Actress Iza Calzado tests positive for COVID-19, recovering well - manager

MANILA — Actress Iza Calzado has tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), her manager Noel Ferrer said on Saturday, after being confined in a hospital for pneumonia.

Her manager Noel Ferrer shared the actress' condition in a statement on his Facebook account, saying: "Iza Calzado received her results yesterday that she tested positive for CoVid. She is recovering well as she was aggressively treated for pneumonia and the virus. She can actually breath now without any oxygen assistance." 

Ferrer said Calzado will be tested to check if she has been ruled negative for the virus. Her husband and other people she interacted with will be screened as well, but they have not shown symptoms, he said. 

The actress is the second showbiz personality to be confirmed infected with COVID-19, after screen veteran Christopher de Leon.

De Leon has since been discharged from the hospital.

Another actor, Menggie Cobarrubias, who succumbed to pneumonia recently, was tested for COVID-19. His results have yet to be released.

Prior to the Luzon lockdown due to coronavirus, which effectively halted showbiz productions, Calzado was filming the upcoming ABS-CBN teleserye "Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin."

It's unclear when Calzado first showed symptoms of pneumonia.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Frozen embryo? Adoption? Iza Calzado bares plans for motherhood

MANILA - Veteran actress Iza Calzado on Saturday shared that she and her husband, businessman Ben Wintle, have been discussing about having children in the near future.

Calzado, who has been married to the Booky app boss for nearly a year, said they plan to have kids as soon as she wraps up several commitments and projects.

"Sa tamang panahon, pagkatapos ng mga proyekto," she said.

The couple agreed to have 3 children, whether through natural birth, assisted reproductive technology or adoption.

"We have frozen [my] embryo," the 37-year-old actress told reporters on the sidelines of the ABS-CBN Ball 2019.

"Pang-security lang po ito dahil ako ay hindi na bata... but I would love to try [getting pregnant] naturally," she said.

Calzado said that she is thankful for having a "very supportive" husband, who was also open to having foster children.

"We are more than willing to adopt. These are things that we've talked about," she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Iza Calzado to go topless for new film

MANILA - Actress Iza Calzado is all set to go topless for her new film to be helmed by Jerrold Tarog, the director behind the acclaimed historical biopic "Heneral Luna."

"Actually, it's more sensual than sexy. Pero marami talaga siyang nudity," shared Cazado in an interview with Push, adding that she is more than ready to bare it all for the upcoming thriller movie.

"I think I'm a bit of a risk-taker. Para sa akin, work is work," she reasoned. "As long as the role is kind of fun or challenging, I’m going to accept it. It doesn't matter."

Asked if her boyfriend, British entrepreneur Ben Wintle, disapproved of her plans to go nude, Calzado replied: "I don't know. He's very cool. He's very 'dedma'. Even his parents, I've already told them."

Meanwhile, Calzado also addressed questions about her marriage plans. "Wala pa. And so many people are getting married this year so parang wala na silang budget para pambilig regalo sa amin. Definitely, not this year," she said.


Calzado was speaking at the press conference for her upcoming film "My Candidate," which she stars alongside Derek Ramsay and Shaina Magdayao. It will premiere on Wednesday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How Iza, British boyfriend handle cultural differences

MANILA -- It was actress Iza Calzado who first asked British-Filipino boyfriend Ben Wintle if they are already a couple.

Appearing on the morning show "KrisTV" on Monday, Calzado opened up about her boyfriend of two years.

She recalled that she had her first date with Wintle, an entrepreneur, sportsman and co-founder of a match-making website, in October and were already exclusively dating.

"By January, we had trip in Hong Kong and I was asking him, 'Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?' because I couldn't understand. We are obviously exclusively dating then he said, 'Yes.' Then I said, 'Really? Because you know from where I come from the guy has to ask to the girl.' He didn't know," Calzado told host Kris Aquino.

"We had a very serious discussion about that. Then eventually he asked na lang for formality. So 'yun," she added.

Although Wintle is half-Filipino, she said her boyfriend is more British, especially when it comes to romantic gestures.

"Hindi niya alam na kailangan mong tanungin, kailangan mong mag-express na 'Will you be my girlfriend' or whatever. 'Yung Valentine's, di niya alam sini-celebrate. He never had a relationship na more than one year because he's always travelling," Calzado explained.

"The Biggest Loser" host admitted that their cultural differences played a big factor in their relationship and that they had to take time to get to know each other.

"Actually marami kaming ganoon (dati) because of miscommunication, misunderstandings, minsan big things, minsan small things. You just have to talk about it. Because the British people, they tend to say cheeky things, parang you bite your tongue minsan. May pagka-tactless na, may pagka-candid, or he will say something and I will take offense. But he didn't mean anything offensive by it, pero ang interpretation ko offensive siya," Calzado admitted.

Because of this, Calzado has learned that the key to a successful relationship is knowing how to give and take. "You have to meet halfway," she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Iza Calzado not yet ready to settle down

MANILA – Actress Iza Calzado is not yet ready to walk down the aisle even if she considers herself blessed when it comes to her love life.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News at the Mega Masquerade Ball on Tuesday night, Calzado said she still has so many things in her to-do list that she wants to accomplish.

“No [wedding bells], just bells for ice cream. Huwag muna. Sayang naman, kakalipat ko lang sa ABS-CBN. Marami pa akong gustong gawin sa career ko,” she said.

Calzado, who turned 30 last Monday, said she wants to be able to give full attention to her own family once she settles down.


“Hindi ko naman sinasabing bata pa ako dahil hindi na ako bata. Pero ang kabataan kasi is relative. Ako kasi pakiramdam ko marami pa akong gustong gawin at kailangang gawin para sa sarili ko kaya hindi ko pa maibigay 'yung buong ako sa magiging partner ko, sa pagkakaroon ko ng sariling pamilya ngayon,” she said.

Saying entering marriage is a lifetime commitment, Calzado said she also wants to be 100% ready for her share of responsibilities.

But when asked if she already sees her current partner as her future husband, the actress said: “Malaki ang posibilidad. We will only actually know when it’s there. At this point, I’m very lucky to have someone like him.”

Calzado currently appears on the Sunday musical variety show “ASAP.” She is also set to host the second season of “The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition.”

Aside from that, she will soon start shooting since she is part of the upcoming Toni Gonzaga-Piolo Pascual movie.

“I’m set to do a movie with Toni and Piolo. It’s a story of whether or not second chances are possible in life,” she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Biggest Loser' to return with Iza Calzado

MANILA, Philippines -- ABS-CBN's reality TV show "The Biggest Loser" returns for its second season this year with new host Iza Calzado.

"Mas malaking bagay 'yung magagawa ko," Calzado said about the show which features contestants trying to lose weight. "Pagbabago kasi talaga ang tema ng show. Hindi lang physical na pagbabago, kung hindi pagbabago talaga sa mga bagay na gusto mong mabago sa buhay mo."

The actress, who also battled weight problems before, said she is focusing on her hosting responsibilities for the show.

"Hopefully I'll conquer it," Calzado said about hosting. "But basically I'm entering a new territory. I’ve never been given a show like this, [of] this magnitude, to host."

Joining Calzado in the show are Matteo Guidicelli and Robi Domingo.

The first season of the local edition of "The Biggest Loser" aired in May 2011 with veteran actress Sharon Cuneta and actor Derek Ramsay as hosts. Both have since left ABS-CBN to move to the No. 3 network, TV5.

Former police officer Larry Martin, then 36, won the title of Pinoy Biggest Loser after he lost 100 pounds in 20 weeks.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Iza Rejects High Profile Date

MANILA, Philippines — Heard that the beautiful Iza Calzado received an invitation from the country’s most eligible bachelor for a date but she, in all her wisdom and propriety, politely declined. The invitation, according to our source, was coursed through their common friend, a singer-comedian who also holds a post in government.

• When my relatives watched Anne Curtis’ record-breaking concert at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum recently, they said they have not appreciated the soothing voice of Sarah Geronimo until that night. “When we heard Sarah sing, we realized how our ears have been taking a beating. It was good to hear real soothing sound again,” they said. They told us they enjoyed the night watching Anne, just the same.

• Some people close to controversial couple Dr. Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho, Jr. are saying that the most recent break-up of the two seems to be more serious than their usual lovers’ spats. Someone whispered to us that charges of “infidelity” do not only figure in one camp only. Both personalities are alleging that the other committed it against the other. As of press time, the reported wedding in Machu Picchu in Peru has long been quashed and will not be taking place anymore. Let’s see if the wind blows to a different direction in the next few weeks.

• Since the Valentine season is almost over, comparisons abound in showbiz circles about which show featuring which artists had the most successful box-office returns. We heard that the recent Ogie Alcasid-Regine Velasquez’s “Mr. and Mrs. A” topped both sales and production quality. It was sold out in the end, even if in the beginning the tickets were a little slow. The box-office performance is now being compared to such big local hits as “Annebisyosa” and Vice Ganda’s concerts in the same venue. It is sad to note that the other shows in the same venue didn’t do as well as “Mr. and Mrs. A” did.

• Soon, Krista Ranillo and husband Niño Lim will be welcoming their second baby. Krista is now going five months pregnant and we heard that she’s enjoying every minute of her family life. The couple’s first baby Nate will soon be two years old.

source: mb.com.ph