A viral meme of AC Bonifacio and Ashley Ortega looking absolutely devastated during their "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition" eviction has been cracking everyone up online. The versions are pure comedy gold. But AC and Ashley looked the complete opposite—they were giggling like kids—when they sat down with Kapamilya Chat to talk about their PBB journey, the highs, the lows, and even the controversies. 

AC and Ashley, or AcLey as a tandem, are still adjusting to the outside world after two weeks of PBB life. But more than anything, they’re happy to be reunited with their loved ones. 

The first thing AC did after her eviction was give her mom the tightest hug. For Ashley, the first embrace went to her boyfriend, Mavy Legaspi, who was also present that evening as one of the program's hosts. While inside Bahay Ni Kuya, Ashley has been vocal about her falling out with her mom, whom she hadn’t spoken to in over three years. Now that she’s back, she’s taking steps toward reconciliation. She recently stopped by her family’s house (she’s been living on her own since the fallout), but they weren’t home, so she left flowers at their door. It was a quiet yet sincere first move. 

They had an intense two weeks inside the Big Brother house, and now that they’re back in the real world, everything seems fast paced and with all eyes on them, but they're fully embracing it all. And yes, they’re also loving the hilarious memes that came out of their iconic reactions during eviction night. “Thank you po! Pangarap ko po talaga maging meme,” AC quipped.

Apart from the memes, AC also found herself at the center of some online chatter after clips from the PBB livestream made rounds on social media—one in particular where she was accused of offending Kapuso housemate Will Ashley by joking that he only has limited screentime on the show. Addressing the issue, AC clarified that the "screen time" comment was actually just a running joke among the housemates, and even Kapamilya housemate Esnyr loves to tease about it. She also explained that the clip was cut, making it look worse than it was.

"That clip na nag-viral was so out of context. They edited it to purposely make it look like what they said. But if you continue that clip, makikita n'yo doon si Will na he hits me with a pillow, and he says, 'Ito naman. Dapat seryoso ka kasi sayang talaga 'yung air time ko,' gano'n, as in joke talaga namin," she detailed. 

Will was actually one of AC's closest guy friends in the house—something viewers didn’t really get to see. "He was one of the guys that I was able to talk to every night... about my mom, about Harvey [Bautista], about whatever I was feeling. And that's something that I cherish. It's a friendship that will not be ruined." 

Netizens also had quite a spicy reaction when, during a deliberation on who among the Kapuso housemates deserved immunity from the first nomination, AC expressed that she felt Ashley wasn't being entirely genuine.

Right there, sitting beside AC during this Kapamilya Chat interview, Ashley reacted, saying it didn’t affect her deeply at all. In fact, she and AC were able to talk it through right away, which she really appreciated. "No'ng sinabi niya 'yun sa akin, I saw her being vulnerable and she felt so sorry. Sabi ko, 'No, it's not a big deal, honestly. It's not that deep.' Parang nagulat lang din ako na pinalaki nang sobra ng mga tao. But I appreciate AC for telling me also," Ashley explained, gently holding onto AC's arms as she spoke, a gesture that conveyed both comfort and sincerity. "After no'n nag-move on na kami, kasi, parang two weeks ago pa nangyari 'yun, eh. Matagal-tagal na rin 'yun." 

That heart-to-heart deepened their connection and made their bond feel even more sisterly. AC appreciates how open-minded and mature Ashley was in hearing her out, which helped lay the foundation for their friendship. The experience actually ties into one of the biggest lessons she learned from Kuya, which is that mistakes don’t define you. What really matters is how you pick yourself up and grow from them.

From Ashley's perspective, she knows nobody’s perfect. Even she makes mistakes sometimes. But when she entered Bahay Ni Kuya, she promised herself that she wouldn’t pretend to be someone she’s not just to please the other housemates. Like Kuya told her when she was feeling down, Ashley understands she doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone.

"I stayed true to myself. Totoo naman po 'yung sinabi ko na since I don't know anyone inside the house, siyempre, my guards are really up. At the same time it doesn't mean also na hindi ako makikipag-usap, it's just that I don't want to force myself right away, na parang makikipag-feeling close ako sa ibang tao," she revealed. Maybe in the beginning, she came off as distant or 'fake' because she was just observing her co-housemates to get a sense of their personalities and figure out how to get along with everyone. She pointed out that, for instance, Charlie Fleming came off with a strong personality in the first few days, which caused some tension, so she had to gauge how to approach the dynamic from there.

And honestly, there’s no point in pretending to be someone else, as everyone’s true colors will eventually show as the days go by inside Kuya’s house. "Kung hindi naman ako magustuhan ng iba, dedma lang din naman ako," Ashley confessed. "But at the end of the day, sa loob kasi ng Bahay Ni Kuya, kami-kami lang 'yung magkakasama. Like, even though may mga hidden grudge o trigger moments, at the end of the day, we all know na kami lang ang pamilya dito sa loob ng bahay and kami lang ang magtutulungan."

Another hot topic among netizens was how AC’s issues inside the PBB house would affect her relationship with her boyfriend, Kapamilya actor Harvey Bautista, once she stepped back into the outside world. Well, if there's one thing AC wants to make clear, it’s that she and Harvey are more than fine—they’re happy and stronger than ever. "If anything, I feel like this has helped us because he was able to figure himself out on his own, I am also able to do it," she shared.

Right after her eviction, the first thing they did was talk over the phone, spending the first five minutes of that conversation just exchanging "I miss you!" and "I love you!" to each other. 

The same goes for Ashley and her boyfriend, Mavy, who was the first person she hugged the moment she stepped out of the yellow house. She had an emotional breakdown that night, but Mavy was right there to comfort her. He whispered, "I’m proud of you," and reassured her that she had nothing to worry about and everything would be okay.

No matter what happens or where life takes them, AC and Ashley have found sisters in each other. And they both know that, even as each housemate leaves the house one by one, their bond will never fade. As Gabbi Garcia said in one episode when she entered as a houseguest, there’s a certain magic in Bahay ni Kuya that brings people together. Life inside the house is tough—being cut off from the real world, seeing things from a different perspective, and sometimes getting misunderstood—but at the end of the day, the housemates see each other as family.

"It's a different feeling compared to the outside world... But we know the whole truth," said Ashley. "Totoo po kasi 'yung pagsasama namin sa loob ng bahay, so until in the outside world, we're gonna keep that closeness."

At that point of the interview, AC and Ashley exchanged heartfelt messages that filled the room with pure sincerity. "I'm so sorry for all," AC began. Ashley quickly comforted her, assuring that everything's good between them. AC continued, "The love I have for you is genuine. Sobrang Ate ko po talaga kayo. It's the first time I actually felt someone, like, really check up on me... really love me as a bunso. I hope you are happy always." Ashley then pulled her 'little sister' into a warm hug.

"I love you," she told AC back. "I'm so proud of you. You're such a strong young lady. I got worried talaga when I found out about the outside world, but I know you can handle it because you're a strong woman." She promised AC, "We know the truth. I love you and I care about you. If ever you have a problem, I'm just here. Kasi kung anuman ang pinakita natin sa loob ng Bahay, it's not fake, its real. So I hope we can continue that relationship here on the outside world."

And then, the two of them shared a hug, so pure and beautiful. 

Since they had the chance to really get to know the other housemates, it’s only fitting to ask AC and Ashley who they think should be in the Big Four. They were allowed to choose two Kapamilya and two Kapuso housemates, and here’s what they had to say.

For AC, her picks were Esnyr, Charlie, Klarisse de Guzman, and Will Ashley, who she describes as the underdog of the competition. As for Ashley, chose Esnyr for he’s not just all jokes, but has real substance, Dustin Yu for his maturity, and River Joseph for being so genuinely likable and kind. For to the last spot, Ashley was torn between Mika Salamanca and Will. 

Catch "PBB Celebrity Collab Edition," airing weeknights at 10:00 p.m. and on weekends at 6:15 p.m. via GMA Network. You can also watch it online via live streams on Pinoy Big Brother’s YouTube channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWantTFC.