Ai-Ai Delas Alas explains why she chooses not to do teleseryes yet
Comedy Queen Ai-Ai Delas Alas is gearing up to return to the Philippines this August to shoot for the sixth season of GMA-7’s singing competition, “The Clash.”
Ai-Ai is currently based in the United States with her husband, Gerald Sibayan. However, she frequently goes home to the Philippines when she has showbiz commitments.
Now that she’s going home in August for “The Clash,” Ai-Ai also wants to do other shows to maximize her stay in the Philippines.
“I think yung mga guesting ko, inaayos na nila habang nandiyan ako sa Philippines, habang nagte-taping ako ng ‘The Clash.’ And I hope makapag-guest ako sa ganito, sa ganyan, sana makapag-guest ako sa ‘Abot-Kamay.’”
Ai-Ai is talking about GMA-7’s “Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap,” currently the longest-running teleserye of the Kapuso network headlined by Jillian Ward and Carmina Villarroel.
“Success naman talaga yun, so isa yun sa ina-eye na sana, makapag-guest ako doon,” says Ai-Ai.
Ai-Ai spoke to FreebieMNL and select entertainment reporters in a Zoom media conference on May 26, where she announced her new business as the COO of MC Aesthetics International.
READ ALSO: Ai-Ai Delas Alas Demands Apology From Bashers Following Backlash From “It’s Showtime” Guesting
No teleseryes yet for Ai-Ai
It has been almost two years since Ai-Ai last did a teleserye in the Philippines. Her last project was the afternoon series “Raising Mamay,” where she played a mother who was stricken with brain regression after an accident.
It was a conscious decision for Ai-Ai to take a break from doing teleseryes, primarily because of her living set-up.
She explains, “Part yun ng usapan namin ng GMA kasi yan yung mga panahon na na-haggard ako nang pauwi-uwi ako kapag may soap opera ako.
“Kasi nga, ‘pag may soap ako, mga three months ako nag-stay diyan, which is kinukwestiyon ako dito sa Amerika. Kapag green card holder ka kasi, medyo mahigpit sila. So, kailangan umuuwi ka every month and sabi rin ng lawyer ko, para kasi yung accumulation ng number ng stay ko dito, kaya hindi ako maging citizen kasi kulang. So kailangan ko pa siya dagdagan ng dagdagan.
“From the top yung bilang kasi noong may pandemic, hindi ako nakauwi so nag-start ulit ako ng bilang from 2021. Kapag citizen na ako, pwede na ako mag-stay sa Pilipinas ng matagal.”
She even had to talk to GMA-7 about the conditions of her contract. But now, Ai-Ai is more than ready to make a teleserye comeback.
She recalls, “Meron ding time na kaya nasabi ko sa GMA na kung pwede po, kasi ang contract ko doon is two shows a year, kung pwedeng gawing isa na lang kasi hirap na hirap ako ‘pag paganun-ganun ‘tapos nagje-jet lag ako ‘tapos meron akong trabaho, negosyo.
“So, talagang nag-beg off ako pero ngayon, sabi ko sa kanila, gusto ko na pong mag-soap. So, ibabalik na nila siguro yung two shows ko in a year.”
READ ALSO: Jillian Ward Weighs In On Criticisms About “Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap”
New season of “The Clash”
But while her teleserye comeback is still in the works, Ai-Ai is focused on preparing for the comeback of “The Clash” in August.
She tells the press, “I’m so excited, ngayon pa lang nag-aabang na ako ng mga isusuot ko, nag-iisip ako ng mga gimmick ko, at saka nag-iisip ako ano gagawin ko sa mga damit ko!”
While there may be a “sawa factor” for fans of “The Clash” since it’s already their sixth season, Ai-Ai says that the show can really make each episode still exciting because of its twists.
“Ang maganda kasi sa ‘The Clash,’ every season, marami siyang twists na surprising para sa mga taong nanonood and surprising rin para sa amin. So, doon mo talaga makikita na, ‘Ay, may ganun pala.’
“Minsan, doon lang ina-announce kapag meron kaming taping o meron kaming live, so doon mo makikita na, ‘Ah, exciting pa rin ang ‘The Clash.’’ So, yun ang talagang number one reason kung I think why ang ‘The Clash’ is nagwo-work.”
Since the show has already produced five winners, what is she looking for the sixth winner?
Ai-Ai explains, “Siyempre, kailangan yung may star quality, yung kakaiba siya, distinct hindi lang boses niya kung hindi distinct yung character niya, yung hindi mo makikita sa ibang singer at hindi mo makikita sa ibang artista.
“Yung may ‘it’ na mahirap ipaliwanag, X-factor na mahirap ipaliwanag. Di ba, tayo, di ba yung ibang artista kapag pinapanood mo, sasabihin, ‘Bakit ito si ano, di naman kagandahan pero maraming fans?’ Di ba, ganun? Itong si ano, di rin naman kagandahan kumanta pero maraming fans. Maraming natutuwa sa kanya, yung may ganun, yung may X-factor na hindi mo maipapaliwanag.”
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