TV personality Tessa Prieto-Valdes is very excited for the upcoming finale of Celebrity Duets 3. As one of the show's judges, she told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) that being a part of the show entertained her "from beginning to end."

But according to the society columnist, she felt this season was very different from the first two ones, because it felt more competitive.

"It feels more like a contest. They're not having fun. I could see it that it's less exciting," she said after hosting the launch of Alo Youth health drink, held at Manila Polo Club in Makati last Tuesday, November 10.

Tessa said that in the first season, where she eventually emerged as the winner, her group—composed of Tessa, beauty queen Anna Theresa Licaros, fashion designer Frederick Peralta, self-proclaimed eventologist Tim Yap, talent manager Wyngard Tracy, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Manny Calayan, ramp model Dr. Hayden Kho, and actress Jessica Rodriguez—truly bonded  with each other.

"In season one, we're very close. We would all sing, we were all drunk... You know, it's more of a fun experience," she said.

And when Tessa judged season two—composed of beauty queen Melanie Marquez, beauty columnist Cory Quirino, TV chef JL Cang, sportsman-model Phil Younghusband, beauty queen Carlene Aguilar, comedian and politician Joey Marquez, fashion designer JC Buendia, and eventual winner Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando—she felt the same atmosphere.

"And then the second season, they got the hang of it na rin," Tessa observed.

But according to her, season three was more of a contest than a fun experience.

"There's really no camarederie among the contestants. Before, it was more of 'we don't go to work'. Pero this time, bakbakan na agad," Tessa said.

FINAL THREE. PEP asked Tessa to sum up the final three contestants: actor and concert producer Jomari Yllana, model-actor Akihiro Sato, and perfume entrepreneur Joel Cruz.

"Akihiro, he's so charming and I think he will get both the votes of the women and the gay men. Jomari is popular, he's also charming na rin. Joel naman, I think he has a lot of friends. He has the most fans when he performs on the stage," she said.

But who will win?

"I think it's going to be between Joel and Jomari, because from the start, they're always consistently in the top three. Akihiro has been in the bottom at the beginning."

But Tessa said she's rooting more for the Japanese-Brazilian model.

"It's amazing that he lasted and maybe his voters are gonna go ra-ra-ra. I'm really rooting for him. I can tell among all, he's having the most fun."