In almost every contest, a frontrunner always ends up as the winner. But sometimes, a dark horse emerges from practically nowhere and presents a formidable challenge to the one predicted to become triumphant.
Such is the case for reality-talent searches where popularity clashes with talent. Talent competitions where viewers’ judgment has more influence in deciding the winner have always been problematic but proven effective. Seth Fedelin is of no exemption.
Not all grand winners, however, soar high as they expected. Some disappear after enjoying the limelight for a while. When stars are not glowing, the only way to go is to shun away from the public’s eye. People have seen winners retire from their short stints in showbiz after completing management contracts, including singing talent search whose success is limited with being a one-hit-wonder—sometimes, even worse.
Sometimes, too, someone who is practically a nobody gets forced into the spotlight by following an unexpected breakthrough project. Such is the case of many early eliminated finalists of Tawag ng Tanghalan and StarStruck, and evictees of the PBB house—who didn’t even reach the Big Night—but became massively popular, nonetheless. Seth Fedelin is the perfect example of such.
He managed to clinch a string of big and memorable projects straight away after his eviction from the PBB house. It is enough proof that a housemate does not necessarily have to end up winning the reality show for him or her to be a successful star.
It is interesting to note that stars seemed to have already aligned for the Cavite-native when he entered the house early on. Cues of him eventually breaking-through in show business were seemingly noticed by Dreamscape Entertainment, when then newly-evicted housemate, Fedelin, was immediately cast for a ‘major’ role on the hit daytime-drama series, Kadenang Ginto.
His being part of the series has paved the way for the birth of a phenomenal teen group called The Gold Squad. Fedelin is joined by his fellow Kadenang Ginto teen stars–Francine Diaz, Kyle Echarri, and Andrea Brillantes.
PBB Journey and Eventual Breakthrough.
Fedelin entered the Pinoy Big Brother house as part of the first batch of PBB Otso’s teen housemates—alongside Aljon Mendoza, Kaori Oinuma, Karina Bautista, Lie Reposposa, among others in November 2018. While bets were already on him when he was performing his stint as a housemate, no one foresaw his pace towards becoming one of his generation’s most promising stars.
As a housemate, his stay at the house was brief but memorable. Fedelin’s charm mesmerized audiences who found both his innocence and strong ‘bad boy’ presence an interesting mix for a housemate. His rising popularity saved him several nominations. His tenure and chance at becoming his season’s big winner, however, were cut short, when he got eliminated, just a week before the Big Four selection.
A few months later, after his eviction, Fedelin was included to play one of the lead characters in the already popular daytime series, Kadenang Ginto. His role is the love interest of Margaux (Andrea Brillantes). Backed by the massive following of the show, the Brillantes-Fedelin tandem was well-received. It prompted the management to unite the two with Francine Diaz and Kyle Echarri as an emerging and equally-popular love team. The group comprised of four teen stars under the name The Gold Squad. The group’s breakthrough practically coincided with Fedelin’s success, made possible by follow-up projects, after Kadenang Ginto completed its run.
‘The Gold Squad’ and Subsequent Projects.
Fedelin further soared with projects that came on the heels of Kadenang Ginto’s phenomenal run. The Gold Squad found greater fame in social media, raking in millions of subscribers, followers, and views, both on their individual and group accounts. He was cast in two iWantTFC movies (Abandoned and Wild Little Love) in 2019, and he appeared on several Kapamilya shows, including an MMK episode, and the hit primetime action-drama series, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano. He is set to appear in the horror movie, All-Nighter, produced by ABS-CBN’s film production arm, Black Sheep.
Other Ventures and ‘Huwag Kang Mangamba’.
Fedelin’s future as a multi-hyphenate star is beginning to manifest, as the still young and emerging TV and movie star, ventures into the world of recording. Star Music saw Fedelin’s potential and launched him as a recording star in 2019. He released some singles, since, among which—the soundtrack to the 2020 Web series, Hello Stranger—the Unit 406 original, Kahit Na Anong Sabihin ng Iba.
In 2021, he will have his first lead role in a primetime drama series via Huwag Kang Mangamba. It will also star his fellow, The Gold Squad members.
Seth Fedelin’s case isn’t unique and has, in fact, already happened to several ex-housemates like Sam Milby, Zanjoe Marudo, Yen Santos, Matt Evans, Robi Domingo, among many others, who emerged successful, after their stints as housemates. Fedelin’s case, however, is more interesting because of the short time he took to achieve his current success, which most of his contemporaries, took much longer.
