Gelli de Belen signed a two-year contract with TV5
Gelli de Belen, the wife of actor/singer Ariel Rivera, is now back to TV5 after 18 long years. The actress just recently signed a two-year contract with the network. Her first project will be to host “Gelli-cious,” a food magazine show that will feature some of the country’s favorite best restaurants, street foods, exotic delicacies and other gastronomic delights. The show will premiere at 11:am on October24.
It can be recalled that TV5 was the network that jump-started Gelli’s career as an actress. Back in 1994, Gelli was part of a popular gag show of TV5, Tropang Trumpo, alongside Michael V., Ogie Alcasid, Earl Ignacio, and Carmina Villaroel. The comedy show was aired for almost 5 years. Ogie Alcasid and Michael V. are now with GMA-7. Gelli stayed in the show for four years after moving to ABS-CBN to join the noontime musical variety show “Sang Linggo nAPO Sila.”
In the Paparazzi Showbiz Exposed, Gelli shared that “Tropang Trumpo was 1993, ’94, ’95, I think. Yes, but I was only six [years old] then!” “Six years old lang ako nun, so medyo okay lang. Okay lang naman, no. Pero ang tagal na rin talagang hindi ako nakakalabas sa Channel 5. And I am happy and excited to be back.” “I am excited to meet new people and, of course, to work also with familiar faces.” Gelli jokingly added that she is set to do 78 shows in the coming days.
Gelli explained that GMA-7 will always remain in her heart and that talent fee is not the main reason why she is moving to TV5. “We did not take this decision lightly. Siyempre, pinag-isipan naming mabuti,” Gelli explained. The actress further states that she did talk to her manager [Boy Abunda] first and to her husband, Ariel Rivera. It was Boy Abunda who negotiated with both networks. According to Gelli, the talks started in August of this year and GMA7 countered the offer of TV5, but the lineup of programs from the latter pushed her to sign with the Kapatid Network. She explained that “I felt that it’s just time for my career, in my life, na parang a change maybe good for me… A gusto ko ring magtrabaho sa ibang environment. Not na ayoko sa GMA-7…I’ve been with GMA for, what,10 years-straight!” Besides the Gellicious, the actress is also set to work on a sitcom with Vic Sotto.
Gelli de Belen is the younger sister of actress Janice de Belen. She is married to actor/singer Ariel Rivera for 14 years. The celebrity couple are blessed with two wonderful kids – Joaqui 12 and Julio 10. Driving the kids to school and fetching them are the bonding moments of the couple besides watching DVDs, work out at home, eating out, watching cinemas and going to Tagaytay.