For the first time in its two-decade history, Pinoy Big Brother opened its iconic house under a landmark partnership with GMA Network. Behind this bold move was ABS-CBN’s Head of TV Production, Lauren Dyogi, who revealed how the idea of collaboration first took root during the pandemic.

“We started this actually during the pandemic… we were starting to have partners to keep the format afloat,” Dyogi told Rico Hizon in an interview on ANC’s Beyond the Exchange. “At that time, we didn’t have a strong platform and faced financial limitations, so we experimented with digital streaming. That’s when we realized partnerships could work.”

What began as a survival strategy evolved into a new era of alliances. ABS-CBN had already teamed up with GMA for It’s Showtime and a teleserye before expanding the collaboration to PBB: Celebrity Collab Edition. According to Dyogi, the results proved powerful: “It’s our third collaboration already… and it proved to be very strong even on their platform.”

Beyond networks and platforms, Dyogi stressed that the show’s heart remains in its casting process. “There’s no formula for the perfect mix of housemates. We just rely on gut feel and our two decades of experience. But once they live together, no one really knows what will happen.”

The experiment paid off. The season concluded in July with Brent Manalo and Mika Salamanca—popularly known as the BreKa duo—making history as the franchise’s first-ever Big Winner Duo. An emotional Mika summed up her gratitude during the Big Night: “Hindi po sapat ang salitang masaya at salamat para ma-explain ang nararamdaman ko ngayon.”

Brent, echoing the season’s spirit of resilience, added: “Basta puso ang panlaban, anything is possible.”

With its successful run, PBB: Celebrity Collab Edition not only cemented a new chapter for the franchise but also proved that collaboration can create unforgettable television moments.