Will the celebrities survive PBB?

The names of the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Celebrity Edition housemates were revealed in a glittery grand welcome party at the jampacked Baywalk in Roxas Boulevard last Sunday.

Send-off messages of the celebrities’ families and friends were heard.

The celebrities spent their first night – and day – in the newly-refurbished Bahay ni Kuya along Mother Ignacia Avenue. Bets were placed on who will win the P1-M prize money, with the winner’s chosen charity to receive the same amount.

The question now is not some Shakespearean line: to be or not to be. The question is: Will the latest edition PBB be a version of Charles Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest or Dr. Nancy Etcoff’s Survival of the Prettiest?

Given the housemates’ "celebrity" status, the reality TV show’s latest edition is a combination of both. We’ll find it out who will emerge triumphant after 57, err, 54 days from the time you read this piece.

Based on what we saw on TV, Bahay ni Kuya has a better cross-section of Pinoy society. The yellow and blue house has new boarders from the fields of broadcasting, fashion and beauty, sports, music and movies.

The housemates were chosen from a field of 150 celebrity-aspirants. Some attended the two-day audition. Others were called to try their luck. Some received invitations coursed through their managers. From there, the screening committee trimmed down the number to 14, who made the final cut. The show’s executives are happy that Endemol, the company that owns all the rights of PBB, approved the airing of the special which will run for eight weeks .

The final cut includes Rustom Padilla, Aleck Bovick, Cebu-based TV personality Angela Calina, DJ Rico Robles, Roxanne Barcelo, designer Mich Dulce, John Prats, Bianca Gonzales, frontman Budoy Marabiles, Christian Vasquez, Keanna Reeves, beauty queen-athlete Gretchen Malalad, Bench underwear model Zanjoe Marudo and triathlon athlete Rudy Fernandez.

Just like the previous edition, all housemates have different reasons for joining aside from taking home the pot money and enjoying the fame that comes with the title of PBB Celebrity Edition Big Winner. Rudy, namesake of the veteran action star-actor, wants to prove that everything is possible in spite of one’s physical weaknesses. His quest is for his family. This also holds true for Angela, Christian and Keanna who wish to provide all the best for their children.

It’s the first time Bianca and John will be away from their families and friends.

Rico and Rustom, on the other hand, are searching for the perfect someone. Rustom is also aiming for self-improvement. Others, like Roxanne and Budoy are trying to find their niche. Roxanne is taking another shot at stardom after Hollywood Dream. Budoy wants many people to know his brand of music.

Aleck and Mich are ready to show who they really are. Zanjoe is inside the house to prove that he’s more than just a pretty face and a beautiful body. Gretchen shares the same intention.

Having seen and heard the new housemates, televiewers have made their personal choices. Perhaps, they have predicted who will follow in the footsteps of Nene, Jason, Cass, Uma, Franzen, Say, Chx, JB, Racquel and Sam. They have also envisioned the fate of some of the housemates – who will be booted out and asked to return like in the case of Jenny, or who will be eliminated due for health reasons like Bob.

For sure, there will be parallelisms and a lot of contrasts as the celebrity edition moves day in, day out. Televiewers should watch out for artists Mich and Budoy, hot mamas Aleck Bovick and Keanna Reeves, hot papas Zanjoe, Christian and Rustom and bionic man Rudy Fernandez, who is touted as the dark horse.

Remember, Pinoys have a soft spot for underdogs. I think they are the ones who will steal the show and bring the house down. With them on the list, PBB could be as interesting as the first batch or evem doubly riotous and peculiar.

If there’s one thing PBB Celebrity Edition has proven so far, it is that it’s not the 30-day celebrity reality TV show you are thinking of.