As it’s about to enter its 12th season and 18th edition ever since being launched two decades ago in 2005, there’s definitely no doubt that “Pinoy Big Brother” has been one of the most highly successful reality shows in the country. Through the years, it has introduced hundreds of individuals from different walks of life, as well as parts of the archipelago and of the world, who willingly shared to us their inspiring and amusing stories and impressed us with their fortitude and authenticity.

Now that we’re about to step into the new and historic edition dubbed “PBB Celebrity Edition Collab” since ABS-CBN Studios and GMA 7 are teaming up for this, let’s take a quite long trip down memory lane as we recall the “Big Winners” of the previous editions who endeared multitudes of Kapamilya viewers over the past twenty years.

Nene Tamayo, PBB Season 1

Tagged by her fellow housemates as “Kumander Nene” because of her past military background as the first ROTC Corps Commander in the University of the East, which reflected on her tough persona and enduring stamina in every task they had to accomplish, Romblon-native Jennivev “Nene” Tamayo astounded us with the exceptional leadership skills and admirable personality that she exuded.

Attesting to her courage was when she and Big 4 Cassandra Ponti and Uma Khouny stood against Big Brother after he allowed their housemate Jayson Gainza to do a voluntary exit because of a difficult task that put their friendship to the test. It was later on revealed that it was just part of Kuya’s final challenge for them.

She may not have pursued a showbiz career just like majority of her batchmates, but Nene has found success in being a food business owner and a mom to her now-teenage unico hijo, Tonyo.

Keanna Reeves, PBB Celebrity Edition 1

She might have been criticized and misjudged because of the controversy she was embroiled in prior to entering show business, but Janet Derecho Duterte, more popularly known by her screen name “Keanna Reeves”, proved that she is more than what society used to perceive her to be.

Being one of the eldest members of their batch, she became a mother figure inside the house, which won the admiration of her housemates and the viewers, apart from her being genuine. She also became a good and trustworthy friend to them, especially to her housemate Rustom Padilla, now known as “BB Gandanghari,” which Keanna was able to show by being there when she made the shocking confession that she’s gay.

Apart from her food and beauty product business, Keanna has also remained active in showbiz, with the iWantTFC original series “Hoy, Love You!” (2021-2022) being her latest project under ABS-CBN Studios.

Kim Chiu, PBB Teen Edition 1

Before being hailed as the “Chinita Royalty” and becoming of the most in-demand actresses in the country, Kim Chiu was a simple lass from Cebu who used to only dream of helping her family and making it into the entertainment scene. And she indeed succeeded, as she’s able to captivate us with her authentic and bubbly personality and mesmerizing beauty.

While inside the house, she was able to establish rapport with her housemates, so their edition ended without her getting nominated even once. Aside from impressing us with her singing skills and flexibility, the love triangle formed among her and housemates Mikee Lee and Gerald Anderson also brought kilig vibes to spectators.

After her victorious stint in PBB, Kim has staggeringly rose to stardom and gone on to become one of the most illustrious and biggest stars of ABS-CBN Studios. She has appeared in a slew of teleseryes and films, through which she’s able to showcase her versatility as an actress, host, and all-around performer. At present, she keeps herself busy with “It’s Showtime” and "ASAP” as one of the mainstays, along with her other personal and career endeavors.

Bea Saw, PBB Season 2

Fondly called by her housemates as “Mommy Bea” due to her compassionate and motherly nature, Bea Saw is adored for her sunny disposition, innate charm, and diplomatic approach towards various situations.

Thus, we were all dumbfounded when the Filipino-Taiwanese beauty from Baao, Camarines Sur, figured in scorching spats with her housemates Wendy Valdez and Maricris Dizon, which resulted in the latter’s forced eviction after her indirect threat of stabbing her. Who would forget one of her intense confrontations with Maricris, wherein she uttered one of the most unforgettable and spiciest lines ever heard on Philippine TV: “Alam mo ‘yang respeto, hindi mo ‘yan ini-impose, ini-earn ‘yan! And your age, act your age!”

Because of her natural charisma, Bea was able to score supporting roles in some local blockbuster romantic flicks after winning the regular Season 2 and had her hosting debut as the official “Kuyarazzi” for “PBB Updates” of the succeeding edition. At present, she’s a happy wife to her husband, Rocky Tan, and a hands-on mom to their three adorable daughters.

Ruben Gonzaga, PBB Celebrity Edition 2

He might not be familiar to a lot of Kapamilya viewers but Ruben was actually famous in Davao as a member of ABS-CBN Davao’s group of comedians called “Joke Squad,” along with working as a stand-up comedian in various comedy bars.

Because of his vibrant personality, he was able to develop rapport with his housemates, which helped pave the way for him to snag the most coveted Big Winner title. This made him the first-ever male champion following all-female slate of Nene Tamayo, Keanna Reeves, Kim Chiu, and Bea Saw.

After his successful stint in PBB, Ruben appeared in some teleseryes of ABS-CBN, such as “May Bukas Pa” (2009) and “Halik” (2018).

Ejay Falcon, PBB Teen Edition Plus

Prior to charming us with his good looks and wowing us with his acting chops over the years, the “Promdi Hottie ng Mindoro” initially caught our attention in the “Teen Edition Plus.”

Aside from his journey as a housemate, we also followed Ejay Falcon’s journey in finding his estranged biological French father with the help of PBB and the support of his adoptive father. He might have not have found what he was looking for but he was able to find the path that he was really meant to be—becoming an actor.

He appeared in several TV shows and movies after stepping out of Bahay ni Kuya, with his portrayals of young Rigor in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” and Elias in “Nag-aapoy na Damdamin” (2023) being his most recent acting projects under ABS-CBN. Ejay seems to have been living a busy life outside showbiz, as he’s a public servant, a Philippine Air Force Reservist, and a husband to his longtime partner Jana Roxas. He recently earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a major in Local Government Administration from the University of Makati.

Melai Cantiveros, PBB Double Up

There’s absolutely no doubt that Melai Cantiveros is one of the most notable housemates that ever graced the PBB house. Because of her upbeat personality, hilarious expressions, and natural sense of humor, it was not hard for her housemates and the viewers to love and root for her. Just in case you’ve already forgotten, it was she who popularized the expression “char,” which many people have adopted in their vocabulary.

Along with the whopping prizes as the Big Winner, the “Inday Kengkay ng General Santos City” also took with her the heart of her former housemate and now husband of more than a decade, Jason Francisco. They tied the knot in December 2013 and are now proud and happy parents to their adorable and talented daughters, Amelia Lucille and Stela Rosalind.

Her showbiz career keeps on flourishing as the years go by for she has been bestowed with projects that allowed her to develop and showcase her comedic, acting, and hosting skills. At present, she’s part of the host lineup of TV programs “Magandang Buhay” and “Pinoy Big Brother” and the sole host of the online Bisaya talk show “Kuan On One.”

James Reid, PBB Teen Clash of 2010

Another notable alumnus is James Reid, who was able to captivate audiences with his irresistible charm and impressive talent, making him an easy favorite and eventually the Big Winner of this edition.

Probably unbeknownst to many, he actually almost didn’t make it at least on the Big Night nor the Big 6 since he used to be on the verge of getting forced evicted twice due to his poor health condition. However, it was really meant for him as he got better in the long run and was able to keep up with his housemates.

James pursued his showbiz career, with well-loved films and top-rating series under his belt. He starred in two ABS-CBN series entitled “On The Wings of Love” (2015) and “Till I Met You” (2016), in which he was paired with his former on-and-off-screen sweetheart Nadine Lustre. He established the record label Careless, through which he’s able to unravel his authentic self and achieve more creative freedom when it comes to the songs that he releases.

Slater Young, PBB Unlimited

Dubbed “The Hotshot Engineer of Cebu,” Slater Young was the first male regular housemate to snag the Big Winner crown after besting 29 other housemates. Living a quiet and comfortable life as the heir of a construction firm in the said province, he still decided to join the competition to be able to know himself more and discover his weaknesses and strengths.

During his stint, he got embroiled in a heated altercation with house player Paco Evangelista in the midst of one of their tasks.

Slater appeared in a number of ABS-CBN dramas after PBB but eventually decided to focus on his own lightweight concrete manufacturing business. He has since then been based in Cebu and got married to lifestyle influencer, Kryz Uy. They now have three adorable sons, namely Scott Knoa, Seven Kai, and Saxon Kent, as well as host a podcast together called “Skypodcast.”

Myrtle Sarrosa, PBB Teen Edition 4

Through the striking colorful and anime-inspired costumes that she wore inside the house, not to mention her hypnotizing doll eyes and bright smiles, it wasn’t difficult for Myrtle Sarrosa to capture the attention of viewers, more so our admiration, as she emerged as the Big Winner at the end of their edition.

While inside the house, the “Cosplay Cutie of Iloilo” became controversial with her closeness with male housemates, which included Kit Thompson and Yves Flores.

After PBB, the famed cosplayer found herself pursuing a career in music, hosting, and acting while completing her college education. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in BA Broadcasting Communication in 2017. She’s currently a talent of another television network while still continuing cosplay.

Daniel Matsunaga, PBB All In

Not having a drop of Filipino blood in him, Daniel Matsunaga’s Big Winner finish received mixed reactions, which he addressed by saying how proud he is to have a Filipino heart and thanking everyone who believed in him and saw how huge his love is for the Philippines.

Apart from possessing good looks, the Brazilian-Japanese model-actor’s pleasant personality, diligence, and dependability in accomplishing their weekly tasks gained him not only the admiration of his housemates, but of the public as well. He was also considered the other “big brother” in the house, as he generously gave sensible advice to the younger housemates. His closeness with housemate Vicki Rushton might have sparked controversy but they were able to eventually address it by clarifying that they were just friends.

After PBB, Daniel got cast in appeared in various programs of ABS-CBN, which included the 2016 daytime series “Be My Lady” that he topbilled alongside former on-and-off-screen partner Erich Gonzales.

Jimboy Martin, PBB 737 (Teens)

He might be an introvert, but the “Barrio Rapper of Nueva Vizcaya” could leave everyone speechless with his impressive rapping skills.

Growing up in a simple life in the province, it was seemingly innate for Jimboy Martin to be mature, be always willing to reach out to his housemates in need, and be responsible—the qualities we’ve looking for in a modern Pinoy teenager and making him worthy to be hailed as the Big Winner.

Jimboy had his acting debut through the 2016 primetime drama “Born For You” (2016) and became part of “It’s Showtime” as one of the members of the Hashtags.

Miho Nishida, PBB 737 (Adults)

Having been exposed to Japanese culture and language ever since she was two years old, communicating with her housemates was difficult for Miho Nishida, as she used to be not very fluent with Tagalog and only speaks a little English. However, instead of considering it a disadvantage, this actually became her edge as her cute and hilarious antics, along with her determination, won the hearts of both the housemates and viewers.

While inside the house, she had developed a romantic connection with fellow housemate Tommy Esguerra, which continued beyond the competition. A slew of television guestings and acting stints welcomed her as soon as she stepped out of the house, and she even became a singer and performer. She used to be part of the “It’s Showtime” girl group GirlTrends.

She last appeared in the 2018 primetime series “Since I Found You” and is currently based in Japan with her mother and teenage daughter, Aimi.

Maymay Entrata, PBB Lucky Season 7

From the moment she was presented as one of the housemates of this season, we already knew that Maymay Entrata was going to be one of those that we would be excited to see in each episode. With her natural charm, sunny disposition, congeniality, and relatability as an avid fangirl to local celebrities, the pride of Cagayan de Oro easily captured the hearts of her housemates and audiences, making her one of the ultimate crowd favorites and the Big Winner.

The “Wacky-Go-Lucky of Cagayan de Oro” became close to almost all the housemates, but it was her special bond with Edward Barber that truly enamored us. They became a phenomenal loveteam when they returned to the outside world and went on to star in a few movies and TV shows.

Maymay made us sing and dance to a few of her hit songs, particularly the chart-topping hit “AMAKABOGERA”. She also delved into modeling and even hosting as one of the mainstays of “ASAP.”

Yamyam Gucong, PBB Otso

After almost nine months and four batches, Yamyam Gucong was proclaimed the “Ultim8 Big Winner” of the Otso season.

Dubbed the "Iskulit Bai of Bohol," he was well-loved by his housemates and was a consistent top favorite among viewers because of his admirable personality, his perseverance and keenness in the challenges and tasks, and his confidence in showcasing his authentic self. Thus, he was hailed as the batch winner of the second batch called “#Batch2getherForever.” Aside from his personality, we also admire his friendship with Japanese ex-housemate Fumiya Sankai, which continues until the present.

 Yamyam made his acting debut via “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” in which he portrayed his own life story. He appeared in several Kapamilya TV and online shows and films, with the iWantTFC series “Hoy, Love You!” as one of his most recent stints. In 2019, he invested a portion of his prize money to build his own bakeshop business in Bohol, then proposed to his non-showbiz partner Elaine Toradio in 2021, with whom he shares two children.

Liofer Pinatacan, PBB Connect

The “Dong Diskarte ng Zamboanga del Sur” made history as the first Big Winner of a season that ran successfully amidst a pandemic. Liofer Pinatacan was voted by fans and viewers as the Big Winner of “PBB Connect” during the first virtual Big Night held on March 14, 2021.

We may not have seen him yet that much on TV, but he’s apparently been enjoying life by traveling to some of the beautiful places in the country based on the photos and reels that he has been posting on social media. Besides, he also ventured in food and beverage business by opening his own restaurant located in his hometown of Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur.

Anji Salvacion, PBB Kumunity 10

She might have fallen short in winning the first reality competition that she participated in, but Anji Salvacion finally attained victory after being hailed as the Big Winner of the “Kumunity Season 10” edition. But her journey to the top was not easy since she had to survive five eviction votes and take on the role of the Head of Household once. The Filipina-Russian stunner advanced to the final phase of the competition after being voted to be part of the Celebrity Top 2 and then dominated the season with a landslide win.

While she already appeared in a few TV shows prior to entering PBB house, Anji is able to further showcase her skills in singing through her original songs released, in dancing through her performances on “ASAP” as one-third of ASAP Dance Sirens, in hosting through her stints in “Idol Philippines Season 2” and PIE Channel programs, and in acting through her stint in the controversial series “Linlang.” 

Fyang Smith, PBB New Gen 11

Tagged “Ang Amakabogerang Influencer ng Mandaluyong City,” Fyang Smith indeed lives up to her moniker as she dominated the “PBB Gen 11” season, which can be considered as one of the most widely-watched and highly talked about editions of the successful reality program.

She might be embroiled in a number of controversies inside the house, which included her ultimately controversial fliptop battle with Jas Dudley-Scales and conspicuous closeness with male housemates, yet she managed to conquer all the challenges and tasks. She was declared the Big Winner during the historic Big Night that recorded an all-time high 2.26 million of concurrent viewers on ABS-CBN Entertainment's YouTube and Facebook channels.

Now, Fyang regularly appears on “ASAP” alongside some of the ex-housemates, often with her onscreen partner JM Ibarra, to whom she has been linked due to their chemistry while still inside the house.

Bahay Ni Kuya is reopening its doors for "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition," which will premiere on GMA Network this March 9. 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.