She already taped as hosts of some episodes. “Napagod ako, nakaka-stress pala. But I enjoyed. Pero tama ang advice ni Tsang Amy. Dapat, whatever happened sa taping, iwanan mo lahat sa studio at huwag mong iuwi kasi you can be so affected and it can be emotionally draining.”
TV5 entertainment head Perci Intalan said they quickly thought of Gelli as substitute for Amy. “We know she’d do a good job kasi beterano na siya noon sa ‘Sis’ for 8 years,” he says.
“But sa ‘Sis’, we have musical numbers, mga artista ang guests. Dito, ibang-iba, kasi we deal with real people and true stories, so mas challenging talaga ito.”
How does her husband Ariel Rivera feel about it? “Naaaliw siya. Right after my first taping, kinumusta niya agad ako kung anong nangyari sa taping. Natuwa namin siyang nag-enjoy naman ako.”
Gelli is also co-hosting “Game N Go” on Sundays. “Kaya halos everyday akong may work. Buti na lang, malalaki na ang two sons ko. Joaqui is 12 and Julio, 10. Hindi na mga alagain.”
She has time for charity work. She helps battered women, is a regular Red Cross blood donor (he blood type Negative A is very rare) and helps in the feeding program Soup Kitchen for Kids for depressed kids of TV5’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation.
