Lolit: Hindi mukhang pera si Gabby!

Controversy must really be Gabby Concepcion’s twin brother.

After old issues against him (the bigamy case, etc.) were dug up on the heels of his homecoming after 13 years of self-imposed “exile” in the US, poor Gabby is now embroiled in dispute with his own manager, “Mommy” Rose Flaminiano, who paved the way for his return.

The rift between the manager and talent started after Gabby’s recent concert at the Music Museum. According to a Funfare source, Mommy Rose made Gabby believe that the concert was produced by a friend “in need of help,” until Gabby discovered that Mommy Rose was a “secret” co-producer of the concert that has been scheduled in 22 more places around the country. Because the project was said to be “tulong-kaibigan,” the obedient Gabby readily (“Blindly,” according to the Funfare informer) said yes.

Anyway, Gabby has been pictured as “money greedy” and walang utang na loob (ingrate) only because he began asking his manager about finances, including some P106,000 allegedly allocated for “PR” which was charged to Gabby. But the lady named by Mommy Rose to have received the amount vehemently denied it, claming that her (the lady’s) signature was “forged.”

The other day, Gabby’s lawyer Raymund Fortun was on TV Patrol claiming that his client isn’t getting what’s due him under a contract which Gabby is now questioning.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg. 

“Until they met in the US a few months ago,” the Funfare informer added, “Gabby didn’t have any idea who Mommy Rose is.”

An unlikely person has come out in defense of Gabby and she’s none other than his former manager/nanay-nanayan Lolit Solis with whom Gabby had a bitter falling-out after the infamous 1994 filmfest scam.

“In fairness to Gabby,” said Lolit (who reconciled with Gabby upon his return), “hindi siya mukhang-pera. Even his family, hindi nagtatanong tungkol sa pera. Hindi pala-kuwenta si Gabby. Never kaming nag-away tungkol sa pera. Ang pinag-awayan lang namin ay ‘yung scam.”

To better understand the issue, a showbiz insider related the following short story:

One day, a man came upon a homeless girl, gave her shelter, clothed her and sent her to school. Then, the man tried to molest the girl who told the neighbors about it. Not knowing the true circumstances, the neighbors called the girl “an ingrate” — you know, matapos siyang kupkupin, ‘yan pa ang igaganti niya sa kanyang taga-pagligtas. Walang utang na loob!

It’s up to you to draw the moral of that story.

The “mystery” behind Gabby/Mommy Rose rift is just unravelling. Stand by for further development.

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As Paolo Bediones takes a bow tonight on GMA as host of Survivor Philippines, his American counterpart, Jeff Probst, is wrapping up the Gabon Episode of the top-rating US reality-TV Survivor which marks Probst’s 17th stint on the show which tests the contestants skills and survival instincts in a series of sometimes death-defying “assignments.”

The Emmy awardee Probst used to host Rock and Roll Jeopardy and several programs for FX, and has travelled over 300,000 miles around the world as a correspondent for Access Hollywood. Among other preoccupations, he’s a spokesperson for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Funfare did a 10-minute interview by telephone with Probst.

Excerpts:

After 17 episodes, has hosting Survivor begun to feel “mechanical”?

“Not at all. We always try to do something different and it keeps the show fresh. We go to a new locale everytime. I am endlessly fascinated by human nature. So even if the situations may be the same, it’s a different group of people we deal with all the time.”

You eventually become close to the contestants. How do you feel when a contestant is booted out?

“Oh, I’m able to separate the friendship from the job. The game is still the game. Of course, the producer and I don’t like it when we lose a good character, even if he or she adds life to the show, but there are rules to be followed.”

What souvenirs do you give those booted out?

“Usually during the show, I collect the contestants’ dirty and quite smelly linen. That’s what I give back to them when they are booted out.”

How do you prepare for the show? Do you do any physical training, some mental conditioning, etc.?

“Oh, I drink a couple of beers. Hahahaha? Actually, I don’t really go through anything. In terms of the physical, I stay in shape because the show gets us into tough conditions. Mentally, it’s what I love to do; I love doing the show. I can do it even if I don’t get paid for it.”

How different is the Gabon episode from the previous ones?

“Gabon is so remote that it was a little scary. Gabon doesn’t have any tourism at all and that’s the reason why they wanted us to go there, so we can create awareness about the place. The animals there were not used to seeing so many people, so we had to deal with them with care. It was like being in a Steven Spielberg movie, with the elephants and other animals coming out without notice from wherever they were hiding. The animal rangers were on stand-by all the time in case some animals would go wild, you know.”

During your shooting in the Philippines, you wrestled with the carabao. How did you find that experience?

“Yes, the Philippine experience was a breeze compared to Gabon. The Philippines was one of our most memorable experiences. And I love your carabaos!”

In the course of doing Survivor, have you sustained any injuries?

“Not that many. One of the few involved a jellyfish which bit me early on in the show. Once, during a shoot in Australia, I didn’t know that I was peeing on an electric fence and I got a little shock. In Africa, I got stung by an scorpion. Fortunately, nothing serious at all. Am I insured? Yes, I am.”

What tips can you give Paolo Bediones, your Philippine counterpart?

“I haven’t seen him but I presumed that he is handsome. I’m sure he’s much cooler than I am. The only thing I would suggest is for him to ask every question he can think of. If he’s curious, the audience is curious, too. I wish him all the luck. I’m sure he’ll survive the show as beautifully as I do.”

(Note: See related story, this time about Survivor Philippines host Paolo Bediones)

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