The leading companies in local content creation have joined forces for the special program.
On Tuesday, January 28, executives from both ABS-CBN and GMA signed an agreement for the upcoming ‘Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition Collab’ inside the famous house itself in Quezon City.
Present during the signing for the Kapamilya network were Chairman Mark L. Lopez, President and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak, and COO for Broadcast Cory V. Vidanes.
During her speech, Vidanes expressed ABS-CBN’s excitement to deliver this special edition of ‘Pinoy Big Brother,’ which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, together with GMA.
“Thank you very, very much for welcoming us into this valuable partnership that will not only unite us but also bring together our Kapuso and Kapamilya fans, as well as our Sparkle and Star Magic artists. This is truly a historic moment,” she said.
The Kapamilya exec also assured viewers and advertisers that ‘PBB Celebrity Collab’ will be an “exciting, compelling, and enjoyable experience” for them.
Meanwhile, Kapuso side were represented by President and Chief Executive Officer Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., Executive Committee Chairman Joel G. Jimenez, SVP for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, and President and CEO of GMA Films Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes.
Atty. Gozon looked back on the first few historic collaborations between the two media giants, which began with ‘Unbreak My Heart’ and ‘It’s Showtime’ in 2023 and the mega-blockbuster film ‘Hello, Love, Again’ starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards last November 2024.
“[…]the next chapter should be something we’ve never done before, and here we are. We are very excited to collaborate with ABS-CBN to bring to the Filipino audience the country’s longest-running reality show, ‘Pinoy Big Brother,’ especially as it celebrates its 20th anniversary,” the Kapuso lady executive said.
‘PBB’ hosts Bianca Gonzalez-Intal and Robi Domingo served as the emcees of the landmark occasion in the history of the Philippines’ longest-running franchised reality program.
The duo have already been confirmed to return for the special season, which is slated to begin airing on GMA Network in the first half of 2025.
‘PBB Celebrity Collab,’ the 18th installment in the franchise, will see Star Magic artists and Sparkle talents live under one roof for a set period of time, with additional details yet to be revealed as of writing.
‘Pinoy Big Brother’ launched in 2005 amidst the reality and game show frenzy that swept the nation.
During its first season, it became a massive hit due to the novelty of the concept, as well as the controversies that sprung up in the show.
In one instance, then would-be first ‘Big Winner’ Nene Tamayo lambasted Big Brother due to a challenge that involved them burning objects they hold dear.
After the success of the first “regular” series, the program had various editions exclusive to a particular group, such as ‘Celebrity’ and ‘Teens.’
In the past decade, however, these editions have since been fused into one — a practice that began with ‘All In’ in 2014, followed by ‘737’ in 2015, ‘Lucky 7’ in 2016, ‘Kumunity’ in 2021, and most-recently, ‘Gen 11’ in 2024.