2 Pinays in Miss World

Kuya Germs dead?

That’s what the Wikipedia declared, so the readers of the popular online encyclopedia assumed it must be true. The Wikipedia’s bio on the “Master Showman” included an update that he died last May 25 of “insecticide ingestion.” The news went viral on the Internet that Kuya Germs had to go on television to prove he was very much alive.

So who was responsible for the erroneous entry? Someone with a twisted sense of humor, no doubt. Anyway, Kuya Germs is unperturbed, saying it’s not the first time his demise has been prematurely reported.

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Melissa Ricks was rather straightforward in confirming that she and Jake Cuenca split two months ago after being on for two years.

"Jake and I have parted ways. And I just want everything to be okay so that in the end everybody’s happy,” the actress said.

She came out in the open about the break-up because “I’m tired of running away from the camera. I want everything back to normal, with no intrigue.”

Melissa however gave a fuzzy reply when asked what drove them to end the relationship. "Maybe we have different sets of priorities. I have problems I have to fix. He has problems he has to face."

She also admitted that Jake was her first love.

Rumors that the two were an item bounced around after they worked together in the teleseries Pedro Penduko.

One thing Melissa made clear: There was no third party involved.

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There will be at least two contestants in this year’s Miss World pageant with Filipino blood. One is the Philippines’ representative, Richelle Mahumot Martinez, and the other is 21-year-old Fil-Canadian, Riza Santos.

Last week, Riza was crowned Miss World Canada, which means she will be going to London, England, in November for the big show.

If you’re an avid Pinoy Big Brother fan, you will probably recall that Riza was a housemate in the Celebrity Edition 2.

Riza is no stranger to beauty pageants. In 2006, she was Canada’s representative to the Miss Earth pageant that was held in the Philippines.

According to pinoymoneytalk.com, her parents are Pinoy engineers who migrated to Canada. She was also linked to singer Mark Bautista. Riza says she hasn’t had a boyfriend all her life.

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From a grocery store clerk in an obscure North Carolina town to American Idol.

That’s the remarkable journey of Scotty McCreery, who won the 10th season of the biggest talent search on US television.

Last week, the husky voiced 17-year-old bested another teenager, Lauren Alaina for the coveted title, the choice of 122 million viewers who phoned in or texted their votes.

“Never in my wildest dreams. I got to thank the Lord first. He got me here,” exclaimed McCreery, whose voice had reminded judge Randy Jackson of the great country singer Garth Brooks. 

American Idol’s grand night was a two-hour extravaganza that featured performances from Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Judas Priest and judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Incidentally, Randy, Jennifer and Steven have all signed up for the next season of Idol.

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In 2004, the 276 people in the studio audience of The Oprah Winfrey Show were told by the host to grope under their seats for a key. The key represented a car, Oprah’s gift to the audience members.

Throughout her 25 years as host of the most popular talk show in America, Oprah never ceased to amaze.

It was what made her special. It was what earned her the reputation of being one of the most powerful women in the US.

Last week, Oprah closed the curtain on her show with a two-day episode she dedicated to her millions of fans.

“This last show is really about me saying thank you,” she said. “It is my love letter to you."

Oprah will focus on her network OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) which was launched last January.