Aminado si Ralph de Leon na isa si AZ Martinez sa naging malapit sa kanya sa Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Celebrity Collab Edition.
Nag-guest sa PEP Live si Ralph noong Miyerkules, August 13, 2025, at dito eksklusibong ipinaliwanag ni Ralph kung bakit malapit ang loob niya kay AZ.
Saad ng Kapamilya Second Big Placer: “Siguro, I mean, all I really want from a friend is just someone who understands me.
“Someone who's able to be there for me when I need them or someone who is not afraid to call me when they need me.
“And I feel like AZ was one of those people inside the house na grabe talaga, it seems like such a distant memory na parang ang tagal na nangyari.
“Pero something na I really appreciated about her talaga was how open she was to me.
"And I feel like that's what really made us click and become close sa bahay.”
Read: What Ralph de Leon said about Team AzRalph and Team RalpVee
RALPH DE LEON AND AZ MARTINEZ heart-to-heart talks
Hindi maikakailang may mga pagkakataong napaisip si AZ kung nahuhulog na ang loob niya kay Ralph.
Pero sa loob ng Bahay Ni Kuya, ilang beses ding nagkausap sina AZ at Ralph kung ano ang tunay na nararamdaman nila sa isa’t isa.
Noong Abril, may isang eksenang na-highlight sa PBB na nag-"love you” sila sa isa’t isa bago matulog noong gabi ng Boys Night Out ng male housemates.
Nakainom ang lahat ng boys at halatang lasing si Ralph pagkatapos.
Pero nang sumunod na araw, nagkaroon ng heart-to-heart talk sina Ralph at AZ.
Tinanong ni Ralph si AZ kung may nasabi ba siyang hindi malinaw kay AZ.
Inamin ni AZ na sobrang na-appreciate niya si Ralph, at kinilig siya sa pagiging thoughtful ng binata.
Maingat namang nagpasintabi si Ralph na huwag sanang ma-misinterpret ni AZ ang kanyang trato rito.
Sabi pa ni Ralph kay AZ, ayaw niyang maging awkward sila sa isa't isa.
Noong Mayo, nagkausap ulit ang dalawa at dito inamin ni AZ na pinutol na niya kung anuman ang nararamdaman niya para kay Ralph.
Nag-sorry naman si Ralph kay AZ kung may nagawa man siya para mahulog ang loob ni AZ sa kanya.
Read: Kim Chiu and sister Lakam unfollow each other on Instagram
RALPH DE LEON'S EXPLANATION ON PEP LIVE
Sa PEP Live, tinanong si Ralph kung anong ibig sabihin nung “I love you” na iyon.
Paglilinaw ni Ralph: “Parang hindi naman siya ‘I love you, I love you’ in that sense.
“Kasi siyempre, a lot of it is taken out of context na, siyempre, nagkakagusto kami sa isa't isa, yung relationship-relationship na yan.
“But if you've watched even the past episodes before that night, ganun din po ako sa ibang housemates, e.
“Na yung mga ‘love you-love you’ namin has become such a normal occurrence sa bahay.
“So it's really, honestly, a show of deep appreciation for that person and nothing else.
“We're not afraid to say it, we're not shy to say it. Kasi for us, bakit pa namin ikakahiya yung pagmamalaki namin sa isa't isa?”
Read: Will Ashley admits Mika Salamanca is his type among PBB housemates
RALPH REFUSES TO RISK FRIENDSHIP WITH AZ
Ngayong nasa outside world na sila, posible bang mahulog ang loob niya kay AZ?
Sagot ni Ralph: “Well, I wouldn't say I'm closing the doors to anything.
“Pero kasi, for me now, it's not a priority. It's not something that I'm looking into or actively searching for.
“Kasi I have my priorities also with regards to work and with regards to maintaining all the relationships that I have inside the house.
“All the friendships that I've built, ayoko din i-risk it.”
Ayon pa kay Ralph, hindi siya ang tipong basta na lang pumapasok sa isang relasyon.
“If ever man, I'm not saying na mangyayari siya, I don't want to take that chance na din to be able to just go into a relationship blindly.
“I want to protect what we have and what all of the other housemates have at this moment.”
Pagdating sa kanyang love life, hindi naman itinago ni Ralph na may serious relationships na siya noon.
Pero ngayon ay buong pagmamalaki niyang sinabi kung ano ang focus ng kanyang puso.
“I’m single and married to my work!” bulalas ni Ralph sa PEP Live.