PBB’s Karen Bordador bounces back

Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) celebrity housemate Karen Bordador is looking forward to spending Christmas for the first time in five years after being acquitted of conspiring to sell illegal drugs and spending five years in prison.

“I will probably attend a few reunions and just look at the Christmas decors. I’m just so happy I finally get to have Christmas again. I’ll simply have a low-key Christmas celebration at home,” said Karen, who got out of the Bahay ni Kuya in the current Pinoy Big Brother: Kumunity Season 10 airing on the Kapamilya Channel and A2Z.

It was the second time for the former DJ and now a vlogger to join a reality TV show. In 2014, Karen and her boyfriend made it to the finals of ABS-CBN’s original format, I Do, where nine couples plan to tie the knot.

“I was honestly not ready to even get married then, so I backed out when I was included in the Top 3 couples. My heart eventually didn’t think it was the right time, and my partner there and I broke soon after,” she said.

While PBB may serve as her reality TV homecoming on ABS-CBN, it was an all-new journey for Karen, who is taking the opportunity to show the world who she is and hopes things will keep booming for her.

“I Do was for couples, so I had a sure ally inside. However, with PBB, it was a journey just for me. My life has been so dark for the longest time. I’m aiming it to be as bright as the sun now that I’m back and facing the world with a big smile despite what I’ve been through,” she shared.

What made her decide to join PBB and be locked up in a house instead of enjoying her new freedom in the outside world?

“I joined PBB because it is such a beautiful platform to show who you really are to the world. My goal was to redeem my good reputation. For many years, my name was tarnished. I lost everything when I was badly accused of a criminal case that was simply not me,” she explained.

“God opened the door when I became part of the PBB Celebrity Season 10 cast. I always thought that ‘The biggest setback is the greatest comeback.’ It was just such a perfect fit just when I was starting to vlog on YouTube,” she added.

It was only four months after she was set free when she entered the PBB house. She hardly had the time to prepare and buy new stuff that she would bring.

“I had not settled when I entered the house of Kuya. The clothes I wore inside BNK were my clothes back in 2016. I didn’t have shoes since all were already destroyed. I had to rush and buy two of them and a few makeup stuff,” she said.

For Karen, living in Kuya’s house was liberating as it allowed her to dress up and look good.

“I wore yellow shirts and brown pants for five years. I felt so liberated to be the fashion lover that I am finally. In the last few days of my stay in the house, I actually wore three outfits in a day just to enjoy my possible last week inside,” she recalled.

With what she went through the past years, Karen had no qualms about joining PBB and meeting new housemates. “No apprehensions whatsoever in entering the PBB House. I’m happy people appreciated me for who I am. I didn’t expect the good reviews I got. I was simply being me,” said Karen, who is grateful for the outcome of her performance as a housemate.

It wasn’t difficult for Karen to live with the housemates as she found them welcoming, though there were times she felt a little tired socializing.

According to Karen, staying in the PBB house meant conversing and relating to others almost 24/7. She contrasted it with her experience in jail, which gave her a quiet life for many years.

She said, “Though there were other detainees, there wasn’t a need to always speak and converse. I only spoke when I felt I had important or interesting things to say. I wasn’t part of the cliques inside the house, but I could hang with all of them. That meant I could be nominated anytime because I was not part of the groups.”

And after leaving the PBB house, the first thing she did when she got home was to eat Korean food like japchae that her dad loves feeding her.

“It was the same meal I was fed when I finally got home from kulongbia (jail),” she said.

Looking back at her PBB experience, Karen learned the most valuable lesson that her character is intact. She said, “I remained focused on my core values and beliefs. After so many dark moments in my life, being in another ‘challenging’ house arrest just felt like a walk in the park. Though I did get nervous in challenges, I just kept feeling that tomorrow will be a better day, so I need not be so hard on myself today.”

After a dark chapter in her life, Karen never lost faith and believed she would be cleared of the wrong accusations.

“While in jail, I kept myself strong by believing that God would never leave me. Though He seemed silent while I was in my dark moments, I opened my eyes to appreciate the little blessings I had. God is good. God’s delays are not His denials. It was simply all about perfect timing,” she said.

With things brightening up, Karen now looks forward to pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and making her family proud again.

The reality TV celebrity wishes to continue her TV and events hosting career and even dive into acting. She has set up her website (www.karenbordador.com) and vlogs on her social media accounts.

“I’ll be writing a book soon and possibly create a fashion line. Sky’s the limit. I lost five years of my life, and I’d like to regain it immediately. I’m ready to embark on a magic carpet ride already,” she said.