Will love blossom finally?

“Confessions of a Torpe” answers these questions when it starts airing on TV5 beginning March 3.