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The hosts of StarStruck: The Next Level dish on what it takes to make it to the top four, what makes this season special, and what irks them the most.
The hosts of StarStruck: The Next Level dish on what it takes to make it to the top four, what makes this season special, and what irks them the most about this batch. Raymond, Dingdong and Jolina weren't shy about revealing how they really feel about this season's batch of hopefuls. Nakakaintriga di ba? Read on to find out! Interviews by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. What makes The Next Level different from the other StarStruck seasons? Raymond: Most of the difference is because of the wider age range. Now people have more personality, because they’re more mature, they know what they want, and they’re more driven to get it. Dingdong: There are more (finalists) now. Dati kasi, 20 kaagad, di ba? But now we started from 80 then down to 40; then to 38, then to 30, so ang dami pang processes. ‘Yung mga top 40, may exposure na rin sila, unlike before, if you’re not part of the 20, hindi ka na rin makikilala. ‘Yung age bracket, mas malawak ngayon, 16-21 (years old), so mas maraming pwede sumali, mas maraming sigurado ako na may talent na makasasali. Siyempre, kung mas matanda ka, it could mean na mas marami kang pwedeng gawin, so we have to be more open to new things. Jolina: Una ‘yung age (requirement)…Kapag malawak ‘yung age, mas marami talagang pwedeng sumali e…Noon, parang na-predict nila, (na) kung ano ang ginawa sa batch 1 (at) batch 2, (‘yun na rin gagawin sa batch 3). Ito yata, iba-iba. Dati pinagbibigyan kung may mga mali. Ngayon, ‘yung nakaraan naming taping, hindi (lang) niya nadala ‘yung requirement, tanggal (na siya). Ganoon agad. Sabi namin, ‘Sinayang mo naman, ang daming gustong pumasok.’ What does it take to make it to the Top 4? Raymond: I think it’s a combination of mass appeal, talent, charm, and I think overall personality and the guts also. Whether it’s top 20 or top 14, I think they should still work hard and strive hard to get to the top four. Ultimately, there are only four winners, so it doesn’t really matter if there’s top 14 or top 20, because it doesn’t mean anything. They’re only gonna choose four. Dingdong: Someone who’s pleasant, someone who’ll strike me right away, 'yun ang babantayan ko. And if she will become worthy of my pansin, meaning, may talent ba siya, kaya ba niyang i-sustain, ‘yung impact na binigay niya the first time I saw her, parang ganoon. ‘Yun ‘yung makakapagsabi sa akin kung dapat ba siyang maging isang star. Jolina Magdangal: Kapag sinabi mong ‘X factor,’ hindi mo talaga alam kung ano ‘yun, pero alam mong pag binalikan mo ng tingin, halimbawa, nakalinya sila, so dadaanan mo siya. kapag binalikan mo, alam mong magse-stay ka lang sa kanya. Hindi mo alam kung ano ‘yun, pero may something. As hosts, do you talk among yourselves about who has the chance to make it to the Top Four? Raymond: Well, last season, of course we shared our insights with each other, pero now, since it just started, wala pa kaming sariling bets, or wala pa kaming nakikita talagang may potential. Siguro after (some time), we will have a better idea na of who has what it takes to be in this industry. Dingdong: Actually, 50%, sa text, 50% sa judges. You know what, Most of the time, ‘yung mga bet ko, hindi panalo, So as a host, iba ang tingin kong dapat manalo. How is your relationship with your co-hosts? Raymond Gutierrez: I have fun doing this with Dingdong and Jolina, kasi although we do host SOP together, we don’t usually see each other backstage, kasi marami naman kami doon. This is our chance to really bond and talk. I get along fine with them; we have fun. Dingdong: Masaya, grabe! lagi kaming magkakasama kumain. Kung ano man orderin ng isa, madalas ang nangunguna diyan, si Jolina. So siyempre, as a woman, para siyang, you know, (has) motherly love. She takes care of us, galing. Jolina: Okay. Kami ni Dong, nakailang beses na kami (magkasama), tapos noong madagdag si Raymond, hindi pa rin nagbago. At saka masaya. Gusto ko si Raymond, okay siya. Pag mang-ookray kami, pag talagang serious kami, or pag mayroon kaming hindi nagustuhan sa script, or pag mayroon kaming concern sa show, nag-uusap kami. Si Dong kasi, may Atlantika, (kaya) kami ni Rayond nagkakasama sa spiels. Lagi kaming nagkakausap. What is your most memorable experience on the set? Raymond: Siguro ‘yung last episode (ng third season), because of the amount of people that were present. And it was my first time to host StarStruck, and it was a big night, so for me it was the most memorable. Jolina Magdangal: Ang pinaka-ayoko na experience ‘yung mga tanggalan. Lalo na pag hindi mo ine-expect na ‘yun ang matatanggal. Parang mararamdaman mo ‘yung takot at pressure sa kanila…Nakakasama mo rin sila, hindi man araw-araw, pero nararamdaman mo ‘yung kaba. May ilang members din ng ilang batch na parang feeling ko, sa kanila, okay lang, at least nakapasok. Hindi ako natutuwa sa ganoon. Gusto ko kasi, may drive, e. Gusto ko may passion (sila) sa ginagawa nila. So kung sino (ang) makita ko na may passion, siguro matutuwa ako sa ganoon, at malulungkot ako pag nawala ‘yun. Pero walang choice. Hindi naman kami nagde-decide. Tao ang magde-decide at saka mga judges. What’s your advice to this batch? Raymond: My advice is to separate themselves from the other StarStruck winners…(They have a) tendency to follow the footsteps of the previous winners. (They have) to create their own path, and have their own image, and find their own personality. Dingdong: They better shape up a lot! Seriously. hindi naman ibig sabihin na lahat ng sumali, sisikat na! At kahit ‘yung mga batch 2, batch 3, some of them are still struggling to make it! So they should show something different this time, hindi lang puro first impressions. (They should have) something that hopefully, the whole Philippines would look up to some day. Jolina: Sana, isapuso pa rin nila ‘yung pagsali nila dito. Hindi porque nakatungtong na ng ganito, o naayusan na ng ganyan, okay na. Kailangan humble. ‘Yung pinaka-tingin ko kahit hindi ka manalo, kung humble ka, matatandaan ka. Nasa mukha ‘yun, hindi ‘yung parang pakitang tao lang. Dapat ‘yung galing sa puso, dahil kung hindi galing sa puso, isang ngiti mo lang sa tao, mararamdaman nila na hindi totoo. Marami akong napapanood na mga search. Hindi man sila the best, pero ‘yung ngiti nila, mapapa ano ka, e ‘Aww, iboboto ko ito!’ Parang ang bait!’ Lalo na ang bibilis magsipasok ng artista, daanin mo sa bait! At saka ‘yung professionalism, dapat talaga isaksak sa puso! Dapat rin ilagay nila sa puso nila ‘yung passion dito sa StarStruck. So sana hindi sila yung ‘Matalo, manalo, pasok na (ako) sa showbiz.’ Dapat isipin nila na matalo, manalo, tuloy ang buhay. Kung baga, may mga Ultimate Survivors, pero sumisikat pa rin kung sino (‘yung) Avengers. Dapat kahit anong mangyari…kumilos sila! Naiinis kasi talaga ako doon sa mga pasaway. Sana ‘wag muna umakyat sa ulo nila, dahil marami pa silang dadaanan. Feel the Fun with the hosts. Text DINGDONG, JOLINA, or RAYMOND to 4627! Who will be this year’s StarStruck Ultimate Survivors? Keep your favorite finalist in the game through Fanatxt by texting StarStruck (name of survivor) to 367 for Smart and Talk N Text subscribers or 2344 for Globe, TM and Sun subscribers. You may also vote for them on-line at www.StarStruck.tv.