MANILA, Philippines ? Currently touring the country for the talent show ?Pilipinas Got Talent? (with Kris Aquino and Ai Ai de las Alas) is former ABS-CBN president and CEO, Freddie M. Garcia.

Will FMG, as Garcia is called by colleagues, be the latest Pinoy version of the inimitable Simon Cowell of ?American Idol??

Short of saying yes, Ai Ai said of Garcia: ?He?s a toughie kind of judge.? Added Kris, ?He is the ultimate star-maker.? The trio got back yesterday from a two-day audition at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City.

As Cowell did in the early days of ?Idol? (and ?Pilipinas? mother show, ?Britain?s Got Talent,? which Simon created) Garcia has successfully made himself scarce for interviews about the show.

Will he also be hated for being a ?toughie?? Abangan.

Among those who have occupied Pinoy versions of Simon?s seat are Ryan Cayabyab and Wyngard Tracy, both jurors of the Philippine franchise of ?American Idol.? These two, like Garcia, are huge star makers.

P15M for 5 hours

Provincial Politico allegedly hired Controversial Celebrity for a small-town gig that cost P3 million per hour.

Since the show lasted five hours, our source said, CC?s talent fee totaled a cool P15 million.

No wonder CC has amassed as many enemies as his material possessions. It really doesn?t help that CC likes flaunting newfound wealth, explained the mole.

Shop till they break up

Scandalous Beauty supposedly called it quits with Rich Boyfriend?over less-than-romantic reasons, said a spy.

During a recent holiday in Hong Kong, SB purportedly spent over P8 million shopping for fave Birkin bags in the Hermes boutique.

Stuck with the bill, RB was incensed. According to another mole, SB is back in the arms of another Millionaire Lover, who?s more tolerant of her exorbitant sprees.

Starlet?s real love

Mystery solved.

Gorgeous Starlet is keen on encouraging rumors of romance with Hunky Partner because she wants to keep intrigue-mongers away from her real boyfriend, son of Multi-Millionaire.

Who knew HP was only a red herring? But that?s hardly surprising, because GS landed a lucrative endorsement deal with MM?s companies.

Quite coincidentally, MM?s grandson was linked to another Pretty Actress who is GS? colleague in the same studio.

Seems MM?s boys are into beautiful young celebrities.

Mistresses? club

As they say: Birds of a feather flock together.

According to a former friend, Controversial Starlet now hangs out with girls with a rather unsavory reputation as home-wreckers.

Perhaps CS and her gal pals are comparing notes on how to best steal men away from their wives?

CS? latest boyfriend, Popular Personality, reportedly grew fond of her because she?s thrifty?unlike PP?s wife, who?s a material girl.

But with her current friends, CS has picked up a new addiction: shopping in Chanel, Gucci, Hermes and other upscale stores.

An insider predicts: It?s only a matter of time before PP grows tired of CS and her shopaholic-posse.

Not so innocent

Cute Hunk looks like an innocent school boy, but he has a sordid rep in the gay community.

CH is an alleged rent boy who charges willing gay benefactors P15,000 per date.

CH is also the favorite of Powerful Exec, who keeps casting the boy in blink-and-you?ll-miss-him roles in various projects.

Top of the tabloids

The top show biz stories in Philippine Daily Inquirer tabloid Bandera this week. (And why we are moved, if we are moved.)

? Geoff Eigenmann nandidiri kay Krista Ranillo? (We can guess why.)
? Toni Gonzaga, Alessandra de Rossi super plastikan? (We can guess why.)
? James Yap sunud-sunuran kay Kris Aquino. (We can guess why.)
? Bading sasapakin ni James. (Ay, why?)
? Kristeta nagbanta sa mga babaeng lalandi kay James. (We know why.)
? Ruffa Gutierrez bilib na bilib kay Kris. (We don?t know why.)
? Ayokong pinupuri ako!?Sid Lucero. (But why?)
? Kim Chiu grabe na ang kapayatan. (Thyroid problem or, heaven forbid...?)
? Jean Garcia mas nasasarapan sa dyowang bagets (Another cooking show?)
? Anne Curtis kung sinu-sinong lalake ang ka-date? (Alangan namang girls.)
? Angelica Panganiban lagging ini-exercise ang boobs? (That?s a problem?)
? Marian Rivera-Dingdong Dantes nagpa-secret marriage? (Juice me! Kailangan pa bang i-secret yun?)
? Tetchie Agbayani payag gumanap na Marlene Aguilar. (Naku, maraming pang-award moments.)
? Judy Ann Santos bawal makipaghalikan sa TV. (Sa TV lang, malinaw?)