Toni on 'PBB' nude painting issue: 'The show knows its limitations'

MANILA, Philippines - “I think sanay na kami,” said Toni Gonzaga when asked about the recent controversies being thrown to â€œPinoy Big Brother All In,” the ABS-CBN reality show she is currently hosting.

On Tuesday, June 9, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board summoned show producer ABS-CBN over PBB's “gender insensitive” nude painting challenge last June 4 and 5.

READ: MTRCB summons ABS-CBN over 'Big Brother' nude challenge

In these episodes, PBB contestants Jayme Jalandoni and Michelle Gumabao were presented a challenge which dared them  to pose nude for a painting-for-charity.

At the launch of Toni's newest solo album “Celestine” on Tuesday, June 10, the TV host-singer explained that every challenge they do is subject to the approval and under the supervision of Endemol, the owner of the worldwide Big Brother TV show franchise.

Toni said, “Hindi naman sila gagawa ng isang bagay na hind nila kinukunsulta sa gumawa ng programa. And kapag nagbigay ng go signal at na-approve yun, may kabuuang konsepto yun na makakatulong doon sa tao na binigyan ng challenge na yun.”

The “Starting Over Again” star added: “Alam naman ni Kuya yun e, alam naman ng PBB ang limitations niya.”

'You can't be destroyed by lies'

Pinoy Big Brother has faced numerous issues since it premiered on ABS-CBN in 2005. Among the issues the show faced, Toni said she's most affected by claims that PBB is scripted.

The show's latest season also faced the same issue, as netizens criticized the current crop of PBB contestants for being already part of showbiz or are connected to someone from show business.

Alex Gonzaga, Toni's younger sister, was introduced during the show's premiere as a housemate. She was later revealed to be a “houseguest” and not part of the actual competition. 

“That one I got really affected because I know from the fact that when we did season one to this day, talagang walang script ang PBB. Ang script lang nasa akin, ang script lang yung spiels ko,” she said.

Toni added, “I was so affected when that issue came out. Sabi ko, 'Bakit ganun, bakit lagining ganun yung sinasabi nila.' Sabi sa akin ni direk Lauren, 'Naaapektuhan ka pa ba doon?'” 

“If you know the truth and you're holding on to the truth, you cannot be destroyed by the lies and the pestilence of other people,” Toni further said

Toni spoke to members of the press to promote “Celestine,” her seventh solo album—and her first since 2010's “All Me.”

'What my core is'

The album contains nine original tracks and her version of “Starting Over Again,” which is also the title of her hit movie with Piolo Pascual. 

“Celestine” also contains “Awit ni Ginny,” a song Toni wrote inspired by her character in “Starting Over Again.”

Toni started out in showbiz as an aspiring singer but made her breakthrough on television as a TV host. “Celestine,” her album's title, is also Toni's real name.

“I'm really glad that this album was named after my real name because it reminds me of who I really am, of what my core is,” Toni said, who admits her initial plan in showbiz was “just to be a singer.”

“Siguro I'm a host who can sing and can act also,” she said.