The iconic Pinoy Big Brother house has opened its doors anew for what has been one of the most historic collaborations in Philippine television.
Called the Celebrity Collab Edition— a joint project between GMA Network and ABS CBN—the newest PBB season made its much-anticipated premiere on the Kapuso network on Sunday, March 9, welcoming 15 housemates and one celebrity guest housemate.
Of the 15, eight are from Sparkle GMA Artist Center– five of which have roots in the regions, namely AZ Martinez (Miss Sunuring Daughter ng Cebu), Will Ashley (Mama’s Dreambae ng Cavite), Mika Salamanca (Controversial Ca-Babe-Len ng Pampanga), Charlie Fleming (Bubbly Bread Teener ng Cagayan de Oro), and Michael Sager (Ang Diligent Wonder Son ng Marinduque).
AZ Martinez, Cebu
AZ Martinez, called the Miss Sunuring Daughter ng Cebu, is a former beauty pageant titleholder, having crowned the Miss Summit International in 2023 in Florida, USA.
Following her coronation, she was appointed as the Philippine Youth Ambassadress by the Philippine Youth Organization in the same year.
She also previously won the Miss Elite Philippines crown at the Hiyas ng Pilipinas pageant in 2022.
She once shared in an exclusive Kapuso interview that she is seriously interested in pursuing a career in acting and hosting after her multiple pageantry stints.
AZ has had a number of minor roles in Kapuso shows since 2022, such as in “The Missing Husband” (2023) and “Lilet Matias: Attorney-at-Law” (2024-2025).
Will Ashley, Cavite
Will Ashley, called the Mama’s Dreambae ng Cavite, has been acting in Kapuso series and shows since 2013. His first listed acting stint was as the young Elmo/Isagani in the drama-romance remake “Villa Quintana” (2013).
He spent most of his time as a young actor portraying younger versions of various actors, such as young Dion/Dencio in “Innamorata” (2014), young Niño in “Niño” (2014), young Jekjek in “Alyas Robin Hood“ (2016), and young Brian in “The World Between Us” (2021).
Will appeared in the 2019 Afternoon Prime offering “Prima Donnas” that starred the likes of Jillian Ward, Althea Ablan, and Sofia Pablo, where he played Nolan– one of the show’s leading men.
His most recent acting stint was in the GMA Network and ABS-CBN’s collaboration TV series “Unbreak My Heart” (2023), where he played Jerry.
Mika Salamanca, Pampanga
Mika Salamanca, called the Controversial Ca-Babe-Len ng Pampanga, is a bona fide Internet star.
She made a name for herself as a content creator and digital influencer, gaining popularity in the world of esports, online gaming, and content creation.
Currently, she has 10.2 million followers on Tiktok, and 3.2 million on Instagram.
According to her profile on the official Sparkle website, the 25-year-old actress has done a number of roles for Kapuso shows, like the characters of Sarah in “Maging Sino Ka Man” (2023), Emerald Anonuevo in “Abot-Kamay na Pangarap” (2024), and Megan in “Walang Matigas na Pulis sa Matinik na Misis” (2024).
Charlie Fleming, Cagayan de Oro
Charlie Fleming, called the Bubbly Bread Teener ng Cagayan de Oro, is part of the teen-oriented group Sparkle Teens that was introduced in 2023.
Born in Saudi Arabia, the 16-year-old Fil-Scottish actress, whose nickname is ‘Cece,’ moved to Cagayan de Oro in 2013.
Before auditioning and becoming a full-fledged Sparkle artist, she has made a name as a content creator on Tiktok, where she got discovered.
Charlie’s first major teleserye with the Kapuso network is the 2024 mystery murder drama “Widows’ War” (2024-2025) starring Bea Alonzo and Carla Abellana, but she already appeared as a guest cast in “Royal Blood” (2023). She portrayed the character of Sofia Trano in both teledramas.
Michael Sager
Michael Sager, called the Diligent Wonder Son of Marinduque, is a Fil-Canadian actor and model who currently serves as one of the hosts in the weekend variety show “All-Out Sundays.”
Born in Gasan, Marinduque, he moved to Canada with his family for his studies before going back to the Philippines to follow his artista dreams.
His first television exposure came when he was tapped to be one of the backup dancers for a Disney movie called “Descendants” (2015). In 2022, he was officially launched as one of the 17 young and fresh faces of GMA through Sparkada, up-and-coming artists who were touted to be the next generation’s lead stars.
He’s been part of a number of Kapuso shows and projects, most notably in “Abot-Kamay na Pangarap” (2022-2024), “Shining Inheritance” (2024-2025), and “My Ilonggo Girl” (2025).
Other Sparkle artists unveiled as housemates of the PBB Celebrity Collab Edition:
Josh Ford, United Kingdom
Josh Ford, called the Survivor Lad ng United Kingdom, is a UK-born commercial model-turned- actor who was, like Charlie Fleming, introduced as one of the Sparkle Teens in 2023, where he was dubbed the British Boy Next Door.
He most recently appeared in the Kapuso youth-oriented show “MAKA” (2025) as Josh Taylor, and has been casted in several other programs like “Luv Is: Love at First Read” (2023) and “Jose & Maria's Bonggang Villa 2.0” (2022-2024).
Before taking his acting career more seriously in the Philippines, Josh moved back to the UK to complete his secondary school education.
The 20-year-old Kapuso actor made the headlines in 2023 after being involved in a tragic car accident in Quezon City that killed fellow Sparkle teen artist Andrei Sison and two others.
Despite a relatively young showbiz career, Josh has already shown glimpses of his on-screen skills, being recognized by the Asian Business Excellence Awards as the Promising Young Actor of the Year in 2023.
Ashley Ortega, San Juan City
Ashley Ortega, called the Independent Tis-Ice Princess ng San Juan, is a homegrown Sparkle actress who’s been in the showbiz industry for more than a decade, starring in more than 35 shows and programs as a Kapuso artist.
Her major breakthrough came in 2023 when she landed her first lead role when she portrayed the character of Pauline ‘Ponggay’ Campos in the drama-sports-romance series “Hearts on Ice,” where she co-starred with Xian Lim.
Before pursuing a more serious acting career, Ashley was a competitive figure skater and had competed in various international tournaments.
Dustin Yu, Quezon City
Dustin Yu, called the Chinito Boss-Sikap ng Quezon City, is an aspiring Sparkle actor who has reportedly dreamt of working in the show business since he was 10 years old.
He’s had a busy acting stint under the management of GMA Network’s talent agency Sparkle since 2021, appearing in eight ‘Regal Studio Presents’ episodes, on top of minor and supporting roles in “Binibining Marikit” (2025), “Pulang Araw” (2024), “Pepito Manaloto: Tuloy ang Kwento” (2023), and “Daddy’s Gurl: In Check Na Yarn” (2023).
He also played the supporting character of Kenneth Chan in two “Mano Po: Legacy” installments: “The Family Fortune” (2022) and “The Flower Sisters” (2022-2023).
