Say Alonzo: Life after Pinoy Big Brother

At the height of the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) craze, Say Alonzo was everyone’s favorite. They sympathized when she fell in love with JB, sang along when she did that touching Magmahal Muli with Sam Milby, and still cheered endlessly even when she got evicted.

Nicknamed after her initials, Sherylle Ann Alonzo Yutadco is the eldest of Mary Ann and Roberto Yutadco’s four children. Even as a precocious tot, Say already displayed an uncanny flair for performing – honed to further perfection by rigorous ballet, singing and dance lessons. She spent her primary school years at the Sacred Heart School in Parañaque. After, she flew to the States, stayed with her aunts and uncles, and studied at the Bloomington High School in Texas.

Say came back home in 1998 and completed her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from De La Salle College of St. Benilde, and was also co-captain of the school’s cheerleading squad. She also did a short stint as one of the NCAA’s courtside reporters shortly after graduation. After college and working initially in three call centers, it didn’t take long for Say to realize office work just wasn’t her thing.

Before PBB, Say had already gained considerable showbiz experience.

While still studying, she guested for two episodes in the GMA 7 teen-oriented show, Click in 2003. She also hosted Spotlight TV, a motor sports-oriented show on Studio 23.

When the first TV ad for the PBB auditions caught her attention, she had no inkling at all as to how this would soon change her life. Through it all, the barrage of psychological tests, VTRs, interviews and other requirements didn’t faze her at all – not even when she learned she had to give up her privacy all throughout her stay at the PBB house.

And just how hard is it staying in a house with 11 total strangers?

"The hardest part was losing your privacy," Say recounts. "But since I’m the gregarious type, I had no problems talking with everyone. Another odd and funny thing was losing your sense of time. We didn’t have watches there. After I got evicted, I would eat my breakfast at 2 p.m."

Say continues, "Inside the house, we didn’t think much at all about the impact we were creating outside." She adds, "When I went out, it was so surprising when people started screaming, holding my pictures, magazines, banners with my name. It was like, ‘Oh my God! People know me!’ And they were shouting my name."

Of all the tasks Big Brother asked them to do, Say feels proudest about their "concert," which served as the debut of her duet with housemate Sam Milby called Magmahal Muli.

"Sam and I were given this task of setting up a concert in the house," she explains. "A week before that, Sam was assigned to write a poem. He wrote an English one, but Nene and Bob translated it to Tagalog. When I read it, I said, ‘Why don’t we turn it into a song – a Tagalog song?’ And he started strumming, and I made up the melody. Big Brother heard it and it was included in the concert. When I got evicted, I didn’t know it had been No. 1 in the charts for four weeks, and stayed there for 14 weeks. Imagine?! And the CD was triple platinum."

Life after PBB has so far been crammed with guesting stints. "The first thing I did right after eviction was my guesting in Ok Fine Whatever with Aga (Muhlach)," she narrates.

"Then more guestings in Home Boy, Magandang Umaga Pilipinas (MUP), Studio 23, and then I did PBB Drama Special for a week. After that, I was in ASAP every single week with Sam. We sang different duets, including Magmahal Muli.

"I also did PBB Buzz, where Uma (Khouny) and I were one of the hosts," she adds. "After that, it was MUP for about two weeks, where Ricci Chan and I were showbiz hosts. I also did PBB Up Late. When Toni (Gonzaga) went to the States for a couple of weeks, Uma and I pinchhit for her. I’m also doing Wazzup, Wazzup, where I have two or three segments."

Say has already signed up with Regal Films, and is part of the star-studded cast of the Metro Manila Filmfest entry, Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah. She also plans to pursue her singing career. "My manager, Arnold Vegafria, is already planning an album soon. It’s going to be revivals of old songs, mostly ballads," she discloses.

Given a chance, Say would love to follow in Kris Aquino’s footsteps as a talk show host. "I super love her!," she exclaims. "The first time I met her, I thought I was gonna faint. She’s so nice. She’s super frank and kikay. I love it."

Say would also love to star in a soap opera or fantasy series, or reveal her funny side via a light comedy.