Stepping once again inside the ABS-CBN compound, there’s this familiar feeling that instantly hits Josh Ford. It was here where he auditioned for "On The Wings of Love," that one role (as the young James Reid) that kickstarted it all in his acting career. It kind of feels like coming home to his childhood years, but this time, there’s a whole new story ahead of him.

He’s not the same kid from that teleserye anymore—he’s coming back as someone who just went through the full “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab” experience, with all its ups and downs. Since his eviction on May 10 (alongside his duo Ralph de Leon, who later returned to the house via wildcard), everything has felt different, in the most exciting and unexpected ways, as support and love from the 'taumbayan' continue to pour in, and his schedule’s been packed with guest appearances and interviews, the latest one being on Kapamilya Chat.

According to Josh, the first thing he did after returning to the outside world was to make sure he could talk to his family virtually, since they’re all based in the UK, and it felt genuinely good to hear them say they were proud of him. He shared how heartwarming it was to hear those words from his loved ones, especially since, during his time in the house, he wasn’t really thinking about how people saw him—not even his own family. He was simply living in the moment, treating everything as if it were real life, without minding the cameras or the fact that so many people were watching.

Josh had no game plan going into Bahay Ni Kuya. When he found out that he was chosen as one of the Kapuso housemates, of course he felt excited, but other than making sure he got enough rest to stay energized, there wasn’t really any special preparation. He just entered the house hoping for the best and with the mindset of staying true to himself.

"It was like a whole different world" he gushed as he took us back to his first day in Bahay Ni Kuya.  As shown in the pilot episode, the housemates were blindfolded first and there was a barrier that separated his circle—the Kapuso housemates—from the Kapamilyas. But much to his surprise, he already recognized a few familiar faces from the other group, like River Joseph, whom he used to play basketball with, so it wasn’t hard for him to go around and start talking to everyone. "I was just being me na makulit sa kanilang lahat. Hindi na po ako nahirapan ipakilala 'yung sarili ko sa kanila. Hindi rin ako nahirapan na makilala sila," he shared, saying it was easy for him to vibe with the other housemates and feel at home right away, especially on the first night when everyone was still filled with excitement and hope.

Josh struggles to find the exact words to describe his whole “Pinoy Big Brother” journey because it was just that good—so memorable, so fun, and something he genuinely enjoyed to the point that it feels beyond words. Every single minute inside Kuya’s house meant something to him, even the simplest moments like the wake-up calls and putting on his lapel mic first thing in the morning—he misses all of it. But if he had to pick the most challenging part, it would be that task where they weren’t allowed to speak or make any noise, although he ended up using that silence for self-reflection. "It was hard pero na-enjoy ko rin kasi mas nakilala ko 'yung sarili ko," he looked back.

One of the sweetest surprises for Josh during his “PBB” stint was the genuine closeness he developed with housemate Kira Balinger, and now fans are shipping them as KiSh. He got to know her more deeply when they were paired up as a duo during the first week, and it really strengthened their friendship in a way he didn’t expect. He only has good things to say about the Kapamilya actress. That's why when asked what he thinks her best trait is, he didn’t even have to think twice and mentioned he likes how open she is with him. He enjoys listening to her stories and random thoughts. 

Josh didn’t have a lot of close girl friends before entering the house, but he surprisingly clicked with the female housemates right away, especially with Kira, Charlie Fleming, AZ Martinez, and AC Bonifacio. They formed a small squad they called the “Book Club” of “PBB Collab,” and what makes him even happier is that the way these girls treated him so warmly inside the house hasn’t changed at all when they were back in the outside world. "It's a nice feeling," he described the girls' consistency, and he’s sincerely touched that he found new and real friendships in his fellow housemates.

However, misunderstandings are part of any shared space. Inside Bahay ni Kuya, tensions can inevitably arise even between people who mean well. Josh himself had a bit of tension with fellow housemate Vince Maristela, which viewers witnessed when the two got into a heated exchange after Vince took offense at a joke Josh made about putting 'sopas' in Vince’s tumbler, which led to Vince calling him a bully. 

Asked his reaction to that, Josh clarified that things had already been resolved between them before he left the house, although he admitted he was hurt as he didn’t expect Vince to call him out that way. He even thought they were on their way to becoming close. Just the day before the incident, Vince even approached him, tapped him on the shoulder, and started small talk, encouraging him to bring out his playful side so he could feed off that energy. Josh remembered feeling uplifted, thinking they were starting to form a bond.

That’s why it caught him off guard when, after trying to stay true to that playful version of himself, Vince singled him out in front of the other male housemates, in a way that left him feeling exposed and embarrassed. 

"I felt like I was being pointed at in front of everybody," he said. "Bully is a big word kaya doon ako nasaktan talaga. At that point, I really had to stand up for myself kasi I'm doing this, siyempre, para sa sarili ko at para sa mga mahal ko sa buhay. So I had to stand up for myself and be straightforward and be honest. But I won't be rude. I won't say it in a bad way pero I'll be straightforward." And in the end, he’s glad they were able to move past it and "part" on good terms. 

Josh held back his emotions when the topic shifted to his late father and the friends he lost in a tragic car accident, which left him as the lone survivor, hence his moniker “Ang Survivor Lad ng United Kingdom.” When asked what he thinks his dad and friends would feel seeing him now, he quietly said, through tears he was trying hard to hold back, "They'd be so happy." Every bit of effort he puts in, he shared, is done with them in mind, because he just wants to make them proud. 

The Kapuso actor fought back his tears as he spoke about how proud his father used to be of him. Back when his dad was still alive, he would proudly show off clips of Josh’s work as a child actor to his friends, especially those from "On The Wings of Love," and that memory is something Josh continues to carry with him today. It's one of the many reasons he still wants to thank his dad, simply for being proud of him back then.

Josh knows deep in his heart that if his dad were still here, he would be even prouder of the person he’s become, and he imagines his late friends would probably be right by his side too, tagging along to every interview, cheering him on. They may no longer be around physically, but their love is something that keeps him going, and keep surviving.