At last, Rhian yields to the 7-year ‘itch’

Pardon if today’s head must have misled you into jumping to a wrong conclusion. The “itch” is deliberately enclosed in quotation marks because I refer it to the long-standing invitation to Rhian Ramos to grace the cover of FHM magazine and it took, that’s right, seven years for Rhian to say yes.

In an interview with Karl R. de Mesa, Rhian explained why.

“I finally said yes because of the change of audience and the change in content,” said Rhian, referring to the “taming” of the top men’s magazine which has been featuring celebrities in revealing stages of undress (being chosen for the cover is considered a “badge of honor,” a validation of a woman’s preferably sexy natural resources). “Because of that, I now don’t feel shy to put my body in a magazine that is read by, what I would say, the kind of readers that I now want to reach out to.”  

As you must have seen, Rhian doesn’t have to bare to prove how sexy she is, allowing “the readers I want to reach out to” only have a glimpse (and how!) of what makes Rhian, according to the story’s subhead, “a dream that’s not a dream,” described by Karl as “incandescent beside a body of water that sits inside the territory of a French chateau.”

Commented Allan Hernandez, FHM acting editor-in-chief, “We expect that the new generation of soon-to-be FHM stars will feel even more excited and empowered to appear on the cover. They will want to appear on FHM because they will be the most beautiful and sensual they will ever be than on any other magazine cover, without even trying.”

The magazine hit the newsstands coinciding with Rhian’s return to the Kapuso Afternoon Prime via Sinungaling Mong Puso, the tele-remake of the 1992 Maryo J. delos Reyes Regal classic starring Vilma Santos and Aga Muhlach, with Ricky Davao now at the helm. Airing starting on Monday, July 18, the soap also stars, among others, Rafael Rosell, Kiko Estrada and Jazz Ocampo.

The modernized retelling shows Rhian’s character’s discovery of her self worth and the sacrifices she makes in her relentless pursuit of true love. Rhian plays Clara (played by Vilma in the original), the abused wife of the womanizer Roman Aguirre (Rafael, played by Gabby Concepcion in the original) who is from an influential political clan. Clara remains resilient for the sake of her family until she accidentally meets Jason (Kiko, played by Aga in the original), a man who will love her for real, never mind if he is 10 years her junior. Like Clara, Jason is unhappily married to Hannah (played by Jazz) who is pregnant with their child.

“It’s a role that is opposite of what I am,” said Rhian (who played a lesbian in the GMA soap Rich Man’s Daughter with Glaiza de Castro as her lover). “I’m not the type who goes for a younger man.”

Meanwhile, let’s see what else “completes” Rhian.

In FHM’s 100 Sexiest 2016, Rhian places No. 5 to Jessy Mendiola who also graced the FHM press launch. Says Rhian, ‘What kind of guys turns me on? Those who are intelligent and engaging conversationalists. And what kind turns me off? Those who are waaaay too forward! — Photo by Mark Nicdao courtesy of FHM magazine

• I hate people…who are “judgy.”

• I avoid people…who complain a lot.

• My greatest pleasure in life…is being with the people I love, and traveling!

• My worst moment...was my first SOP guesting where I got stage fright, ran off stage and vomitted.

• My biggest fear…is failure.

• I pray for…guidance every day.

• The most important person in my life…is my sister Nadine.

• If I were to be reincarnated as an animal, I would be…a majestic stallion roaming free.

• My most traumatic experience was…when I crashed my car into a wall during a practice round for my very first race and had to get back into the driver’s seat and do the race.

• I deal with gossip by…not dealing with gossip.

• The one thing I can’t do without is…chocolate!

• The guy that turns me on is…one who is intelligent and engaging conversationalist.

• The guy that turns me off is…one who is waaayy too forward.

• My philosophy in life is…it’s better to regret something you’ve done than something you haven’t.

• I lose my temper when… people talk to me and never get to the point! LOL!

• When I’m alone in my room, I fantasize about…having my own concert!

• If I were somebody else I would be…Jennifer Lawrence.

• I’m happiest when…I’ve had a full night of sleep and a bowl of cereal.

• My ultimate goal is…to be a businesswoman.

• What I like about myself is…I’m naturally positive.

• What I don’t like about myself is…when I get shy, I overcompensate for it with fake confidence.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)