MANILA, Philippines - Gabby Concepcion dropped by for a chitchat and the girls at Inquirer dropped everything for a snapshot with him.
The ?amazing, unexpected? welcome continues for the matinee idol who recently returned from the US and (as much as he?s trying his absolute best to dodge not a few poison arrows) he?s basking in the love.
He had two hours worth of reminiscences, but one stands out for Rushes:
?I was leafing through a show biz magazine from Manila just a few years ago and came across a picture of myself with two other girls. I wondered absently who those girls were, and where the snapshot was taken. I was in school at the time and had grown my hair. Then I looked again and realized it was my daughter!?
It wasn?t Boy
These rumors, they just won?t stop. Now they?re saying that Boy Abunda was nowhere in sight when Sharon Cuneta allegedly broke down over a question about Gabby.
The latest: It was an ambush interview, and when a Mega tear fell daw, the camera man turned off the light, not the machine. But, reportedly, the footage was stowed away posthaste. Hah! There you go. No proof! One part of us hopes Sharon returns soon to clarify things; the other part hopes she just lets this one die down.
TV exec in hot seat
A high-ranking TV executive is facing sexual harassment charges filed by a young set design supervisor.
The girl feels she was thrown into the gremlin?s den during a ... team-building event! She says this exec touched her and asked to be touched. Gross.
Worse, as it turns out, he is a serial offender. After him, girls!
Irresistible Cassy
We just couldn?t resist the pic of Carmina Villaroel and her daughter Cassy. Even if the accompanying story just says the girl continues to be the endorser for Pink Box, a girls? accessories store.
Network-hopping
Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo? stars of Star Cinema?s Metro Manila Film Festival top-grossers ?Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo? and ?Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo?? are celebrating their birthdays with guestings on shows, not on Star Cinema?s mother network, ABS-CBN, but on rival GMA 7 programs.
Ryan (birthday, April 10) is appearing on the Vic Sotto sitcom ?Ful Haus? (tonight); Judai (birthday, May 11) is celebrating on ?SOP.?
Judai says she?s thankful to the Kapuso channel for supporting (as media partner) her new movie ?Ploning,? her birthday gift to fans.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN is reportedly planning to have Jose Javier Reyes? ?When Love Begins? open in theaters on the same day as ?Ploning.?
Hmmm.
Judai and Direk Joey, who megged ?Kasal? and ?Sakal,? are unperturbed. Fast friends, they think nothing of this latest chapter in the never-ending network war.
Parents veto bf
Singer-Actress is in a dilemma. Good daughter that she is, she follows her parents? every advice.
Mom and dad think her Director Beau is no good. They keep warning her of his ?user-friendly? ways. They suspect that DB is riding on SA?s popularity, the same way that he tried to hitch his wagon on a younger celebutante?s coattails earlier.
Forgetful host
Controversial Actor, who is dodging a slew of charges in Manila, was spotted in the Queen City of the South.
From the US, CA apparently went straight to Cebu, avoiding Manila where former business partners are itching to throw him in jail.
Ironically, he visited the island-province with a bunch of prospective investors in a new enterprise. His foreign guests took it for granted that CA would foot the hotel bill, since they had flown in upon his invitation.
Come check-out time, no CA! Poor guests had to make frantic calls until he showed up to do what was expected of him.
Controversy magnet
Kris Aquino is reportedly eager to return to ?The Buzz,? while co-host and ?frenemy? Cristy Fermin is abroad.
An insider says that the controversy magnet?s comeback can hit two birds with one stone: It will allow the Kapamilya channel to reformat ?The Buzz? and cancel ?Boy & Kris? without losing face.
Both shows allegedly need a major makeover, pronto.
Cokehead busted
Making the rounds in show biz circles is the purported arrest of Sexy Starlet who was caught snorting coke with an unidentified companion inside a car parked in front of the nightclub repeatedly bashed by Brian Gorrell in his blog.
Alas, SS ?settled? with the apprehending officers; thus, the incident is not in any police blotter. The more crucial question needs to be asked: Why was the rumor floated? Was it to prop up SS? languishing career? Her last media exposure was as a loser in a reality show. Or was it to boost Gorrell?s allegations? Or to take attention away from the Aussie blogger?s target socialites and re-focus on cokeheads in show biz ?
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Top of the tabloids
The top show biz stories in local tabloids this week. (And why we are moved, if we are moved.)
For promo?s sake
?Katawan ni Anne Curtis, ibibilad! (Di ba may Ariel na?)
?Aga Muhlach, enjoy sa halikan nila ni Anne! (Men.)
?Anne, handa na sa umaatikabong laplapan nila ni Aga! (Strong words.)
?Aga, papatusin daw si Anne kung? ( ...hindi athletic si Charlene)
?Halik ni Aga, di malilimutan ni Anne! (Parang Chicken Joy?)
?Aga, hindi natatakot kay Gabby Concepcion! (Hindi athletic si Gabo?)
True or false?
?Aubrey Miles, 4 na buwang buntis?! (Those who care, show of hands, please.)
?Rosanna Roces at 2 anak, sabay-sabay magpapakasal?! (Huh?)
?Kristine Hermosa at Diether Ocampo, nagbalikan sa Boracay? (Kakapagod na ang dalawang ito, ha?)
?Inah Revilla, mag-aasawa na dahil nagrebelde sa ama? (Ay, let?s not go there.)
?Ober da bakod?
?Katrina Halili at Nadine Samonte, susundan daw si Cristine Reyes sa ABS? (Supremes? Dreamgirls?)
?Cristine, mukhang pera? (Mukhang ... di na ?yan crime in the biz.)
?Cristine, pinagsabay sina Dennis Trillo at Willie Revillame? (Why not!)
?Ara Mina, kinabog ni Cristine sa lalake?! (Let?s stay out of this one.)
What the *%#!
?Sharon Cuneta, na-appreciate ang pagpapasalamat ni Gabby! (Siyempre.)
?Sharon, itigil na ang kaeklayan! (Bakit na naman?)
?Polo Ravales, pinagtitripan ng mga bading sa gym! (E kasi nga...)
?Tyrone Perez, hindi imposibleng pumatol sa bading! (What your mind can conceive...)
?Maja Salvador at Jay-R Siaboc, grabeng maglandian! (Ay, grabe.)
?Luis Manzano, ipinagtanggol si Angel Locsin! (Kakapagod na rin ito.)
??Pinagsisihan ko na ang kagagahan ko!??Arnell Ignacio (Lahat naman tayo, ?day.)
?KC Concepcion, gustong makaharap ni Jewel Mische! (Humarap sa mirror!)
?Cesar Montano, kawawa; Sunshine Cruz, matigas (Totoo na ba ?to? May bagong game show si Buboy e.)
(Sources: Bandera and Tumbok)
Email us: rushes@inquirer.com.ph