Karylle steps out of her comfort zone

It’s Showtime host Karylle Tatlonghari is getting out of her comfort zone as she is cast in iWant’s newest reality series, “Manila Matriarchs,” alongside Joanna Pressler-Francisco, Myrza Sison and Trisha Bantigue-Tsao, all women of substance.

The series follows the lives of these four women as they give viewers a glimpse of how they navigate life’s challenges, sharing their views on family matters, friendships and careers.

Being in the series shows Karylle’s life up close and personal, something she is doing for the first time.

“We were just being ourselves in front of a camera. Mahirap din siya kasi may mga part na may confessionals. (It’s difficult because there are parts that are confessional),” she said.

Karylle felt she unexpectedly revealed more of herself during the shoot, something she had not allowed in any show or conversation in the past.

“I think I talked about some very personal stuff. Nagulat ako (I was surprised). I talked about it,” she said.

Karylle, thanks to her exposure on radio and podcast shows, has become at ease with communicating her life’s challenges.

“Sa buhay natin ngayon, nag-overshare na tayo (In our lives now, we overshare). So, I’m on the radio, so I do Good Times in the morning, and then I do a podcast. So, more and more, you share this and that about yourself. Minsan (Sometimes), overshare,” she explained.

Set against the backdrop of the country’s most exclusive social circles, the reality series delves into the sophisticated lives of the Filipina elite, showing exclusive and meaningful interactions among Joanna, Manila’s art queen; Myrza, the fashion editorial royalty; Karylle, the multi-awarded actress-singer; and Trisha, the fearless CEO.

“The Filipina woman has never been one-dimensional, so why should the stories we tell about her be? I wanted to show women who are accomplished, complicated, glamorous, funny, ambitious and unapologetically themselves. Their lives may be extraordinary, but their humanity is what connects them to the rest of the world,” said creator Cece Asuncion.

Produced by Girl Bye Productions Inc. and Lucca Creatives, Manila Matriarchs brings a fresh perspective on Filipina ambition, influence and modern womanhood to audiences worldwide.

Manila Matriarchs is now streaming exclusively on iWant. Its first episode is available for free worldwide. Following its 10 November premiere, viewers can catch the newest episodes on 24 November.

Airline crew member recalls encounter with Angelina Jolie

A Filipino airline crew member, Ken Ortega, could not believe his luck when he saw Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie up close and personal during a flight bound for Manila.

Excitedly, Ortega shared his once-in-a-lifetime experience with Jolie in a three-part Instagram reel. He revealed how he initially wanted to take a selfie with her but prevented himself from doing so out of respect for Jolie’s space and privacy.

Ortega’s story amazed netizens worldwide as he posted an exclusive autograph from Jolie.

“Still processing the fact that Angelina became a passenger on a flight I was in,” Ortega wrote about his surreal experience.

“Ang ganda niya (She’s beautiful) in person. Face card sobra,” he vividly recalled, adding, “She maintained complete eye contact when I talked to her while I tried my best to act normal.”

Confessing that he almost asked for a photograph with the Hollywood icon, Ortega chose not to do so “because most of the time, she was resting and sleeping and we didn’t want to invade her personal time.”

Still, he admired Jolie’s physical attributes and grace, recalling that she “has a very small face, and her movements are so graceful — the way she drank her tea.”

Ortega was thrilled when Jolie asked him what name she should put on the autograph — Ken or Kenneth — after noticing his full name on his name tag.

Jolie is in the country as a key speaker at the ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit.