Celestine Cruz Gonzaga (known for her screen name Toni Gonzaga), is a Filipina actress, television host, and singer. In the Philippines, she is best known for hosting the country's version of Big Brother, the Pinoy Big Brother.
Toni Gonzaga was born on January 20, 1984, a 6.8 lbs baby girl to Methodist parents Carlito and Crisanta Gonzaga. Her birth name, Celestine, was given to her father by a boxer. She has a younger sister named Catherine. Toni was baptized during her infancy and later confirmed at a United Methodist Church in her hometown of Taytay, Rizal in the Philippines. She would later attend Greenhills Christian Fellowship and the Victory Christian Fellowship.
Gonzaga began to sing at the age of four participating in various singing competitions. She took up mass communications at the Dominican College, where she studied for two years. Later, she transferred to the AB English program of the Asian Institute for Distance Education (AIDE).
Aside from her career in show business and the music scene, she was once a Sunday school teacher and a Barangay Kagawad in Taytay.
Gonzaga started as a talent of GMA Artist Center and landed small roles and went freelance after four years. While attending high school, Gonzaga actively participated in auditions, competitions and VTR screenings of advertising agencies. At 17, she struggled as a lounge singer in several Philippine hotels and bars at night while attending school during the day. Her agent later informed her of an audition for a local TV commercial for Sprite.
She received offers for guest appearances in various TV shows and earned her regular stint in the GMA sitcom Daddy Di Do Du. TAPE Inc., the show's producing company, offered her to be one of the hosts in the noontime show Eat Bulaga. While hosting Eat Bulaga, she also co-anchored Wazzup Wazzup on Studio 23, an ABS-CBN UHF Channel.
She transferred to ABS-CBN, a local multi-media magnate. After signing with ABS-CBN, she became co-host of Most Requested Show (MRS), with hosts Roderick Paulate and Amy Perez. She was also part of Entertainment Konek (ETK) with Filipino host Ogie Diaz. She then became the lead host of Pinoy Big Brother, the Philippine franchise of the Endemol reality show Big Brother.
In 2001, Gonzaga released her self-tilted debut album under Prime Music. In 2006, she released her second album under Star Records under the name You Complete Me; its carrier single "We Belong" became number one on the Philippine hit charts. In 2007, she came up with a follow up album entitled Falling In Love. Once again, Gonzaga gained number one position for her single "Catch Me I'm Fallin'". One of her singles from this album, "Perfect World", was used to the soundtrack of an online MMORPG of the same name, which was introduced by Level UP! Inc. in the Philippines.
On February 9, 2008, Gonzaga held her first major concert, entitled Catch Me, Toni Gonzaga at the Aliw Theater in Manila of Philippines. Notable guest performers such as Sam Milby and Vhong Navaro also appeared. The concert was repeated on May 2, 2008 and re-entitled Catch Me Again, Toni Gonzaga.
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