Twelve hours before American Idol crowned David Cook as its seventh-season winner, Pinoy Idol formally introduced to the entertainment press its Top 24—12 men and 12 women—last night, May 21, at Teatrino in Promenade, Greenhills. These 24 Idol hopefuls bested more than 20,000 others who auditioned all over the country.
The 12 ladies who made the cut are the following:
Jayann Bautista, 21, Pampanga
Meryl David, 23, Bicol
Bev Ejercito, 18, Davao
Sue Ellen, 17, Iloilo City
Gretchen Espina, 20, Biliran
Mae Flores, 18, Marikina City
Carol Leus, 17, Batangas
Drizzle Muniz, 28, Quezon City
Regene Ong, 20, Quezon City
Penelope, 16, Batangas
Jeni Rawolle, 20, Iloilo
Vren Villaflor, 17, Quezon City
The 12 men who will battle it out are:
Ellito Andal, 24, Batangas
Warren Antig, 25, Baguio City
Kid Camaya, 24, Pampanga
Daryl Celis, 21, Rizal
Ram Chaves, 25, Cagayan de Oro
Rye Estrada, 28, Iloilo
JJ Jr., 17, Bataan
Sherwin Marquez, 26, Dagupan
Robby Navarro, 28, Pampanga
Dio Paulo, 24, Iloilo City
Toffer Rei, 23, Iloilo
Walton Zerrudo, 25, Laguna
The Top 24 singers were personally handpicked by Pinol Idol judges Ogie Alcasid, Jolina Magdangal, and Wyngard Tracy. And based on what the entertainment press saw and heard last night—all of the 24 Idol hopefuls performed for the first time before a live audience—most agree that the judges did a very good job in choosing who will compete to become the first Pinoy Idol.
This group has very diverse musical talents—from ballad to pop to R&B to rock to jazz to blues to standards—that will make the show exciting. Ten of them are professional singers while the remaining contestants are raw and undiscovered. The age of the contestants range from 16 to 28.
The workshop phase of Pinoy Idol will begin Friday
night, May 23, with the Top 12 men performing first. The following night, May
24, the Top 12 women will take the center stage. Then, on Sunday (May 25), the
first elimination will take place
Pinoy Idol is hosted by Ramond Gutierrez.
Aside from the performance nights and elimination night, Pinoy Idol viewers will also be able to take a glimpse of the drama behind the competition via a special show called Pinoy Idol Extra starting May 25. Hosted by Karylle and Rhian Ramos, the show will offer the viewers behind the scenes footage and highlights of the contenders throughout the competition. Pinoy Idol will be shown every Sunday right after SOP and weekdays after The Legend.