9 entertainment newsmakers in 2015

MANILA, Philippines – The year 2015 was a busy one for the entertainment industry. From the triumphs of the country’s beauty queens and baby arrivals, to celebrity breakups and a love team that took social media by storm, it has indeed been a colorful year.

Here are some of the personalities who made headlines in 2015.

Alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza, aka AlDub

Perhaps no showbiz news was more talked about than the tandem of Alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza, better known as AlDub.

On July 16, 2015, Alden found himself watching Maine, who was showing off her dubsmash (similar to lip syncing) skills during Eat Bulaga‘s “Juan For All, All For Juan” segment. When Maine saw him on the split screen, she got giddy, and the first ever kalyeserye (street drama) took off.

After many challenges given by Lola (grandmother) Nidora (played by Wally Bayola in drag), the two finally met on October 24 at an event organized by the show, called “Tamang Panahon.” The event’s hashtag pulled in 41 million tweets on Twitter.

The two have also been the darlings of various endorsements, and recently appeared in the movie My Bebe Love, starring Vic Sotto and Ai-Ai delas Alas. 

The triumphs of the country’s beauty queens

2015 was a fruitful and historic year for Philippine pageantry. On October 8, Ann Lorraine Colis kicked off the country’s winning streak when she won the Miss Globe title in Toronto, Canada.

Trixie Maristela was declared Miss International Queen in Pattaya, Thailand on November 6.  

Cindy Pacia Madduma later won the Miss Scuba International pageant in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on November 28.

On December 5, Angelia Ong made it a back-to-back win for the country, when she won Miss Earth in Vienna, Austria.

Towards the end of December, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach became the 3rd Filipino to win the Miss Universe title after 42 years.

The year ended with Leren Mae Bautista capturing the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International crown in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 31.

Other notable finishes include Christi Lynn McGarry, who was 1st runner-up at the Miss Intercontinental pageant in Magdeburg, Germany last December 18, and Parul Shah, who emerged 3rd runner-up in the Miss Grand International pageant in Bangkok, Thailand on October 25.

Hillarie Danielle Parungao placed in the Top 10 of Miss World in Sanya, China last December 19. Janicel Lubina was part of the Top 10 and won the Miss Best Dresser award at the Miss International last November 5. Rogelie Catacutan was part of the Top 20 in the Miss Supranational competition held at Krynica-Zdroj, Poland on December 4.

In the world of male pageantry, Neil Perez won the title of Mister International 2014 held in Korea in February, while the Philippines’ next bet Reniel Villareal made it to the top 10 when the competition was held in Manila last November 30. 

Kris Aquino

Love her or hate her, Kris Aquino will always be considered one of the most talked-about figures in showbiz. In January, Kris defended her brother, President Benigno Aquino III, over his handling of the Mamasapano clash that killed 44 elite policemen. She also had misunderstandings with some celebrities regarding the issue.

Kris’ much talked about love-hate relationship with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista also made headlines. In February, she wrote on her blog that Herbert proposed to her. In May, it was announced that she and Herbert were set to do a movie under Star Cinema, directed by Antoinette Jadaone. In October, Kris initially left the project but later joined again, as news came out that Herbert had been replaced. 

In November, when the country hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Kris drew flak for comparing her sunburn to the experiences of commuters. She has since apologized for her remarks.

Robin Padilla

Robin Padilla found himself making headlines for both political and personal issues.

In April, Robin voiced out his support for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). He was also set to star in the movie Nilalang, opposite Japanese actress Maria Ozawa, but he backed out, after his wife, Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla, got pregnant. She suffered a miscarriage days later.

In November, Robin expressed support for the presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

In December, Robin announced that he was set to return to ABS-CBN, with a new contract that includes a teleserye (TV series). 

John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo in A Second Chance

Eight years after the success of the movie One More Chance, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo were back onscreen for the movie A Second Chance, directed by Cathy Garcia Molina. The cast admitted that they were hesitant about doing a sequel, but took the risk. It went on to become one of 2015’s biggest box office hits, earning a record-breaking P556 million worldwide. 

4th Impact, Asia’s Got Talent finalists, and Cyrus Villanueva

Many Filipino talents also conquered the stage in various televised competitions.

In March, 4 Filipino talents – El Gamma Penumbra, Gerphil Flores, Gwyneth Doraldo, and Junior New System – made into the show Asia’s Got Talent. El Gamma Penumbra emerged as the champion, while Gerphil placed 3rd. 

In November, Filipino-Australian Cyrus Villanueva won the X-Factor Australia talent show. Cyrus is the second Filipino to win, after Marlisa Punzalan.

Filipino girl group 4th Impact, meanwhile, made headlines on X-Factor UK for their showstopping, powerful performances. They made it to the Top 5 before being eliminated. Despite not winning the contest, the girls will embark on a tour with the show and have been performing in various gigs. 

Jiro Manio

Former child actor Jiro Manio made headlines in June, when he was found roaming around the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. In an interview, Jiro said that he was done with showbiz. His family in the movie Tanging Ina, led by Ai-Ai delas Alas, came forward to help, with Ai-Ai taking responsibility for his treatment in a facility. In an update last November, Ai-Ai said that Jiro is doing well.

Gerald Anderson and Maja Salvador

In April, Gerald Anderson confirmed that he and Maja Salvador were no longer together. During the presscon for his show Nathaniel, Gerald said that he and Maja decided to take a break. Maja, for her part, said that while it was a painful decision for them to end the relationship, they remain good friends.

Since the breakup, Gerald has been busy with sports and appeared in the movie Everyday I Love You, while Maja appeared on the show Bridges of Love, launched a second album, did a solo concert, and currently stars as one of Coco Martin’s leading ladies on the show Ang Probinsyano.

Celebrity babies

Along with 2015 also came new celebrity babies.

Actress Melissa Ricks welcomed her first child, a daughter Kiera Kelly on January 12.

On February 8, Cristine Reyes gave birth to daughter Amarah, with fiance  Al Khatibi. The couple is set to marry this january.

In April, young actress Empress Schuck confirmed that she was pregnant. She gave birth to her daughter Athalia on September 28. 

Jennica Garcia, daughter of actress Jean Garcia gave birth to daughter Athena Mori with husband Alwyn Uytingco on July 16.

Bianca Gonzalez-Intal welcomed daughter Lucia last October 23. In April, Bianca confirmed that she was pregnant with her and husband JC Intal’s first child. In an interview, Bianca shared that JC was so excited to be a father, accompanying her to birth classes.

GMA-7 stars Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera also became parents, announcing Marian’s pregnancy in April. She gave birth to daughter Maria Letizia on November 23. Dingdong and Marian introduced Letizia to the world weeks after her birth.

Who do you consider the entertainment newsmakers of 2015? Let us know in the comments section. – Rappler.com