-By ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines - Actress and television host Janice de Belen is in search for more challenging projects at this point in her career.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Tuesday, de Belen said she is now ready to take on jobs she wouldn’t normally do in order to put the full potential of her prowess to the test.
“I want to be challenged. I want to do things na normally ikakanerbiyos ko or ikakatakot ko. I want that,” she said.
De Belen said her confidence in herself was restored when she came back to ABS-CBN.
According to de Belen, ever since she took on the television project “Budoy,” there was a part of her that made her more confident about herself as an artist.
“I think nu’ng limipat ako for ‘Budoy,’ everything started din. Nabalik ‘yung confidence ko,” she said. “I think that project itself [made me] remember how it feels to be a star... When you are affirmed, ang sarap ng feeling.”
Since she considers ABS-CBN as her home network, de Belen said she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic now that she’s back.
“Dito din ako galing eh, so iba ‘yung pakiramdam ko dito, so the confidence came back. I remember how I have this renewed passion for acting, so ‘yon nagbabalik lahat—confidence and everything else,” she said.
'Showbiz Inside Report'
De Belen will be part of ABS-CBN’s new entertainment talk show “Showbiz Inside Report.”
Joining her will be her fellow returning Kapamilya stars Carmina Villaroel and Joey Marquez, and entertainment reporter Ogie Diaz.
A few years back, de Belen said she no longer wanted to take on talk show gigs.
Asked what made her change her mind now, she replied, “That was 2004 [nu’ng sinabi ko 'yon]. That’s 8 years ago. Eight years ago, marami nang nagbago, marami nang naiba sa akin. I think I’m slowly coming out of my shell again.”
Amid all the controversies she has faced in the past few years, de Belen said she is ready again to face the public and pour her heart out.
“Naisip ko lang: Ano pa ba ang hindi niyo alam tungkol sa buhay ko? Wala naman na ‘di ba, so okay na. Kaya natin to,” she said.
Interviewing John Estrada
Since “Showbiz Inside Report” tackles entertainment news, it is likely that de Belen will stumble upon news concerning her estranged husband John Estrada.
When asked whether she’s willing to personally interview him, she replied, “If there’s an issue that needs to be addressed, yes. Kung kinakailangan, yes.”
However, de Belen reiterated that she has no plans to take on projects with Estrada.
“But the situation, like I said before, that I wouldn’t work with him. I wouldn’t work with him outside of just talk,” she stressed.
“Showbiz Inside Report” is set to premiere on ABS-CBN channel 2 on Saturday, February 4, at 2:30 p.m.