Pinoy Big Brother Kumunity Season 10 alumna Karen Bordador recently made headlines after getting involved in a controversy with regards to her hosting stint for the first-ever fan meeting of Korean superstar Seo In-guk here in the Philippines early this August.

And in spite of what happened, she was still all-smiles and so exuberant when she welcomed Bernadette Sembrano to her beautiful abode in Makati City for their interview for the latest episode of the ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs program “Tao Po.”

The controversy ignited when she replaced Kristel Fulgar, who’s also known as a die-hard fan of the Hallyu singer-actor, as host a few hours before the event commenced. It undoubtedly appalled avid supporters of the two artists, causing a hullaballoo online, with some netizens expressing their disappointment, outrage, and malicious speculations about what transpired.

In her conversation with Bernadette, Karen recounted what entirely happened during that eventful day. According to her, the Filipino organizers just reached out to her that very same day, telling her that the Korean team was highly requesting for her to be the new host of the show after her awesome performance in the event that they also handled and mounted in the country last June.

Despite having a long list of plans that day and no ample to prepare for the gig – as what she revealed in her vlog – she still accepted it, without knowing that it was the fan meeting of Seo In-guk. Even though it was impromptu, her backgrounds as a former radio DJ and host of PIE Channel and other live shows have prepared her for high-pressure situations like that and helped her get through it.

“Parang nae-excite ka sa moments na ganito, ‘yong hindi mo alam kung anong mangyayari pero you will hope and pray na ‘yong direksyon at ending no’n magiging successful,” Karen stated. “I really did my best to just do my job. And not only that, I wanted to fulfill the trust that was given to me by the Korean team. So, I was just happy that I was able to do that.”

However, although she did a great job in making the event enjoyable both for the artist and audiences alike, she didn’t expect the backlash that she received from some netizens. Others might have tagged her as “panakip-butas” or mere substitute or second place, but she actually doesn’t care and loved it instead. For her, one doesn’t need to be first in everything, nor does it matter if you’re first, second, or third because we will certainly have a moment in this life.

Aside from hurling snide remarks and spiteful allegations against her, there were also haters who sent her death threats and even brought up her dark past, which she all silently endured. Those made her realize that even though she has already gone through a lot in life, it’s still impossible for her to carry all of them.

And as she and Kristel finally shed light to what happened during that day, she thinks that she has indeed received redemption. She said, “It’s just that people start off kasi judging things they don’t understand. Wala naman sila do’n, they don’t know the side story. It’s not for me to share kasi side stories, I can only share my story. And redemption-wise, then they realized, ‘Oo nga pala, she really hosts so why are we gonna bash her? She didn’t steal a job.’ That’s not me.”

Those who were able to follow her journey would know that she got incarcerated in 2016 for five years due to illegal drug charges filed against her, which, according to her, would be the “top-tier difficult moment” in her life. She might have gotten acquitted last 2021, yet she still didn’t get spared from the judgment of others, with people calling her an ex-convict despite being only wrongfully accused for a crime that she didn’t commit.

She had the chance to open up about that unforgettable, horrible experience during her PBB stint as “Ang Ms. Brightside ng Makati City”, wherein she described and demonstrated to her housemates how her life used to be when she was still in prison.

“People should stop calling people that came from jail [ex-convict], that’s insulting. Firstly, if you’re an ex-con, you committed a crime and you have a record. I have zero, I have none of that. I came out acquitted,” she conveyed. “Pinaghirapan mo na nga na ipakita sa buong mundo na you’re innocent tapos biglang ila-label ka pa. Kaya it’s a very wrong mindset. Or maybe, people just don’t know the right term.”

As soon as she got emancipated, Karen decided to have pets as her companions. She has a fluffy grey rabbit she fondly calls Liberty and an adorable corgi named Bourbon, which help ease her exhaustion after a hard day’s work as they welcome her with their cuteness.

When asked about the bright side of that hosting controversy, she told Bernadette, “In every bad situation naman, we find learning. People will eventually realize what the truth, and the only truth to me is I don’t want to have an appearance na I suck at hosting because I know I’m not. I’m just grateful for every opportunity. Having foreign organizations trust you, it makes you feel like, ‘oh, I’m levelling up.’”

Then she added, “It’s really important to know kung sino ka talaga kasi once you knew who you are then everyone else, ingay lang ‘yan e. Dini-distract ka sa dream na gusto mong i-reach. And all the judgment, importante ‘yan para maging strong ka e. And know na you have a big future waiting for you.”