Body Talk with Mariel Rodriguez

A day in the life of Wowowee co-host Mariel Rodriguez goes this way:

She wakes up at 8:30 a.m., takes a cup of coffee, prepares what she needs for the day, leaves her condo unit in Wack-Wack (Mandaluyong City) at 10 and by 10:30 she is at her dressing room in ABS-CBN for her make-up (by Edwin Aguilar who has been with her ever since). The show starts at 12:30 p.m. but she and co-hosts Valerie Concepcion, Pokwang and others have to be at the studio early because the main host, their “Pappy” Willie (Revillame), sometimes wants to rehearse out of the blue.

After Wowowee at around 3 p.m., Mariel attends to other activities, such as pictorials and interviews. If the Wowowee barkada has a show abroad, she tapes for advance episodes. She never forgets to squeeze in time for her boyfriend, Zanjoe Marudo. She goes home early, takes a light dinner, relaxes a bit by reading or watching TV and DVDs, and then goes to bed at 1 a.m.

“I am lucky pa nga because my schedule is not as bad as that of soap stars,” said Mariel. “I don’t have to work overnight. My daily routine is just like that of an ordinary office girl. I actually have a lot of spare time.”

Mariel has been in showbiz for four years. She had her debut on a TV action-adventure series in Singapore where she (and Denise Laurel) stayed for six months. Back home, she guested on Extra Challenge (the defunct GMA show hosted by Paolo Bediones) and joined MTV. Then, she moved to ABS-CBN and did Ok Fine Whatever (with Aga Muhlach, et al) and Pinoy Big Brother (PBB where she met Zanjoe) before she landed in Wowowee in 2006.

Mariel stands 5’3”, measures 34-26-34, and wears small-size shirt and size-seven shoes.

Do you eat three square meals a day...on time?

“No problem with that. We do potluck every day. I bring rice and Valerie the viand. The others also bring some food. We eat together in-between the segments.”

What kind of diet do you have?

“I eat anything except mayonnaise, pickles and liver. I love Filipino food. Iba pa rin ang may rice. Favorite dish? Sinigang.”

What vitamins do you take?

“Enervon-C. You know, more energy mas happy.”

What about snacks?

“I love sweets — for more energy. Sometimes, I take junk food. Ay, bad!”

With your kind of schedule, do you get enough sleep?

“I get an average of seven to eight hours per night. No, I don’t have any problem falling asleep.”

Favorite sleep wear?

“Comfortable pajamas and Hotpink lingerie. You know what, I really dress up for bed. I notice that women in the Philippines are not cautious when they go to bed. They put on a duster or a big T-shirt and that’s it. They are comfortable, all right. Pero siempre I believe na mas maganda ang tulog mo kung maganda rin ang suot mo. It’s important to wear the right underwear which should match your top. If you’re wearing white pajamas, kadiri naman kung loud ang kulay ng underwear mo, di ba? When I was in Big Brother’s house, most of my underwear were by Hotpink.”

How many pillows do you sleep with?

“Six, but I don’t use all. I put one under my head, one on each side and the rest basta andyan lang.”

Do you snore?

“Only when I’m really, really tired.”

Do you talk in your sleep?

“I do! Kahit tulog ako, madaldal pa rin. Hehehehehe! Inside Big Brother’s house, Ethel (Booba, her housemate) would tell me, ‘O, nagsasalita ka na naman!’ She said na mayroon daw akong inaaway but I didn’t know who.”

You don’t sleepwalk, do you?

“Thank God, I don’t! Baka kung saan ako mapunta.”

What’s the last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

“I pray...for my loved ones.”

And the first thing that you do when you wake up?

“As soon as the alarm clock in my cell phone rings, I check ‘missed calls’ and messages. I usually put my celfon on ‘silent’ mode before I go to sleep.”

How do you cope with stress?

“I get a massage every day. I’m addicted to it. There are masseurs at ABS-CBN...’yung shoulder massage lang naman. Or I listen to my favorite songs on my iPod. And yes, I read dumb and stupid books, like books about shopping; nothing heavy. I do read novels by Dan Brown every now and then. Or I watch romantic-comedies and suspense movies on DVD. I don’t watch horror movies at night, otherwise I get so scared that I can’t sleep. Grabe ang imagination ko.”

Do you work out?

“Not often, not at all! I’m more of a diet person. When I have to lose weight, I’d rather go on a diet than work out, which is wrong I know. But since I’m hyper-active, I guess I’m doing enough exercise. I’m always moving; I can’t stay put for long.”

What part of your body needs improvement?

“My thighs and my arms.”

What part is most vulnerable?

“Siempre, my heart!”

And what part is your favorite?

“My shoulders. They’re nice, di ba?”

How’s your love life? How are you and Zanjoe?

“We’ve been ‘on’ for less than a year. I’d known him for a while, we were going out, but I got to know him better and we started going steady only after we came out of Big Brother’s house.”

Is he your first showbiz boyfriend?

“He’s the first. I’ve had two, both not from showbiz. Zanjoe and I compliment each other. I’m madaldal and he is quiet. I’m hyper and he’s not.”

What’s your outlook in life?

“Optimistic. Why worry?”

You are hoarse. Did you get that from hosting Wowowee?

“No. Bata pa lang ako, paos na talaga ako.”

Name three guys who you think have nice bodies?

“Zanjoe, of course! Jon Avila. Derek Ramsay.”

And three women...

“Angelica Panganiban. Cristine Reyes. RR Enriquez.”

Using only body language, how would you make a guy know that you admire him?

“I look at him and smile.”