MANILA, Philippines — Former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Richard Juan revealed that living in the Big Brother house is far from being in self-quarantine.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Richard said in Big Brother house, “Kuya” always gave them tasks to keep the housemates busy, as compared to the real world where a person in self-quarantine will look for things to do.
“You really cannot compare PBB and self-quarantine! People often think that we got nothing to do but in fact, inside the house, Kuya always gives us tasks to do in order to keep us busy! Here right now I will have to find things or find tasks for myself to do but in the house, Big Brother is the one that dictates and tells us what we need to do,” shared Richard, who was recently in self-isolation after his "Love Thy Woman" co-star Christopher de Leon tested positive for novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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“Oh and also in the house, we get to hang out with friends in person. But right now, I can only hang out with my friends virtually,” Richard added.
The model-actor, however, pointed out some similarities between being on self-quarantine and living inside the Big Brother house.
“I guess if there are any similarities, it’s only the fact that we are not able to go to the outside world! Furthermore, one major similarity is that both now being at home under quarantine and being in the PBB house both are both massive privileges,” he said.
When asked what are the things he misses inside the PBB house, Richard said he missed the idea of not having to worry about inside the PBB house except for the tasks.
“I guess the idea of not having to worry about anything in the outside the house, except for the tasks that Big Brother assigned to us. We didn’t have to worry about paying rent, electricity, utilities, food or anything that’s happening outside. And of course the companionship with my co-housemates and the bond that we fostered and the jokes inside the house are just a future name of the things that I’ve missed in the PBB house,” Richard said.
As for the things he misses in the outside world while on quarantine: “I miss my routine I used to do in the outside world! Having the human interactions, going to the gym, hanging out with my friends, playing football, taping for Love Thy Woman, Eating out at my favorite restaurants, traveling."
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Richard, meanwhile, agreed with a joke in an article that said that the PBB house is the safest place to be during an enhanced community quarantine.
“Well I guess so, because there’s no one else in the house besides me and the other housemates. I remember reading an article about the German Big Brother or was it another European country I don’t remember, their Big Brother show was ongoing and the housemates did not know about the Coronavirus outbreak. I guess during that time the show runners thought that it would be safe for them to be in the house anyway. And if I’m not mistaken Big Brother and all his houses have a little magical bubble that protects it from the outside world, right?” he said.
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