Way before Pinoy Big Brother announced that its 20th season would be a historic collaboration with GMA and ABS-CBN this year, Ashley Ortega admitted she never even imagined she would someday get the chance to experience what it would feel like to be a housemate. In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN before entering the PBB house, the 26-year-old Sparkle artist shared her hopes for the show. 

“Since GMA ako, never ko talaga naisip na may chance ako makapasok sa PBB. So nung nalaman ko na may collab ang GMA at ABS-CBN, I got excited. They gave me an opportunity so I grabbed it right away. Nag-audition talaga ako. Madaming process. I really want to join PBB kasi I want people to know me more as Ashley. I’ve been in the industry for 10 years already and madaming nagmamahal sa akin sa mga roles na ginagampanan ko sa TV but I hope this time they will love me as how I am as a person so I think ito na yung chance ko sa PBB,” she told PUSH ABS-CBN.

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The housemate known as “Ang Independent Tis-Ice Princess ng San Juan” also said she was both excited and nervous to enter the house for the first time.

“I want to enjoy inside the house of Kuya. I want to grow as a person. I just want to enjoy and grow and just show the world how I am as a person. What am I nervous about? Madami eh. I think kung paano ako with my housemates. Siyempre hindi ko naman masyado kilala yung mga tao doon pero kailangan ko pakisamahan lahat. I’m also scared sa mga challenges na gawin kasi I’m a very competitive person. Gusto ko magawa lahat ng tasks. So pag matalo, sayang pero I really want to win all the time. Pati yung ma-monitor ka 24/7, siyempre in my house wala naman nanunuod sa akin pero now I have to be more conscious and cautious because I am being watched all the time,” she explained. 

Depsite the constant risk of being cancelled with every move she makes in the house, Ashley says her main strategy is to be true to who she really is inside and outside.

“Feeling ko advantage din bilang isa akong artista na meron talagang mga negative judgment ng mga tao and we really cannot control what they think of us. Yun din actually yung isa sa naisip ko na pag may makita silang isang ugali ko na hindi naman nila magustuhan eh I’m going to let myself get affected. Ako naman kung hindi nila magustuhan yung ugali ko, I’m not going to please them to like me. Basta ang goal ko lang sa loob ng bahay, magustuhan man yung ugali ko or hindi, as long as I am myself, I’ll be proud of myself. Kasi yun ako as a person eh,” she admitted. 

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Ashley also said that she will never be afraid to speak her mind. “Very vocal ako sa mga bagay so pag may gusto ako sasabihin ko naman agad. If meron akong hindi gusto, it takes a while for me to say it pero dadating din yung time na masasabi ko rin. So I think I will maintain that personality para lumabas din yung tunay kong ugali. Basta as much as possible, I’ll have fun and I’ll really try my best to be myself,” she added. 

Watch Ashley in PBB Celebrity Collab Edition, weeknights at 10 p.m. and on weekends at 6:15 p.m. via GMA Network. Also available via live stream on Pinoy Big Brother’s YouTube channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWantTFC.