The main hosts are Dingdong Dantes and Megan Young. The judges are Joey de Leon, Regine Velasquez and Jennylyn Mercado (female winner in Starstruck 1). The segments hosts are Mark Herras (male winner in Starstruck 1), Kris Bernal (female winner in Starstruck 4), Rocco Nacino and Miguel Tanfelix (1st runner up in Starstruck Kids 12 years ago.)
During the presscon, someone asked: what makes a star?
“It’s a combination of talent plus luck plus sustainability,” says Dingdong.
“You should be very focused and well motivated,” says Kris. Regine makes a more practical answer. “I really don’t know what makes a star. Very important is the star factor that no one knows how to explain. But I think it’s in your personality na unique and only youcan have. Kasi sa talent, marami ang magkakapareho. Marami can sing or dance or act, but yung unique personality mo, yun ang unang makikita sa’yo.”
Star quality is really something that is difficult to pinpoint or quantify. The best example is Alden Richards. He was rejected by Starstruck and yet, everyone knows he’s now the most popular GMA male talent. Then there’s Megan Young. She was easily eliminated from Starstruck 2 and the winners in her batch\ were Ryza Cenon and LJ Reyes. But look who’s now playing the plum role of “Marimar” and co-hosting the latest season of Starstruck with Dingdong Dantes. Other Starstruck rejects who eventually hit it bigger than the winners include Cristine Reyes and Paulo Avelino.
And even if you win in Starstruck, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re already made, as what we saw in the case of Steven, Sarah, Mart Escudero, Jewel Mische and, most especially, Aljur Abrenica, who was almost there but suddenly made a grievous misstep that we are sure he now regrets.
The new Starstruck batch now has 35 hopefuls which have yet to be presented to the press. Only 14 of them will remain as finalists who’ll compete during the course of the show that will be aired at 6 PM, before “24 Oras”, starting on Monday, September 7.
We just hope that in choosing the 14 wannabes, the judges will be banking more on good looks than any other factor. Who cares if they cannot really sing or dance or act? The primary consideration should be: do they really look good on screen? Alden reportedly didn’t qualify because he can’t sing or dance well then. But no one can deny he’s great eye candy. And look at him now as the Pambansang Dimples.
