Vaness del Moral has a lot of fond memories since she started her career in 2005.
But one unforgettable moment she had involved her co-finalists in StarStruck’s third season.
During her recent PEP Live guesting, the Widows’ Web actress says with a laugh, “Isa sa hindi ko makakalimutan doon is yung… they ganged up on me. Wow!”
Vaness recalls how Jackie Rice, her co-finalist who was hailed the season's Ultimate Female Survivor, wanted to vote her out during the start of the competition.
Vaness narrates, “Hindi, kasi di ba, maldita kasi ako, masungit kasi ako.
“Hanapin mo, may interview si Jackie Rice. Sabi ni Jackie, tinanong siya, ‘Sino ang gusto mong ma-eliminate or sinong ayaw mo sa batch ninyo,’ ganyan.
“’Tapos sabi niya, ako daw, tinanong siya bakit. Kasi masungit daw ako, ‘tapos sumbungera raw ako, at saka mayabang daw ako.”
Apparently, these assumptions about her started with a pair of slippers.
Vaness continues, “Kasi noong time na iyon, may step-in ako na basta may design, may kinang kinang.
“So, hinubad ko siya, hindi ko alam kung bakit. And then, may mga dumadaan, naaapak-apakan nila yung tsinelas.
“Ako, as a person, kapag may nakita akong tsinelas, hindi ko aapakan iyan kahit kaninong tsinelas iyan. Maganda man iyan, tsinelas man iyan na pambanyo lang, kahit anong tsinelas iyan, mahal man o mumurahin, hindi ko aapakan iyan.
“Kasi bakit ko naman aapakan yung tsinelas mo, di ba? Kasi madudumihan, e!”
Vaness then scolded her other co-finalists and asked them not to step on her slippers, which had sentimental value.
“Sabi ko, ‘Uy, huwag niyo namang apak-apakan iyong tsinelas ko.’
“’Tapos, parang sabi nila sa akin, ang yabang ko naman daw, ano lang naman daw yung tsinelas na yun.
“E, bigay sa akin ng ate ko iyon kasi pinaghirapan niya yung bilhin. Kasi, noong time na iyon, flight attendant yung ate ko sa Saudia Airlines.
“Siyempre, kapag pinadalhan ka ng pasalubong, di ba, itse-cherish mo iyon? Iti-treasure mo yung pasalubong na iyon, so iingatan mo siya.
“So, sabi ko, ‘Huwag niyo namang apakan yung tsinelas ko, bigay pa sa akin ng ate ko iyan, galing pang Jeddah iyan.’
“’Tapos parang nayabangan daw sila na, e ano naman kung galing Jeddah yung tsinelas ko?”
Apart from the tsinelas incident, Vaness was also the group’s “ate” at that time, and the group viewed her as a disciplinarian.
Vaness relates, “Plus ako din kasi yung taga-sutsot sa kanila noong time na iyon.
“Ako naman yung pinakamatanda sa kanila noong time na iyon, e, so ako yung taga-‘Sshh, huwag mong gagawin iyan.’
“Ako yung taga ganun. Kaya ayan, nainis sila sa akin. Charot!”
Just recently, GMA-7 uploaded a video clip from StarStruck’s third season where Vaness was told by judge Lorna Tolentino: “Marami raw napa-plastikan sa ’yo.”
Vaness answered, “Siguro po dahil quiet akong person pero kapag tumagal, magiging maingay din po ako!”
On the other hand, judge Joey de Leon was the one who asked Jackie about “sinong mukhang asar sa ‘yo.”
Jackie answered, “Bossy po sa amin si Vaness. Sabi niya, ‘Uy, mag-ingat ka naman. Iyong tsinelas ko, binili pa namin yan sa German.”
But, in her PEP Live interview, Vaness says that all is well now with her co-finalists: “Oo naman! Okay naman na!”
VANESS’ ELIMINATION ON CHRISTMAS DAY
Vaness was the second finalist to be eliminated during her time in StarStruck.
Of all the days she would be eliminated, it had to happen on Christmas Day in 2005.
Vaness recalls, “Pasko iyon! Sabi ko, 'Okay kayo, ha. Mag-aano talaga kayo ha, Pasko.'”
But she remembers not crying during her elimination.
She explains, “Hindi ako umiyak noon, strong ako, e. Hahaha!
“At saka galit nga ako, sabi ko sa 'yo di ba, yung mentality ko dati, ‘Ah tinanggal niyo ako ha, sige!'
“Kaya iyan, hindi ako umiyak. Naalala ko pa yung suot ko noon e, alam mo yung sinusuot ng drum and lyre ‘tapos skin tone!
“In-eliminate ako, Pasko, tandang tanda ko iyon!”
Despite being eliminated early in the contest, Vaness is one of the few from her batch who have remained active in show business.
Through the years, Vaness has learned that it is not just her position in StarStruck that has brought her far in showbiz, but the work ethic that she displays in every project.
She recalls being told about this during her younger years in the industry.
Vaness tells PEP Live, “Ang sinasabi nila sa amin noon na tinuturo din namin sa bagong artists, tinuro namin sa kanila na hindi porke’t magaling kang artista ay palagi kang magkakaroon ng show. It’s also your work ethic.
“Kahit gaano ka kagaling, kung hindi ka masarap katrabaho, kung ayaw ka na nilang katrabaho dahil sakit ka sa ulo, hindi ka na nila kukunin.
“So ang staying power, ang secret para mag-stay ka is yung work ethic mo, dapat very professional ka.”
Watch Vaness' full PEP Live episode here: