No doubt about it—2025 is Carmelle Collado’s year.
From slaying the stage in "Tawag Ng Tanghalan: The School Showdown" on "It's Showtime" just last January to officially becoming a Star Magic artist, the “Riles Diva ng Camarines Sur” is proving that every dream she sang about is finally coming true.
Before the year even wraps, Carmelle is making another power move as she makes it to Bahay Ni Kuya for "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0," the next installment of the hugely successful "PBB Collab," but this time featuring young Kapamilya (Star Magic) and Kapuso (Sparkle) housemates.
Before we hear her next big note inside the house, let’s get to know the 18-year-old songstress a little better.
"Better Days"
Her "Better Days" version and Aretha Franklin medley both earned her a standing ovation during the grand finals of “Tawag Ng Tanghalan: The School Showdown,” where she snagged the title among the lineup of young student-singers.
But that wasn’t her first time taking over the microphone. Carmelle has been joining contests since grade school, from classroom talent shows to big national and international stages. Back in 2019, she represented the country at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA), bagging seven gold medals for the Philippines, and later that same year, she made it to the “The Voice Kids” finals as first runner-up under Coach Bamboo’s Kamp Kawayan.
Lullabies and Psalms
Born and raised in Camarines Sur, Carmelle grew up in a house near the Philippine National Railways (PNR) tracks—which totally explains her “PBB” moniker. She’s an only child, but with all her cousins, titas, and titos living next door, her childhood has always been loud with laughter and music.
Singing is basically a family thing for the Collados. Her grandma once joined amateur singing contests and was even a contemporary of theSuperstar Nora Aunor. Fun fact: Aside from the singing, Carmelle’s got another talent she owes to her lola—cooking! She actually learned it firsthand back when she used to be her lola’s mini assistant in her eatery.
She also uses her voice for faith, serving as the official psalmist of their diocese. That means her weekends are usually spent in church and choir rehearsals. No wonder she’s so close to the priests in their community, who even treat her like their own child.
Her Everyday Remix
In “Tawag Ng Tanghalan,” Carmelle represented her high school, King Thomas Learning Academy, Inc., and she surely made the entire campus proud when she emerged as the champion. But even after that win and her Star Magic debut, Carmelle didn’t hit pause on school life. She jumped straight into college and started taking up Tourism at the University of Nueva Caceres in Bicol through a hybrid setup.
Her campus life could honestly make up one exciting highlight reel. Carmelle loves joining school orgs and has been class president—and leader of just about every group she’s part of—more times than she can count. On top of that, she served as majorette leader from elementary to high school. Carmelle, who describes herself as a bit ‘astigin’ and boyish, also plays volleyball and dreams of becoming an army reservist someday. What can’t she do, honestly?
Carmelle considers herself an ambivert or someone vibe-dependent and always adjusting to the energy in the room (which will probably help her a lot with 'pakikisama' inside Bahay ni Kuya).
She’s never had a boyfriend, though she admits she gets crushes here and there. The catch? She instantly loses interest the moment she senses the feeling is mutual. Girl likes the thrill, not the chase!
Still, she’s not short on genuine connections. Even as a rookie, she’s already built her own mini barkada in showbiz with fellow Polaris artists and TNT alums JM Dela Cerna, Marielle Montellano, and Lyka Estrella. We’re kinda curious what nicknames she’s given them, knowing Carmelle loves giving people pet names that are never anywhere close to their actual ones.
We wonder what pet names she’ll come up for the housemates, too!
Catch Carmelle in “PBB Collab 2.0,” starting tonight, October 25, on Kapamilya Online Live, Pinoy Big Brother YouTube channel, and iWant!