The iconic yellow and blue house has never been this star-studded! 

For the first time in the “Pinoy Big Brother” history, constellations of stars from two of the country’s biggest talent pools—ABS-CBN’s Star Magic and GMA’s Sparkle—have come together for the historic "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition," which officially kicked off on Sunday, March 9. As the doors of Bahay Ni Kuya reopened, the connections between the Kapamilya and Kapuso housemates were put to the test right away, and unexpected twists left both the participants and hosts completely 'shookt.'  

Launching the season with a high note were Asia's Pop Heartthrob Darren Espanto and Asia's Limitless Star Julie Anne San Jose, who modernized the “PBB Celebrity Edition” theme song, "Sikat Ang Pinoy." The legendary “PBB Gen 11” Big 4—Fyang Smith, Rain Celmar, Kolette Madelo, and Kai Montinola—also welcomed the new batch of housemates as they danced along to Darren and Julie Ann's live vocals.  

Shortly after, hosts Bianca Gonzalez, Gabbi Garcia, Robi Domingo, Melai Cantiveros, Alexa Ilacad and Mavy Legaspi officially opened the latest installment. Although Kim Chiu and Enchong Dee remain part of the hosting squad, they were absent that night due to prior commitments. 

Big Brother wasted no time in testing how well the Kapuso housemates know each other, as each of them was stationed at different spots within the GMA Network Center. Their first task was to locate one another using only a set of clues that link them together. Leading the introductions was Kapuso leading lady Ashley Ortega, baptized as the 'Independent Tis-Ice Princess ng San Juan,' which is a nod to her background as a competitive figure skater before joining showbiz. Ashley got a letter from Kuya instructing her to pick up the next Kapuso housemate, whose title is 'Miss Sunuring Daughter ng Cebu.' With the clue and the initials on the makeup room door, she quickly figured out it was AZ Martinez. 

Ashley and AZ went on to pick up Will Ashley, the 'Mama’s Dreambae ng Cavite.' They instantly recognized him from his sobriquet, aware of his closeness to his mom. One by one, the group of Kapuso artists slowly came together, with their next addition being Josh Ford, the 'Survivor Lad ng United Kingdom.' His alias is a perfect fit, given the many challenges he has overcome in life, including a car accident where he was the lone survivor. 

The team then made their way to meet young family breadwinner Charlie Fleming, also known as the 'Bubbly Bread Teener ng Cagayan De Oro;' followed by actor and restaurant owner Dustin Yu, the 'Chinito Boss-Sikap ng Quezon City.' Completing the Kapuso lineup was Mika Salamanca, ‘Controversial Ca-babe-len ng Pampanga,’ a well-known content creator. 

Before officially entering the Big Brother house, these seven Kapuso housemates underwent a mandatory hotel arrest or  the period of isolation in a hotel without cell phones for a few days. This phase also included the final baggage check to ensure they would only bring allowed items inside the PBB house. 

Ten housemates from Star Magic are also set to enter Kuya’s house. Just like their Kapuso counterparts, they were given the same task of finding each other using clues tied to their background. First up was the Kapamilya beauty whose talent has been admired internationally, AC Bonifacio, 'Ang Dedicated Showstopper ng Canada.' 

AC's next mission was finding the housemate who, like her, had received accolades in his field as an online content creator. A clue in the form of the letter ‘E’ on the door of the Dolphy Theater at the ABS-CBN Compound led her straight to Esnyr, the 'Son-Sational Viral Beshie ng Davao Del Sur.' 

A happy reunion followed when AC and Esnyr picked up their friend Brent Manalo, the 'Gentle-Linong Heartthrob ng Tarlac.' Their next clue hinted at a housemate whose father, like Brent’s, worked overseas as a seaman. That housemate was none other than Klarisse de Guzman, introduced as 'Kwelang Soul Diva ng Antipolo.' 

Klarisse’s connection to the next housemate was their shared love for pets. With the initials R.J. and a background as a business owner, they knew it was River Joseph, the 'Sporty Business Bro ng Muntinlupa.' Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, River initially pursued business before venturing into entertainment. But this guy's still got time for his hobbies, including basketball and golf, despite his busy schedule. 

Just like River, the next housemate is also into sports—Judo gold medalist-turned-host and actor Ralph de Leon, the 'Dutiful Judo-Son ng Cavite.' Rounding out the Kapamilya housemates was the effortlessly stunning Kira Balinger, the 'Hopeful Belle ng Cavite,' who made a striking entrance in her chic, pajama-ready look. 

With both camps finally assembled after their house arrest, the 14 Kapuso and Kapamilya housemates finally stepped into the garden area of Bahay Ni Kuya, only to find their path blocked by a barricade.  

To their surprise, hosts Melai, Gabbi, Alexa, and Mavy (Ashley's real-life boyfriend) were instructed by Kuya to welcome the housemates. But in a shocking twist, the four were handed a letter from Kuya, announcing that they too would be staying inside the house—for an indefinite period—to assist the housemates in their first official task. 

The surprises didn’t stop there, as the scene cut to the confession room where Kuya spoke to Ivana Alawi, his first houseguest. As a houseguest, Ivana was given the mission to convince the other housemates that she is one of them. To make her secret task more believable, she will carry the title 'Ang Phenomenal Content Queen ng Quezon City.' 

Before the episode wrapped up, it was also revealed that the 8th Kapuso housemate is none other than Filipino-Canadian heartthrob Michael Sager, who began his career in livestreaming before venturing to acting. He dreams to reunite with his family, who are still based in Canada, but for now, he’s focused on taking on Big Brother’s challenges, proudly wearing his title, 'Ang Diligent Wonderson ng Marinduque.’ 

With all these back-to-back surprises, the reopening of Bahay Ni Kuya is already packed with big reveals and dazzling personalities, from the housemates to the houseguest to the hosts. It’s definitely shaping up to be one spectacular season! 

Brace yourselves, because the Big Brother house has never been this lit!  

Catch the episodes weeknights at 10:00 p.m. and on weekends at 6:15 p.m. via GMA Network. Viewers can also watch it online via live streams on Pinoy Big Brother's YouTube page, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWantTFC.