‘Survivor’ fields colorful pairs of celebrity castaways

CRUZ, MONTERO AND LOPEZ, Topbill GMA 7’s game of odds.

We thought we were on our own reality challenge show when we went to Palawan recently to meet the castaways of GMA 7’s “Survivor Philippines Celebrity Doubles Showdown,” hosted by Richard Gutierrez. Our trip was one for the books: We had to wade through a flood during a 5 a.m. downpour to make our flight.

Then, later, as we made our way back to Puerto Princesa from the island, our van had to be towed out of the mud by a passing 4×4 truck, before it went turtle – and slammed into a wall of hardened soil 15 minutes later! Thank goodness, this year’s contestants – made up of 10 “celebrity pairs” – seem better-prepared for the daunting tasks at hand.

Isabel Granada and Chuckie Dreyfuss looked like they were stuck in teenage limbo as they tried to size up the competition. “We may not look manipulative, but we’re just as competitive as the others,” assures Isabel, whose initial reaction when she first saw the other, taller and brawnier contestants was, “Wala na ba’ng itatangkad ang mga ‘yan?” But, as they demonstrate in the group’s first challenge, size doesn’t really matter!

Dream come true

The ever quotable Maria Isabel Lopez is in it as a favor for her daughter, Mara Yokohama. She explains, “I’m only here to make Mara’s dream come true. I’m a survivor in real life, but this is a different ballgame – hindi predictable gaya ng beauty pageants, kung saan alam mo na agad kung sino’ng standout. I’m a realist. The others may have youth and bulk going for them, but I have wisdom and stamina!”

The former beauty queen was no doubt talking about the formidable pairs of Arnold Aninion and John Odulio of the Philippine Volcanoes, as well as cousins, Arthur Solinap and Carlo Gutierrez, who are primed for the P3-million top prize.

LOPEZ. Topbill GMA 7’s game of odds.

The other pairs to root for are Geneva Cruz and KC Montero, Jackie Forster and Angelicopter Scheing-Cruz, Ellen Adarna and Filo Cucueco, Stef Prescott and Gino dela Peña, Aifha Medina and Alyssa Alano, and Albert Sumaya and Maey Bautista, who expects to provide some laughter on the island.

This early, among our top bets are the attractive pair of Dela Peña and Prescott, who grew up watching the show as a kid. Stef shares, “Part of  ‘Survivor’s’ attraction is how unpredictable it can get, because it’s a game of odds – you can’t tell what’s going to happen until it’s over!”

We also had a lot of fun listening to the playful banter between estranged couple, Geneva Cruz and KC Montero, who describes the show as the “ultimate survival game ever.”

Geneva enthuses, “I’m 35, and I’ve been through so much. I want to test how much patience I have, and how I’ll do outside my comfort zone. As for KC and me, there was a time when we wanted to ‘kill’ each other, but we’re OK now, and we have such great chemistry! Who knows, we might end up doing just that (laughs) – or getting married on the island!”

So, let the games begin!