Kapuso Stars

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 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 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 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 Raymond 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.