Toni Gonzaga

Toni Gonzaga
Presenter Profile
Nickname	Toni, Toni G., Tin
Born	January 20, 1984 (1984-01-20)
Hometown	Taytay, Rizal
Known For	Actress Singer Host of Pinoy Big Brother
Years Active	2005 - present
Social Media
Twitter	celestinegonzaga
Instagram	celestinegonzaga

Celestine "Toni" Gonzaga-Soriano is the main host of Pinoy Big Brother.

Her infamous greeting quote in every episode is the Hello Philippines and Hello World! phrase.

She has been hosting the series together with her female co-hosts Mariel Rodriguez and Bianca Gonzalez for over 10 years now, where they are nicknamed by Big Brother himself as Big Brother's Angels.

Biography

Toni Gonzaga is an award-winning TV host, singer, and actress in the Philippines.

Toni started as a commercial model and a singer. In the early years of her career, she became popular for her Sprite TV ad with Filipino actor Piolo Pascual in 2002. In the same year, she also released her eponymous debut album under Prime Music in the same year at just age 17. Toni had her first hosting stint when she became one of the main hosts in the long-time afternoon variety show Eat Bulaga! aired in GMA. She also had her first acting work when she was cast in GMA's Habang Kapiling Ka in the same year.

Her singing career was a success in the Philippines, releasing 7 Studio Albums since her debut album in 2002.

In January 2005, Toni Gonzaga transferred to ABS-CBN. Since then, Toni has been hosting several of the network's popular shows, notably Pinoy Big Brother where she became the main host of the reality series. Aside from Big Brother, she also hosts other reality shows in ABS-CBN such as The Voice, Pilipinas Got Talent

Since her transfer to ABS-CBN, Toni had several movies under wikipedia:Star Cinema, the film production company of the infamous network, such as Starting Over Again and Four Sisters and a Wedding.

Currently, aside from hosting, Toni has been portraying Julie, the lead character of the weekend sitcom series Home Sweetie Home since the show premiered on January 2014.

In 2015, Toni married film maker Paul Soriano and gave birth to her son in 2016.

Association with Pinoy Big Brother

At age 21 years old, Toni was among the original hosts of Pinoy Big Brother during Pinoy Big Brother 1 alongside TV hosts Willie Revillameand Mariel Rodriguez. Initially, her role in the series was to host the primetime highlights episodes of Pinoy Big Brother while Willie hosted live evictions and nomination nights and Mariel for the late-night companion show, Pinoy Big Brother: Uplate. However, when Willie didn't return for Celebrity Edition 1, Toni became the presenter of both live shows and primetime weeknight episodes.

On Teen Edition 1, Toni left the show temporarily, and Pinoy Big Brother: Uplate host, Mariel Rodriguez took over Toni's duties as the host for primetime and live shows. Former celebrity housemate, Bianca Gonzalez was added as one of the show's presenters and took over the role of Mariel as the host of Pinoy Big Brother: Uplate. Eventually, Toni returned for the Big Night finale of the season.

On Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2, Toni and Mariel were both pranked by Big Brother and made them live inside the house for a specific number of days. She was the second presenter to enter the house with Mariel being inside the house a week ahead of her unexpected entry. At first, she was just pranked by Big Brother when he locked the Confession Room's door after she sent the new celebrity housemate Ethel inside the house.

PBB Balikbahay Toni becomes a celebrity guest in the Big Brother House!

On the second time, it was an unexpected official entry when she was called to go to the confession room after the usual placement of the medallion to the nominated housemates. Both Mariel and the Celebrity housemates were confused. She then later went inside carrying her bathrobe with her name on it and officially welcomed by the housemates as their new house guest. In order for her to get out of the house, she must do some special tasks given by Big Brother. Bianca temporarily took over the two hosts' roles while they were inside the house.

On Pinoy Big Brother 7, the season launched with both Toni and Mariel Rodriguez being pregnant (whom temporarily left the show earlier due to her delicate condition) and in the middle (Week 10) of the Teen Edition, Toni announced to both the housemates and the audiences about her maternity leave as she was about to prepare for the birth of her child. On September 30th, 2016, she gave birth to a baby boy. After six months, she returned back to the show during the first live episode of the Dream Team chapter of the season.

On Pinoy Big Brother 8 Toni and her sister Alex Gonzaga sang the season's special theme song entitled Otso Na!, where it first played during the live launch's opening production.

Trivia

• Her sister, Alex Gonzaga was originally announced as the newly added co-host of Pinoy Big Brother: All In, however, just like her, Big Brother surprisingly announced on the opening night that the next celebrity entering would be Alex shocking her once again on live television. A week later, it was clarified that she was only a house guest just like Toni did on Celebrity Edition 2.

• She was the second Big Brother presenter in the history of the series worldwide to live inside the Big Brother house.
  • Mariel Rodriguez entered a week ahead of Toni's surprise entry. Both entered as houseguest in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2.
  • Davina McCall of Big Brother (UK) became the second main presenter to enter and live inside the Big Brother house when she entered the house during Celebrity Big Brother 7 for a task in 2010.

• Toni sang the Celebrity Edition theme song Sikat ang Pinoy with Sam Milby.

• Toni sang the theme song Pinoy Ako for the Unlimited season.

• On June 12, 2015, she got married to Filipino film director and producer, Paul Soriano in Taytay, Rizal.

• She also hosts ABS-CBN's reality talent shows such as The Voice of the Philippines, The Voice Teens, I Love OPM and as well as the now defunct show Pinoy Dream Academy.

• On September 30, 2016, she gave birth to her first son, Seve Soriano.

• She suffered from Postpartum Depression after giving birth, resulting to an her extended leave for hosting in Pinoy Big Brother 7. She came back to work six months after, to host Pinoy Big Brother and the first season of The Voice Teens.

• On Pinoy Big Brother 8's January 20, 2019 live episode, Toni was given a surprise birthday greetings from Big Brother, the adult housemates and his husband Paul Soriano and son Seve Soriano who surprised her when they appeared sitting in the Confession Room talking to Big Brother about Toni.
  • It was the second time that Toni's birthday was celebrated with her Big Brother family. The first one was in 2011 during Unlimited when she visited the house to attend a birthday celebration organized by the housemates.

• Toni's comedy sitcom "Home Sweetie Home" parodied the life in the Big Brother House in an episode aired on March 2, 2019 where Toni's character, Julie, imagined herself being in the house as a housemate together with the rest of the Home Sweetie Home cast. The Big Brother parody episode revolved around a spoof on house fights and conflicts with Julie ended up getting nominated.

Gallery

Pinoy Big Brother 7

References

Pinoy Big Brother Presenters
Toni Bianca Mariel Robi