Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0 Big Winner Lella Ford is stepping into a new chapter — one that involves not just her burgeoning career in showbiz, but also navigating matters of the heart.
Lella Ford
At the recent Spotlight Presscon, Lella opened up about the guidance she received from her brother Daniel and her mom, Karla Estrada, on navigating the entertainment industry and handling suitors—noting that Daniel is the stricter of the two.
“Dapat gusto ko raw yung ginagawa ko. Before ako pumasok sa industry na ito, sinabi na niya sa akin na hindi lang puro rainbows and butterflies. Marami ring ups and downs,” Lella recalled. “(I should love what I do. Before I entered this industry, he told me it’s not all rainbows and butterflies—there are also many ups and downs.) It’s a rollercoaster ride.”
“Inisa-isa niya sa akin at tinanong niya ako kung kaya ko raw. Pinaalala talaga niya sa akin na it’s not going to be easy. He told me to love the profession, and sigurado raw dapat ako,” Lella added. “(He went through it with me one by one and asked if I could handle it. He really reminded me that it’s not going to be easy — that I should love the profession and be absolutely sure.) But sobrang supportive si Kuya sa akin. (But Kuya is very supportive of me.)”
On the topic of suitors, Lella said, “Wala namang specific about guys. Pero ang huling naalala ko na sinabi niya sa akin, ‘Ayusin-ayusin mo, Carmella.’ (There’s nothing specific about guys. But the last thing I remember him saying was, ‘Get it sorted out, Carmella.’) I knew what he meant.”
PBB Collab Edition 2.0 Kapamilya Big Four. From left: Miguel Vergara, Krystal Mejes, Joaquin Arce, and Lella Ford.
She added, “Pero minsan tumitingin-tingin pa rin siya. Si Kuya, gusto lang naman niya akong maging masaya. Nasa hustong edad naman ako—I’m 20. (But sometimes he still checks on me. My brother just wants me to be happy. I’m at a mature age—I’m 20.) He’s just being supportive.”
Still, Lella feels her mom has given her the green light when it comes to suitors. “Nasa tamang edad naman po ako to decide for myself,” she said. “(I’m at the right age to decide on my own.)”
Her mom’s advice echoed her brother’s. “Kung bubuksan ko raw ang heart ko, sigurado raw dapat ako. Dapat sa tamang tao. Yun lang naman ang advice nila sa akin,” Lella shared. “(If I open my heart, I should be certain. It should be with the right person. That’s all they’ve ever told me.)”
An exciting new chapter
After four months living inside Bahay ni Kuya, the Kapamilya Big Four gathered at this month’s Spotlight Presscon to reflect on the whirlwind experience that changed each of them.
Krystal Mejes
For the fourth big placer, Miguel Vergara, PBB marked a turning point in how the public sees him. After years in the industry, audiences had known him only through his characters. Stepping into the PBB house gave him the chance to do something he had long wanted — to let people see Miguel, the person behind the roles.
“Matagal na po ako sa industriya, so ang nakikita lang po nila ay yung mga show ko po. Yung mga characters ko po, but now po siguro po nung pagpasok ko sa PBB, ang gusto ko pong makita nila sa akin ay si ‘Miguel’ naman. (I’ve been in the industry for a long time, so all they see are my shows. My characters, but now, maybe when I entered PBB, what I wanted them to see in me was ‘Miguel’),” the young actor revealed.
Third big placer Joaquin Arce, whose time in the house was defined by a string of memorable moments, spoke with quiet sincerity about what the experience taught him. “PBB really teaches you to appreciate yung mga bagay na meron ka… that’s actually one of the valuable lessons na I learned — na you should really appreciate every single little thing,” he reflected.
The experience, he admitted, shaped him into a new version of himself — one forged through introspection and everything he endured within those walls.
Joaquin Arce
For the second big placer, Krystal Mejes, the full weight of the experience didn’t hit until she walked through her front door.
“Ako po, pag-uwi ko sa bahay after big night, nag-phone po ako. After ko pong kausapin yung family ko nag scroll po ako tapos di po ako nakatulog… may time na nakatulala lang po ako because I was trying to process everything, because it was so overwhelming. (When I got home after a big night, I called. After I talked to my family, I scrolled, and then I couldn’t sleep… There was a time when I was just dazed because I was trying to process everything, because it was so overwhelming),” Krystal admitted.
For Lella, what came next felt overwhelming in the best possible way — an unfolding she never quite anticipated, yet welcomed with open arms and deep gratitude.
“Ang dream ko po talaga ay maging isang mahusay na aktres. (My dream is to become a great actress),” she shared, her voice carrying both humility and quiet determination.
Miguel Vergara
Lella sees her PBB journey as a stepping stone — a chance for the world to look beyond the labels of Karla’s daughter and Daniel’s sister, and discover who she truly is on her own terms.
The bond the former housemates built inside the house hasn’t faded — they make it a point to see each other whenever they can, and every reunion carries the familiar warmth of the life they once shared. “Every time na nagkikita kami, it’s just so fun talaga kasi we’re used to being with one another po 24/7 inside the house, and then now dun lang po kami naghiwalay. (Every time we meet, it’s so fun because we’re used to being with each other 24/7 inside the house — and now we’re really apart.) It was so good seeing everyone,” Lella said.
Much lies ahead for the Kapamilya Big 4. With opportunities already taking shape and a promising slate of projects on the horizon, fans have every reason to watch this space with excitement.
