MANILA, Philippines—British-Filipino actress Rhian Ramos says she’s happy that her dad is now married to a “really gorgeous” woman.
“I’ve always loved her. Compared to all the women my dad dated after his separation from my mom, I got along with her best,” Rhian says of her Thai stepmother. “She’s funny, smart and hot. My dad’s 49 and she’s in her early 30s.”
Rhian’s dad, Gareth Howell, is a sales manager for a British company that sells high-end construction materials. When he and Rhian’s mom, Clara Ramos, broke up, Rhian relates, “he stopped accepting work in the Philippines and concentrated on Thailand. That’s where they met.”
Rhian says she spent last Christmas with them in Thailand. “I visited them three times in two months,” she adds. “Before that, I didn’t see my dad for over a year. When I started to reconnect with him, I realized there was so much that I missed out on.”
It was when she visited him in Dubai that they became close again, she says. “He was there on a business trip and I had a show for Pinoy TV. He asked me to extend my stay. We hanged out for three days, went to the malls, did a lot of shopping and eating. When I came back home, I realized that I missed him and couldn’t believe I allowed myself not to see him for so long.”
Rhian is the host of “In the Limelight,” a show on GNTV that features in-depth stories about local show biz celebrities. Also on board are reporters Aubrey Carampel and Nelson Canlas.
“I present the news much like the way Pia Guanio does it on ‘24 Oras.’ But the reports will be more lengthily researched.”
“In the Limelight” became Rhian’s platform to clarify her rumored romance three years ago with British-Filipino football superstar Phil Younghusband. “I did go out with him a few times, but I was always with my sister or a group of friends,” she explains. “I was just 17. I just sort of showed Phil around.”
Did she get hosting tips from DJ-TV host Mo Twister, reportedly her current boyfriend? “He didn’t really give me any. He believes I should develop my own style,” Rhian says. “What he did tell me was what to expect. He said, ‘You’re going to be excited to know everything, but there will also come a time when you’re going to wish you didn’t know anything.’ I’m sure that’s going to happen because I’ll be reporting about my friends.”
“In the Limelight” airs weekdays at 7:30 p.m.; replays at 11 a.m. the following day.
(E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph.)