Overwhelmed ang StarStruck The Next Level finalist na si Dave Valentino dahil sa pagtanggap sa kanya sa home province niya sa Cabanatuan City noong mag-campaign siya roon kamakailan.
Hindi nga inaasahan ni Dave na ganun kalakas ang impact ng StarStruck sa naturang probinsiya kaya mas lalong ginanahan ang aspiring actor na pagpursigihan ang pagsali niya sa naturang reality-based artista search ng GMA-7.
"I didn't expect things to turn out this way, most especially when I got into the Final 14. I thought that it would be a simple and quiet campaign for me in Cabanatuan but I was really shocked to see all these people wanting to support and vote for me. It was really crazy but I felt really good," kuwento ni Dave sa panayam sa kanya ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) kahapon, January 10.
Ang nakakatuwa pa raw ay hindi na siya tinatawag sa pangalan ng kanyang lookalike na si Sam Milby. Tinatawag na siya sa pangalan niyang Dave Valentino.
"That's one thing that I noticed. They now call me Kuya Dave or Kuya David. Hindi na ako tinatawag by any other name now," sabi ng Fil-Am na si Dave, na madalas ikumpara kay Sam dahil sa strong resemblance ng kanilang mga mukha.
"I guess that's the magic of television. They already recall who I am because of the show [StarStruck]. I'm happy to know that I already have my own identity. I can prove it now that I'm not just a shadow of somebody famous and that I can be equally famous as well," dagdag pa niya.
Kung may mairereklamo lang si Dave, iyon ay ang kulang na siya sa tamang tulog at parati niyang nami-miss ang kanyang mga magulang at mga kaibigan sa Amerika.
"I actually use it as a tool to do better all the time. I've never been this far away for so long from my family and friends. But alam naman nila that I'm doing this for myself and the career that I wanted to reach someday. But what's good is that I made new friends and I'm considered a part of everybody's family here," nakangiting sabi ni Dave.