Ralph de Leon and AZ Martinez have broken their silence over fan speculation about their closeness inside the Pinoy Big Brother house, following back-to-back interviews where both clarified that their connection was not romantic.

The topic gained attention after fans questioned Ralph’s intentions toward AZ, with some claiming he may have sent mixed signals. In the YouLOL #YourHonor vodcast, Ralph denied this and said his actions were misunderstood.

“People might have misinterpreted my gestures as romantic, but I was just being friendly,” Ralph said.

AZ addressed the issue more directly in an interview with Boy Abunda on Fast Talk, where the host asked if Ralph’s behavior seemed romantic to him. “Yung kanyang kilos, sabi ng iba ay leaning towards the romantic. Sabi ni Ralph, hindi daw romantic, friendly lamang. Ikaw, dahil ikaw ‘yung tumatanggap ng mga signals na ito, anong pakiramdam mo? May gusto ba talaga sa’yo si Ralph?” Abunda asked.

“For me po, wala po talaga akong nakitang signals or like, I didn’t get any mixed signals at all talaga,” AZ said. “After ‘yung boys night out sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya, he cleared up everything to me, he’s been honest and straightforward.”

According to AZ, Ralph made things clear during their time in the house. “He said, ‘I just want you to know may mga nasabi ako, pero please don’t think there’s more meaning to it.’”

When asked how he reacted, AZ recalled, “I was like, ‘Okay, okay,” adding with a laugh that he once jokingly made a “heartbroken” gesture in front of housemate Michael. “Pero hindi po talaga ako na-heartbroken. Joke lang ‘yon.”

Abunda pressed further, asking if the joke hinted at something real. “Some jokes mean more than jokes. Na-heartbroken ka talaga kay Ralph?”

“Ay hindi naman po,” AZ said. He admitted there were moments when he felt admiration. “I’m not sure if tatawagin kong ‘like,’ pero there were moments na kinilig din ako sa kaniya. And I admired him for how he is.”

Speculation did not stop with Ralph. AZ was also linked to another housemate, Dustin Yu, after a viral clip allegedly showed him confessing feelings.

“’Yun po talaga hindi po totoo,” AZ said. “I don’t know how people say I confessed to Dustin kasi wala po talaga. And then when I got out, pagkakita ko may mga collage-collage, may subtitles na sinabi ko na ‘I like you,’ wala po talaga.”

When asked who the last housemate was to appear in his dreams, AZ answered honestly. “Ralph. Sa loob pa ‘yon ng bahay!” he said, laughing.

While fans continue to ship their favorite tandems, AZ made it clear that their friendship stood on openness and mutual respect. “He’s been honest and straightforward,” he repeated.

Despite the buzz, both Ralph and AZ emphasized that not all close bonds in reality TV turn into romantic ones, and that clarity, when given, should be taken as is.