MANILA, Philippines ? Dingdong Dantes is raring to portray Cholo in the Pinoy version of the hit Korean telenovela ?Stairway to Heaven.?

?While recovering from the flu, I spent time watching the Korean Tagalized version of the series to warm up to it before shooting starts,? says Dong. ?It?s my first giant step in preparing for the role since I wasn?t able to watch the whole show before.?

Who does he want to be his leading lady after Marian Rivera? ?I leave that up to the GMA bosses,? he says. ?They know best.?

What will he miss about his tandem with Marian? ?Everything,? he says. ?It?s time for both of us to explore other opportunities and have separate projects for the meantime. It will make us eager for our reunion the soonest possible time.?

Did he really have the initials MGD tattooed in a hidden part of his thigh? Marian Garcia is Marian?s real name; D for Dantes? He just flashed an enigmatic smile. Tattoo na di mahugot para sa babaeng hinugot sa kanyang tadyang?

Half-hearted?

Could it be true that Jimmy Bondoc has a kid with a half Pinay-half French girl who?s based in Palawan? Is Mr. Musikero half-hearted to be a full-time dad?

Martin?s ex

Had a girls? talk with Cutie del Mar. She was linked to Martin Nievera many controversies ago.

?I?d just like to make it clear that Pops and I are okay,? she clarified. What about Katrina Ojeda? ?Next question please,? she pleaded.

What can she say about Martin?s much ballyhooed rendition of the National Anthem at Pacman?s boxing match in Vegas? ?We were texting up to the moment he stepped into the ring to sing,? she said. ?I updated him about the feedback. I?m always here to support him.?

How about her anthem with Martin? ?He wrote a song for me many years ago,? she revealed, ?which is included in his album. It?s called ?You Could Love Me?.?

Cutie can love Martin but she may not?

Guess list

?This prim and proper singer was caught in the act with a band vocalist inside a van parked behind a popular concert venue. When they were reprimanded by the guard, the chanteuse bribed him with 50K. Since both are married, is their affair an indication that their marriages have each hit a sour note? Or was their ?encounter in the van? a farewell ?performance??

?A Senior Actress told Young Actress 1 within earshot of Young Actress 2: ?I like you better than the rest because you?re nice to someone closest to my heart.? YA 2 happens to have an issue with the SA?s relative. Awkward moments like that need to be dealt with the art of ?dedma.?

Star fans

My good friend Louie Heredia sent me this text: ?Toni Rose Gayda and I met the two Davids at ESDA Shang. Enjoy kami at sarap maging fans uli! [We enjoyed being fans again] They are both so nice. We love them!?

Looks like the combined charms of the two Davids (Cook and Archuleta) can topple any Goliath in the music scene, especially here where Pinoys wanna make them adopted sons already.

Next big star

GMA-7?s quest for the next big name in the music industry has begun via ?Are You The Next Big Star?? every Saturday after ?Pinoy Records.? Hosted by Regine Velasquez and Keempee de Leon, it pools together amateur and professional singers seeking a comeback in an all-out singing competition.

For the first time in a singing search, experienced singers are allowed to join provided they have no existing recording contracts and no mainstream appearances since 2008. Two hopefuls?male and female?will be proclaimed champions.

The judges include songwriter Danny Tan, musical director Mon Faustino, vocal coach Anne Quintos, Randy Santiago and Pops Fernandez. Keep track of the tilt and share your thoughts with other fanatics at www.igma.tv/areyouthenextbigstar.

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