Yes, Mel and Jay are partners no more! - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo

Yesterday’s headline was in question mark, Partners no more?

Today’s banner, as you can see, is in exclamation point (a definite confirmation) and, unlike yesterday’s "blind" item, the story is very "wide awake."

Yes, sad to say, the un-couple referred to are Mel Tiangco and Jay Sonza whose partnership on television and in private life was considered one of the very few most enduring and most bankable. It’s a case of "love is lovelier the second time around" for both Mel and Jay, who are among the best-loved tandems in television. They both had previous partners with whom they had children (one of Mel’s is singer Wency Cornejo), but then both their marriages didn’t last, and so…

In short, they clicked – and how! – when they found each other.

"Why did you have to make it a ‘blind’ item?" asked the Funfare DPA at GMA where Mel and Jay have a top-rated Sunday show, Partners. "At GMA, it’s already an open secret, although nobody dared openly talk about it. They (gossip-mongers) talk about it only in whispers. Mel has informed the GMA bigwigs about her and Jay’s status and that’s it."

The cracks in the partnership began three years ago when Jay reportedly got involved with a pretty bold star.

"After that," added the GMA DPA, "their relationship was never the same again."

But there were other causes of the split-up, such as bad investments (did Mel – and Jay – really sink as much as P12 million into the bar-restaurant Retro, located along Roces Avenue in Quezon City, and never recouped it?). Jay’s aborted political plans (to run for Senator in the last elections) also put a strain on the partnership.

"May iba pang dahilan," sadly said the Funfare DPA who refused to enumerate any further.

Jay has left their conjugal home, formally ending his and Mel’s 20-plus-year partnership. They are now planning to divide (amicably, I suppose) the properties they have acquired together including real estate out of town.

What about their show (Partners, that is) on GMA?

"Well," hesitated the Funfare DPA, "since they won’t be credible anymore together, as a tandem (kasi nga hindi na sila partners, e), it might have to go. I think the plan of GMA is to build up Mel as a solo host, a la Oprah."

Jay has a show on another channel while Mel, aside from also anchoring Frontpage, is hosting the Thursday night show Debate with Oscar Orbos.

It’s the lastbreak-up of Michael, Gina

And speaking of marital break-ups...

It seems that the separation of Gina Alajar and Michael de Mesa is for good this time, unlike in the past when they would make up after breaking up, and so on and so on, making breaking up and making up such a ho-hum routine in their also 20-plus-year marriage (just like that of Mel and Jay).

A Funfare DPA (a jet-setter, yes!) said that Michael is "involved" with a pretty veejay (from Indonesia) whom he met recently in Singapore during the staging there of Rent of which Michael was a cast member.

Like Jay, Michael has left his and Gina’s home in Parañaque City, holed up somewhere by his lonesome. The couple has three grown-up sons.

Asked how she and Michael are, Gina very sadly told one of her bosom friends (and confidantes), "This time, it’s for good."

There was a note of finality in Gina’s voice, according to the DPA.

Aga is mum at the moment

It’s a good thing that Aga Muhlach is keeping mum on the still-raging aftermath of his and Charlene Gonzalez’s May 28 wedding in Baguio City, busy as he and Charlene may be with their "loaded" honeymoon (a warm-up affair, sort of, because their intended "real" honeymoon may be in Europe).

Why "loaded"? Well, because Charlene is pregnant with possible twins.

If he talks back at his irate elders, Aga will be deemed disrespectful (walang galang sa magulang), so silence is the better part of discretion. You know: Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.

Incidentally, did you know that Aga and Charlene’s wedding (marked by the reunion of Aga with dad Cheng Muhlach and Charlene with dad Bernard Bonnin) was the first ever affair attended by Aga’s love son (with Janice de Belen) Iggy Boy without Janice in tow (only Lola Susan de Belen chaperoned the boy)?

Everybody at the wedding was gushing over how handsome Iggy Boy is growing up to be.

Another lady killer in the making?

Move over, Papa Aga!

Wedding photos: by Richard Chen