(Note: report now official via www.pep.ph)
According to unconfirmed reports, lifelong Kapamilya star Claudine Barretto has signed a two year exclusive contract to join GMA 7. Details are still skechy but expect reports to come out about this in a few hours.
WILL THIS GET YOUR CAREER BACK ON TRACK?
Claudine was last seen in the teleserye Iisa Pa Lamang with Gabby Concepcion LAST YEAR! This is not how you treat your supposed "princess". So obviously Claudine has felt neglected by her home studio. In fact I don't think I have'nt seen her in anything even on TV interviews or the like. I actually thought she was pregnant again or sick.The move was probably expected by some quarters, evidenced by her earlier signing of a movie contract by Viva Films but still, this is a shock to many as Claudine is identified with ABS-CBN since she started with them when she was a kid. In addition, husband Raymart Santiago is a GMA contract star and GMA bigwigs are the couple's principal sponsors. Also, a reported rift with Angel Locsin also comes to mind although this probably did not factor in her decision to switch channels. She is also noticeably absent in the latest Christmas station ID of ABS CBN.
She probably felt that she is being cast aside in favor of younger Kapamilya stars like Kim Chiu, KC Concepcion and the like and rightfully so. I mean they can give someone like Erich Gonzales a teleserye but not Claudine? That is a huge insult if I ever seen one. She needs to look after her own welfare.
A good move for Claudine IMHO. There are no established queens/stars in GMA 7, except for maybe Marian Rivera and Regine Velasquez. In GMA she does not have to share the limelight unlike in ABS CBN where no matter what she does she will just be a notch below Sharon Cuneta, Kris Aquino, Lorna Tolentino and even Judy Ann Santos.
Impact wise, I dunno if this really affects ABS CBN that much since Claudine has not had a show in a year but if GMA finds a nice vehicle for Claudine, like a prime time teleserye, Kapamilya bigwigs might be scratching their heads for letting her go.
Why I'm wasting brain cells about this topic is beyond me. The only explanation I can muster is I'm starting a 7 day weekend due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
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