In time for the announcement of the newest housemates of Pinoy Big Brother: The Big Collab this Sunday, former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Sofia "Fyang" Smith trended on social media as fans couldn't help but reminisce about their favorite moments with the recent winner of the ABS-CBN reality show program.
It can be recalled that Smith was hailed as the Big Winner of PBB Edition: Gen 11, where she spent 14 weeks inside the Pinoy Big Brother house.
She won with a total of 30.66 percent of votes. Apart from receiving overwhelming support from her fans, this year's Big Night also set a new viewership record, garnering over 1.8 million live views on ABS-CBN's digital platform — the highest viewership ever recorded for an edition of the reality show.
Despite her successful stint in the program, Fyang remains humble. When asked if she had any advice for fellow celebrities who will join the newest season of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition, she was hesitant at first, acknowledging that most of them had already established their careers.
"Actually, nakakahiya po magbigay ng tips sa mga celebrity kasi mas nauna na sila sa akin, pero nakakahiya. Pero kung magbibigay ako ng tip, siguro po ipakita lang talaga nila kung sino sila, kasi mas mamahalin sila ng tao kung ipapakita nila ang true na ugali nila. And pangit naman kung magpapakaplastic sila."
("Honestly, it feels a little embarrassing to give advice to celebrities who have been in the industry longer than me. But if I had to share something, I’d say just be yourself. People will love you more if you show your true personality. It wouldn’t feel right to be fake.")
On Sunday, 15 stars — composed of talents from ABS-CBN's Star Magic and GMA Network's Sparkle — were officially introduced as housemates for this year's season of Pinoy Big Brother.
Pinoy Big Brother: The Big Collab serves as a major collaboration between GMA Network and ABS-CBN in celebration of the show's 20th anniversary this 2025.
The season is expected to bring fresh dynamics and exciting moments as stars from rival networks coexist and build connections inside the iconic PBB house.