Kira Balinger, known as the ‘Hopeful Belle ng Cavite,’ and Emilio Daez, dubbed ‘Mr. Bankable Achiever ng Pasig City,’ shared their experiences as former Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab housemates.

At Star Magic’s monthly catch-up session with their artists, held recently at Coffee Project, Wil Tower, Quezon City, both Kira and Emilio also spoke about the personal lessons they gained from their time inside the house and how it helped them grow personally.

'Everything played out exactly how it was supposed to. It may have taken me longer than the others to open up, but I'm super proud of my experience. I'm happy with my journey inside the house, and I don't think there's anything I would like to redo,' Kira said.

Kira shared how the experience helped her come out of her shell. 'Before going into PBB, sobrang introverted ko po. I had a tough time socializing with people my age. Pero ngayon po na nag-PBB ako, na-survive ko 'yon, and I know that I have good people as my friends...In other words, sobrang nag-improve po 'yong social skills ko. (Before going into PBB, I was very introverted. I had a tough time socializing with people my age. But now that I'm on PBB, I've survived that, and I know that I have good people as my friends...In other words, my social skills have improved a lot.)'

Meanwhile, Emilio reflected on how the environment allowed him to connect more deeply with himself. (Mas nakilala ko yung sarili ko. Kasi sa bahay ni Kuya, marami pong mga beses na nagre-reflect ka talaga mag-isa kasi wala kang cellphone, wala kang distractions...Kasi pagpasok ko ng bahay, one of my goals was to become a better actor. And how can I become a better actor? I have to understand myself more. So, talagang dinadamdam ko talaga lahat ng nararamdaman ko, pinapansin ko, and I believe that’s one of the keys to becoming an actor. You have to understand yourself first, feel everything, and hopefully it will translate on screen. 'I got to know myself better. At Kuya's house, there are many times when you reflect alone because you don't have a cellphone, and you don't have distractions...When I came home, one of my goals was to become a better actor. And how can I become a better actor? I have to understand myself more. So, I feel everything I feel, I pay attention, and I believe that's one of the keys to becoming an actor. You have to understand yourself first, feel everything, and hopefully it will translate on screen.)'

Emilio added, 'Ang hirap maniwala na parang ang warm ng reception ng mga tao sa inyo...It just makes me want to be a better person, work harder, and be the best that I can be para sa lahat ng mga sumusuporta. (It's hard to believe how warm the reception people have given you is...It just makes me want to be a better person, work harder, and be the best that I can be for all those who support me.)'

Previously seen in shows and films like ‘Darna’, ‘Chances Are, You and I’, and ‘Maple Leaf Dreams’, Kira shared about her plans in acting, saying, “For the longest time po, I've always been doing the bida roles—the good girl roles, the rich girl—so I want to try, kontrabida naman... 'Yon, at saka ano... nahihiya ako sabihin—pero, Dyesebel. Dyesebel talaga. 'Yon yung isa sa mga dream roles ko.'

The ‘Mr. Bankable Achiever ng Pasig City’ Emilio Daez, before entering PBB, had also already stepped into acting with a role in the television drama-thriller ‘Pamilya Sagrado,’ where he starred alongside Piolo Pascual and Kyle Echarri.

Now that he’s out of the house, Emilio shared that he’s fully embracing the opportunities coming his way and staying focused on his dream of becoming a leading man, saying, “Leading man talaga ang pangarap ko nung pumasok ako ng industriya—walang iba kundi maging leading man ng ABS-CBN. (My dream when I entered the industry was to become a leading man—nothing but to be the leading man of ABS-CBN.) His dream is slowly becoming a reality as he is seen in the iWantTFC original series “Love At First Spike,” playing the lead role.

When asked about the possibility of collaborating, Emilio expressed his interest in teaming up with Kira for an action project: “Napag-usapan din namin na you’re also into action [Kira]. You haven't tried it, so if we were given the chance, I think action would be amazing.”

On the other hand, when Kira was asked if she'd be open to working with Emilio on something like a potential second season of Bagani, stepping into the roles played initially by Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano, Kira responded, “Absolutely. Bagani was super iconic. To follow in their footsteps, that would be a huge honor.”

These two Star Magic housemates from PBB: Celebrity Collab Edition naturally stepped into the spotlight, thanks to the standout characters they showed inside the house.

Now back in the outside world, they’re eager to showcase their talent and prove themselves in the industry, and along the way, their growing fanbase continues to root for them and cheer them on every step of the way.