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Why Fyang Smith never expected to be the Big Winner, plus her takeaways from “PBB Gen 11”

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Liezel dela Cruz 

Fyang Smith may have already had legions of followers and a taste of fame even before she entered the &quot;<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pbbgen112024" target="_blank">Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11</a>&quot; house and emerged as the season&#x27;s Big Winner, but she&#x27;s just getting started.Now, Fyang, loved by many for her unapologetic honesty and boundless energy, is ready to reveal even more of the real her—more than just the girl who became a social media star after uploading videos for fun and who casually joined her friends on a whim for a PBB audition, eventually winning the hearts of the &#x27;taumbayan.&#x27;Fyang’s journey to stardom began when she started editing videos out of boredom during the pandemic. At only 15, she experimented with content creation just to pass the time. But fans couldn’t get enough. Soon, her posts gained traction, thanks to her spontaneous, bubbly attitude. Yet, behind her million-strong follower count, Fyang remained grounded. Her confidence didn’t need validation from fame; she had been this self-assured &#x27;eabab&#x27; long before her social media career took off.Even as a child, the &quot;Anakabogerang Influencer ng Mandaluyong&quot; dreamed of becoming an actress, though she was a boyish, &quot;laking-kalye&quot; type of kid—constantly playing outdoors, climbing trees, and watching local basketball leagues. Sometimes, she would agree to be a muse if a relative was on the team.While those showbiz dreams were quietly there, it was her carefree, down-to-earth personality that laid the foundation for her future in the spotlight. According to Fyang, she was initially reluctant about joining “PBB Gen 11.” Her friends were more eager to audition, but they managed to convince her to go along just for the fun of it. After a long, nearly 24-hour wait in line during every audition, Fyang lost hope when weeks passed without a callback, especially when “PBB Gen 11” started airing on TV without any updates about whether or not she made the cut. To her surprise, the show invited her to come aboard in the third week.With her friends’ support from outside, Fyang entered the house as her true self. “Pumasok ako do’n na sobrang sama ng ugali ko talaga, legit,” she jestingly tells Kapamilya Chat. But her honesty ended up drawing people in. Kolette Madelo was the first housemate to approach her. Soon after, she got along with Dingdong Bahan and Patrick Ramirez, aka DongPat, and she found it easier to connect with the others from there.Life inside Bahay Ni Kuya was a whirlwind, a mix of laughter and heartache, with challenges that tested her resilience and &#x27;pagpapakatotoo.&#x27; Through it all, Fyang found strength within herself and with the other housemates—friends she could lean on without hesitation. She mentions DongPat, Binsoy Namoca, and JM Ibarra as her constants, the ones she can confide in without fear of judgment.Looking back now, with a clearer perspective on everything that happened inside the house, Fyang better understands the value of mindfulness, learning that every action and every word carries weight. While she used to be unfiltered, she’s learned that not everyone will always understand her humor and manner of speaking. Being a housemate also taught her to &quot;choose love and not spread hate.&quot; It&#x27;s a simple truth, but one that will become her guiding principle as she steps back into the outside world.Speaking of love, she has a special place in her heart for her supporters. She appreciates how they&#x27;ve rallied behind her every step of the way. Now that she&#x27;s aware of the fandoms shipping her with other housemates, like Jarren Garcia and her guy best friend inside the house, JM, Fyang says she was surprised in the sweetest way. She feels kilig, not in a romantic sense, but in genuine gratitude.Looking back on the show&#x27;s historic finale episode—the Big Night—Fyang admits she believed 17-year-old Kai Montinola would emerge as the Big Winner, with her intelligence and kind heart making her truly deserving of the title, too. However, as Kai and Kolette were called as the fourth and third runners-up, respectively, and it was down to her and Cebu&#x27;s Rain Celmar, she opted not to overthink the results anymore. She just allowed herself to enjoy her final moments as one of Kuya&#x27;s Big 4 members and was even caught shrieking in kilig at the sight of actor Joshua Garcia on the monitor.Thus, a sense of wonder, surprise, and disbelief washed over her, albeit with gratitude, when her name was finally announced as the champ. “Totoo ba ‘to? Ano’ng nakikita n’yo sa akin na hindi ko nakikita?” she thought to herself. For Fyang, and we bet for all her supporters as well, it was a moment of pure magic. &quot;I did it!&quot; she exclaimed in her speech after being hailed as the housemate with the highest public votes.Now that her journey on &quot;<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pbbgen112024" target="_blank">PBB Gen 11</a>&quot; has come to a triumphant close, Fyang is eager to embark on new adventures, particularly in the world of showbiz and acting. Flashing that sweet, sweet smile adored by everybody, Fyang shares that she dreams of working with talented Kapamilya stars like Kyle Echarri, Kathryn Bernardo, Vice Ganda, and Donny Pangilinan. Then, in her signature hilarity, she reveals her wish to play &#x27;kontrabida&#x27; roles, joking, “Masama kasi ugali ko talaga.”But don’t be fooled by her seemingly spicy humor; Fyang is one of the most genuine and grounded young ladies out there. We see this in the way she consistently thanks her family and supporters with warmth, always expressing appreciation for the love they&#x27;ve shown her throughout her journey to the top.“Gusto kong magpasalamat sa inyo na may nakita kayo sa akin na hindi ko nakikita. From the very start na six times akong na-nominate.” With her playful charm, she continued, “Sana hindi ko po naubos ‘yung pera n’yo. Sobrang sorry po. Ako na po nagso-sorry. Hindi ko naman po sinasadya na maging nominado ako na gano’n karaming beses.”Well, if we were to ask those who voted to save Fyang many times over and voted for her to become the Big Winner, they would definitely say she was worth rooting for until the very end.

Fyang Smith opens up about her unexpected “PBB Gen 11” win in this episode of Kapamilya Chat.