Bianca Gonzales: The girl next door

Bianca Gonzales: The girl next door


Long after PBB Celebrity Edition went off the air, Bianca still finds herself being judged by other people for what they saw on television. “I’m still struggling,” says the 23-year-old Bianca. “As much as I’d like to think na people have accepted how things turned out for me paglabas ko, siyempre marami pa ding tao who have their own opinion, and I respect that. Except na, ’yon nga, mahirap. It’s not over yet. My struggle is not yet over. But my frame of mind is really, I’m just so young. I have so much to learn pa. And if I’m down now, like they say, parang gulong lang yan, e. Minsan nasa ’baba ka, minsan nasa taas ka. So it’s an emotional roller coaster talaga. I can say na I make the most out of everything that comes my way. Kahit papa’no, you have to be thankful na God cares a lot. Pinapadalhan ka niya ng trials na no one doubts naman you’ll get through. Di ba?” (YES! January 2007 issue)


“Ever since high school, ako ’yong nagsusulat ng every play, every video no’ng class namin,” she explains. “’Yon talaga ’yong hilig ko. I was never the muse, I was never the popular girl sa barkada. Hindi talaga.”

But now Bianca Gonzalez faces the camera almost daily as co-host of three shows—the morning magazine show Breakfast (Studio 23, Mondays to Fridays), the reality show Pinoy Big Brother (Channel 2, Mondays to Fridays), and the youth-oriented evening talk show Y Speak (Studio 23, Sundays).


A mass communication graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, Bianca had already modeled for television and magazines when she landed a job with ABS-CBN’s Creative Development Group. “I was supposed to be a writer for this show on Studio 23,” she recalls. “Isa sa mga hosts dapat namin, si Drew Arellano.”


The show didn’t get off the ground. Instead, Bianca found herself signing up with Boy Abunda’s talent management company, with Jet Valle as her handler. Boy and Jet also have Drew under their wing.


“Jet saw me on the cover of Candy magazine, and he asked me kung willing ako to meet with the PinkSoda people because they needed a new image model. And since they manage talents, he asked me kung gusto ko bang mag-artista? Gusto ko bang umarte? E, I don’t act, I don’t sing.”

Bianca told Jet she preferred to follow in the footsteps of her elder brother, JC Gonzalez, who used to co-host Breakfast and Team Explorer on Studio 23.


Her first hosting job was for ABC-5’s short-lived Game Channel, opposite another newbie, Iya Villania. ABS-CBN’s Cinema One: Review Night followed. “That’s where I first got to work with Ryan Agoncillo. So parang sobrang perfect timing talaga, everything!”


Early this year, the opportunity arose for her to join Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition. She had initial misgivings: “Kakayanin ko bang malayo sa family ko?” But her family—and her then-boyfriend, TV director Lino Cayetano—proved supportive. “Basically, they said whatever I decide, they’ll support me all the way.”


Inside the Bahay ni Kuya, Bianca became especially close to Bench model Zanjoe Marudo. Their closeness did not go unnoticed, and soon a Zanjoe-Bianca fan base rose.


Then came the fallout. After PBB (she placed third in the show’s grand finale), she was fodder for tabloid gossip. She was labeled a playgirl, a two-timer. The devastated Bianca worked hard to regain Lino’s trust, not to mention working hard to wrest back her reputation as a nice girl. And she bounced back. She came out of the experience a stronger person—and a really busy one.


“Paglabas ko, ang dami na talagang jobs waiting for me. I owe a lot din siyempre to the exposure in Big Brother.”

But she’s still saying no to acting.


“It’s so hard! I don’t act talaga. My handlers keep on telling me lang, ‘Malay mo, years from now you’ll say yes. Si Ryan Agoncillo, lagi nga akong inaasar. Sabi niya, ‘Sabi ko din ’yan dati! Tingnan mo ako ngayon!’ I don’t know. Pero as of now, no pa!”