Allyzza Kay Trinidad

From PBB housemates, Kira Balinger and Charlie Fleming are now each other's biggest cheerleaders

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

Kira Blinger and Charlie Fleming served face cards and bubbly vibes we never knew we needed on a Wednesday afternoon at Kapamilya Chat. The  duo, who just finished their &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/pinoy-big-brother-collab" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition</a>&quot; stint, shared unfiltered stories about the highs, the curveballs, and the unexpected closeness they found inside the famous yellow house. Wearing subtly coordinated looks, the Kapamilya-Kapuso duo radiated an effortless &#x27;sisterly&#x27; chemistry. They finished each other’s sentences, exchanged playful ‘asaran,’ and hyped each other up throughout the interview, moving with the ease and comfort of a bond formed inside the house. The PBB nation, in fact, was deeply touched as the ladies showed how they care for each other during the eviction night last Saturday, April 12. During the eviction, Kira experienced a panic attack right after stepping out of the house, which she explained as a feeling of overwhelming shock—the rush of people, lights, and noise felt like too much after being isolated in a quiet space for weeks. And so Charlie was seen looking out for her &#x27;partner.&#x27; She admits she was also freaking out inside, but she had to make sure Kira was fine in the middle of the chaos. When asked how life outside the house compares to the world they left behind in PBB, ChaKira shared that it surprisingly wasn’t that difficult to adjust at first, since all their co-housemates were easy to get along with. The real challenge, though, was learning how to work as one cohesive team, when most of the housemates possess strong leadership qualities. While differences in approach sometimes lead to small clashes, they don&#x27;t make a big deal out of it. They compare these clashes to the kind of misunderstandings siblings would have—moments that, no matter how tense, would always be smoothed over by the love and respect they share under one roof. Charlie also talked about how nervous she felt before stepping inside Bahay Ni Kuya, worried that the other housemates might be overwhelmed by how someone so young (she&#x27;s 16) can be so strong at the same time. But she quickly adjusted, though she did exert effort in finding a balance between personal growth and staying true to herself. As for Kira, she was noticed as the one who naturally looked out for others, always making sure no one felt left out. When asked where this caring attitude comes from, she says it stems from her own experiences of being the &#x27;odd&#x27; one in the past, especially whenever she struggled to open up due to her introverted nature. While she still goes through such challenges today, Kira has learned how to navigate those feelings, realizing that much of it is just in her mind. &quot;Baka it&#x27;s just your mind playing games on you. Baka ikaw lang &#x27;yun sa sarili mo pero hindi naman talaga gano&#x27;n,&quot; she explained, adding that she also made a conscious effort to insert herself into the group. Her mestiza looks often make her seem fierce, but the truth is she&#x27;s more of a soft girl, which the housemates saw as they got to know her. They have tons of core memories inside the house, one of which, for Charlie, was her hosting experience during the “pares selling” task, where she had to host the livestream for seven hours straight to entertain the viewers and customers. Hosting was something she had always wanted to try, but she used to hold back. But the task inside the house helped her break out of her shell, and now she’s more open to exploring hosting and even training for it in the future.As for Kira, her favorite task was the &#x27;rampa&#x27; challenge with Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee, who stayed as a houseguest for a week. She gushed about how surreal it felt to be living with the beauty queen in one house. She never imagined it would actually happen.And since Michelle herself saw their beauty queen potential, we had to ask about the possibility of them joining a pageant. Kira said it’s definitely been a dream of hers, but she knows it requires time and full commitment, given the training and all. And with her current career as an actress, it’s hard to imagine juggling both paths. Charlie, on the other hand, also acknowledged that while it’s something people see in her, she’s still focused on her studies and showbiz career. For now, neither of them is in a rush; it’s something they’re leaving up to God’s will and perfect timing.One of the most unexpected friendships that blossomed inside the house was Charlie’s sibling-coded bond with Brent Manalo, who she described as very sweet, almost like a real brother. What made them click even more was their shared love for fashion. They would often geek out over outfits and styles, and even made post-PBB plans to go on an ukay-ukay bonding trip once they&#x27;re both officially back in the outside world. As for Kira, spectators noticed her &#x27;kilig&#x27; dynamic with housemate Josh Ford, whom fans are now shipping her with. Kira was genuinely surprised that people started forming a fandom around them, as she never saw Josh, or any male housemate, as a potential love team partner. She was surprised when she noticed orders labeled with names like “JoKira” and “KiSh” during the &quot;pares&quot; task. Kira gave a quick shoutout to those fans, and urged them to continue cheering for Josh as he goes on with his PBB journey.And while Kira was trying to explain things with a straight face, Charlie couldn’t hide her knowing smile. Well, she witnessed the whole KiSh story unfold inside the house, proudly declares herself the third wheel. When asked what she saw exactly, Charlie said that Kira and Josh really did grow close as friends, especially after they got paired up as a duo.ChaKira can’t wait to reunite with the rest of the housemates. But for now, they’re cheering them on from the outside. “We’re loving you from afar,” Kira shared when asked what message they have for the remaining housemates. Kapamilya Chat couldn’t wrap up the interview without asking the ladies for a song sample, which they were never really able to do inside the PBB house. Because of copyright rules, they could only hum tunes or sing in short snippets. But this time, they finally got to hear each other perform properly, with full lyrics. And the two couldn&#x27;t help but hype each other up like true besties would. Of course, the conversation wouldn’t be complete without asking the ex-housemates for their personal Big 4 picks (two Kapusos and two Kapamilyas). While both Kira and Charlie agreed that it’s tough to choose, since every housemate deserves recognition, they still gave their thoughtful choices. Charlie named Esnyr, Josh, Mika Salamanca, and River Joseph as her top four. For Kira, her Big 4 would be Esnyr, Josh, Ralph de Leon, and AZ Martinez.

As the housemates' sixth weekly task requires them to be silent, the Kapamilya and the Kapuso celebrities struggle to contain their excitement about the possible arrival of some blooming houseguests.

As the housemates' sixth weekly task requires them to be silent, the Kapamilya and the Kapuso celebrities struggle to contain their excitement about the possible arrival of some blooming houseguests.