Volleybelle wants to try TV hosting

GRETCHEN HO. FACEBOOK PHOTO

An athlete crossing over to show biz isn’t exactly a rare phenomenon. And with the surge in popularity of volleyball in the country over the past few of years, it didn’t really come as a surprise that Ateneo Lady Eagles’ Gretchen Ho, one of the most charming and popular players in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), is starting to get offers to do stints and guestings on TV—more so after ABS-CBN actor-host Robi Domingo recently revealed that he’s exclusively dating the 22-year-old volleybelle.

While she’s open to working in the industry, Gretchen sees herself more as a host than an actress. “I’ve been offered to host a show on the sports channel Balls. That’s my first step,” she told the Inquirer at a press con for Studio 23’s “Game On: The Chevrolet Sonic Celebrity Challenge,” where she’s one of the contestants.

Loves talking

Gretchen is eloquent and isn’t particularly shy in front of people, so she feels that hosting will be the better job for her. “I love conversing with people, discovering new things and asking questions. I just love talking!” she said, laughing.

Given the chance, Gretchen said she would also like to be a part of a youth-oriented show, especially since most of her fans are teenagers and children.

But attaining more fame was never one of her motivations for wanting to pursue hosting. More than anything, Gretchen wants to use whatever influence she has now to inspire the Filipino youth through sports and faith.

“I’m a part of the Ateneo Christian Life Community. We go to Payatas, Quezon City every so often to organize games and activities for the kids there,” she said. “I want to do more of that.”

What’s holding her back from trying her hands at acting?

It’s not that she doesn’t have the skill and talent for it, it’s just that Gretchen’s passion is just onto something else, which is sports.

Gretchen, who finished a management engineering course, continued: “Aside from hosting, I also want to apply what I’ve learned in school, and I’m thinking of doing corporate marketing. I might not  be able to juggle everything if I get into acting.”

Privacy issue

But perhaps the biggest thing holding her back is the fact that entering show biz virtually means giving up one’s privacy. And she’s now beginning to get a taste of people probing into her personal life now that she’s being romantically linked to Robi.

“We try to keep the things going on between us to ourselves. It’s tough, but not impossible,” she said.

While Gretchen didn’t confirm whether or not she and Robi are already in a relationship, she described her rumored boyfriend as having a “really good heart.”

“I like him… Oh, was that good as an admission?” she asked, laughing.

Airing the last of two episodes on Studio 23 Saturday at 6 p.m., “Game On: The Chevrolet Sonic Celebrity Challenge” also features Melissa Ricks, Paul Jake Castillo, Manuel Chua, Gretchen Fullido and Andrei Felix.