Every week on "Your Face Sounds Familiar," the one and only 'Comedy Bombshell' Rufa Mae Quinto consistently delivers memorable entertainment and punchlines. But nothing beats the week she finally clinched her win on the show as Black Eyed Peas' Fergie.
Before the Grand Showdown, let's look back at that winning moment.
For most of "Your Face Sounds Familiar's" run, Rufa Mae had been the undisputed life of the party. So when Round 9 rolled around, nobody likely expected that she'd come to play it straight. Stepping into the shoes of American pop star Fergie, she ditched the fun for sincerity and emotional depth, though she couldn't help but sneak in just one tiny gag, joking about the height of her microphone stand. But other than that quip, it was all business.
Her rendition of "Big Girls Don't Cry" was compelling enough to pull resident juror Gary Valenciano, mentor-slash-juror Klarisse de Guzman, and guest juror Karla Estrada straight out of their seats for a well-deserved standing ovation.
Rufa Mae visibly teared up as she finished the song, though she just laughed it off afterwards by jestingly blaming the song's high notes and the flood of feelings it stirred up all at once.
Hosts Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario noted it was their first time seeing her holding eye contact with the crowd and singing the lyrics entirely from memory, to which she explained that she thought not relying on the teleprompter might help her connect to the song. Turns out, she was right.
Her close friend Karla praised her for staying focused from start to finish and for proving that she actually has quality vocals that shines if she chooses to be serious. Klarisse agreed, noting how strikingly different this performance felt compared to her previous ones. She said she could feel Rufa Mae's heart in every note, along with the dedication she brought to her assignment.
OG juror Gary, meanwhile, acknowledged that despite Rufa Mae's admission during mentoring that she had no idea who Fergie was, and despite a small stumble at the start of her performance, she still managed to pull it all together. He thanked her for proving that she is truly capable of excelling when she locks in her focus.
As the Round 9 winner, Rufa Mae took home P50,000.
Will Rufa Mae emerge as the season's Grand Winner? Catch the “Your Face Sounds Familiar" Grand Showdown, starting April 5, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.