PH’s Gehlee Dangca to debut in Korean survival show ‘Universe Ticket’

Gehlee Dangca. Images: Courtesy of Universe Ticket

Gehlee Dangca has joined fellow Filipina Elisia Parmisano and Filipina-Korean Jin Hyeon-ju in the girl group UNIS, which was announced on the final episode of the Korean survival show “Universe Ticket.”

Dangca was confirmed as the fourth member of UNIS during the show’s finale on Wednesday, Jan. 17, after securing 2,464,526 fan votes. Similar to Parmisano, she also advanced to the P-level which is the highest spot in the show.

Throughout the show’s run, the 82 contestants raced to get into the highest rank where their ranks P, R, I, S, and M were revealed. Getting into the top spot will depend on the total number of votes, producers, and judges. Benefits will also be given to certain contestants depending on the challenges.

Judging was based on their vocal, dance, and visual abilities depending on the missions given during the show’s run.

Also included in UNIS are Bang Yunha (South Korea), Nana (Japan), Lim Seowon (South Korea), Oh Yoona (South Korea), and Kotoko (Japan). The project girl group will debut sometime in the year.

As Dangca will to make her debut, let us look back at some of her memorable moments throughout her “Universe Ticket” journey:

‘Pretty girl’

Dangca was a standout from the beginning with her beauty and charm. But as a teen beauty queen, she remained calm in the face of pressure even if her journey started on the 22nd place during a show pre-voting.

Donning a pageant sash, she went up against Japanese-American trainee Jayla with a rendition of the song “Pretty Girl” by KARA. She ended up losing, but her voice and undeniable charm made a good impression on the judges and fellow competitors.

Her pre-show profile showed her determination to debut, as she stated on her profile that “nothing will stop” her from making it in the K-pop scene.

Check out the girls’ Profiles✔

✨#젤리당카 #GEHLEEDANGCA✨

✏Country : 필리핀
✏MBTI : INFP
✏A word of resolution :
아무것도 날 막을 수 없다! 꼭 데뷔하겠습니다! ( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)#유니버스티켓 #universeticket#SBS #fnfentertainment pic.twitter.com/wUhMI4Asin

— Universe Ticket｜유니버스 티켓 (@_universeticket) July 13, 2023

Gehlee’s revenge

The loss led to Dangca showing she had what it takes to be a K-pop idol, showing her potential to be a visual or center member in the “Revenge Battle” where her group did 2NE1’s “Fire.”

Her “intense” stage presence, even though the judges said she had to “work on her dance skills” in the beginning, proved that she was one of the contestants to beat. As a result, she ranked sixth out of 41 contestants in fan tickets.

Gehlee’s rise to the top

Throughout the show, Dangca’s tenacity was hard to ignore among her peers. But at some point, she became “intimidated” by her low rank. The next scenes then showed her hunger to “learn and perform” along the way — eventually solidifying her status as one of the show’s shining stars.

The sixth episode was a testament to Dangca’s hard work. She and her teammates made a strong impression with a rendition of “Nan,” with judge Kim Se-jeong noting the Filipina’s star quality throughout.

The same episode was also the time when something shifted in Dangca’s fate. Her dancing improved drastically and her presence is hard to ignore not only among her contestants but also among the judges, Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon in particular.

More than a visual

The “Position Battle” in episode eight showed Dangca not backing down on challenges. The mission tested a contestant’s ability to shine based on their visual, vocal, and dance abilities.

Many of her peers expected she would compete in the visual category, but she opted to show her singing instead.

“I have the feeling that I want to nourish the vocal talent I had. I feel like putting myself in the vocal position would really help me to improve a lot more and step out of my comfort zone,” she said during a backstage interview.

Dangca also displayed her vocal skills in the “Final New Song Battle” with the song “Dream Girl” with Parmisano. She and her fellow Filipina took over the second chorus proving she can take on higher notes with ease.

The risk was ultimately worth it as she was one of the contestants in the running for an early debut, although Parmisano bagged the first spot.

Gehlee’s debut

The finale was a night to remember for Dangca as her supportive parents were seen in the audience. For the last time, she proved she had what it takes after performing as a member of the Fin.K.L “White” and “Camera” units.

y’all should never underestimate filos voting power talaga and of course gehlee ace debut with elisia #UNIVERSETICKET pic.twitter.com/JB7ZnOwOip

— bey 지수 ; (@rmtprompt) January 17, 2024

By the end of the episode, she was announced as UNIS’ fourth member after reaching the P-level. Details about their debut and Dangca’s position are yet to be revealed.