What began as his “last straw” at stardom has turned into Brent Manalo’s defining breakthrough in the entertainment industry.
Once on the verge of quitting showbiz, the 27-year-old actor and content creator is now one-half of the Big Winner duo in ‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition’, alongside Mika Salamanca.
On July 5, the reality show concluded at the New Frontier Theater, marking not just a win for Brent, but a career lifeline.
“When I joined PBB, this was my last straw for showbiz. If PBB still didn’t work out for me, I might have quit already since I’ve gone through so many rejections. There was even a time I believed it wasn’t possible for me to really make it big in showbiz,” he shared.
Born Lesyel Brent Romero Manalo, the Tarlac native graduated cum laude from De La Salle University. He first gained attention in 2018 through modeling and social media content creation before transitioning to acting. His credits include ‘Ampalaya Chronicles’, ‘The Broken Marriage Vow’, and ‘Beach Bros’, steadily building his résumé despite industry setbacks.
Since his ‘PBB’ win, Brent says his confidence has grown.
“Maybe things really have changed now. Of course, I’m more recognized by the media, so it also boosts my confidence when I’m called on the red carpet or blue carpet at the GMA Gala. And PBB added to that confidence.”
That confidence will be on display at ‘The Big Collove Concert’ tonight, Aug. 10.
“We really prepared for this. Even if many of us have no time for rehearsals, we make it a point to fit them in so we can give a good show to everyone watching,” he said. “We already had a Carnival concert inside Kuya’s house, but this time around, it’s really different. We have a song and dance performance.”
Brent added that PBB’s in-house performances helped ease his stage jitters.
“We had performances inside the house that really helped get rid of our shyness. Now that we’re in the outside world, I just think of our audience as Kuya. That way, the shyness goes away.”
Despite the sudden fame, Brent says he remains grounded.
“It’s overwhelming. I’m just so full of gratitude. I also don’t want it to go to my head. As much as possible, I stay grounded and really grateful to everyone supporting me.”
His partnership with Mika remains a highlight of his ‘PBB’ journey. While fans speculate on the nature of their relationship post-show, Brent says their bond has only grown stronger.
“We were already so close inside the house, so I really know her well. We became even closer. I even met her pets that we only used to talk about inside the house.”
As for the concert, Brent teases fans to expect onstage chemistry.
“All I can say is, we have a song and dance performance. You’ll just have to watch out for it.”
