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Rachelle Ann Go pays it forward as mentor in 'Protege'

Rachelle Ann Go is a product of a reality singing contest, as the winner of GMA-7's “Search for a Star.” So it's only fitting that she is part of the Kapuso network's upcoming reality singing competition, “Protege: The Battle for the Big Break.”

In “Protege,” Rachelle Ann will mentor one of the ten finalists vying for the contest's top prize.

Rey Valera, Claire Dela Fuente, Jaya, Jay-R, Imelda Papin, Joey Generoso, Aiza Seguerra, Janno Gibbs, and Gloc-9 are also mentors in the talent search.

“Ako kasi naging part of ako ng singing competition. So alam ko yung merong judges, nakakastress yung kaba. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam na maging mentor,”she said during the press launch of “Protege” last Friday, August 26.

Rachelle Ann says chosen as a mentor  is “sobrang overwhelming.”

“Parang, totoo ba ito na nangyayari na sinama ako dito sa sampung mentors. Saka nakakapressure rin. Kailangan ayusin ko yung gagawin ko ditong pagmementor. Kumbaga, di biro ito e,” she added.

Rachelle said she didn't know her role as a mentor will play a significant part in the show onscreen until she did the pictorials for “Protege.”

“Akala ko sobrang behind the scenes lang kami. Hindi ko alam na ganun po talaga kaseryoso. Nung sinabi lang na may bagong show. Tapos nag start yung pictorials, nalaman ko na ganito pala talaga ito, ako lang ang bago. Pero thankful ako syempre kasi pinagkatiwalaan ako ng GMA,” Rachelle explained.

With the list of mentors including some of the most respected artists in the country, does she feel  pressured as the youngest of the show’s 10 mentors?

“Ako yung pinakabata so nakakapressure bilang magiging mentor na ako this time... Syempre, since ako yung pinakabata, ayoko na isipin na kakumpetensya ko yung mga mentors. Ang focus ko lang ngayon mga tatlong alaga ko,” Rachelle said.

Choosing her protege

In “Protege,” the mentors will each have to choose three contestants from their set of hopefuls before narrowing it down to one aspirant. Each mentor will have one contestant each who will then face off for the top prize.

So far, the mentors have already chosen their three proteges. How did Rachelle Ann go about the search?

“Gusto ko kasi may puso. Gusto kong ilabas nila yung talent nila. Ayoko yung manggagaya sila sa ibang singers na puro birit na lang. Gusto ko madiscover nila kung saan babagay yung music nila,” she said.

Rachelle shared that her three proteges include an 11-year-old rocker, an all-female singing group ala Destiny's Child, and an Anton Diva-like Regine Velasquez fan.

While the contest hasn't started, Rachelle asked her wards to start practicing and to choose their song choices for the competition. She wouldn't impose her preference in terms of style and song choice, Rachelle said, but she'd make sure their decisions would help them grow as an artist.
Besides venturing new territories as a reality talent show mentor, Rachelle is also trying her hand in theater later this year as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”

She said the musical, which will also star Erik Santos, is her focus right now apart from "Protege."

“Nakakakaba dahil bago lahat,” she said of theater acting.

“Protege”--which will also have Ogie Alcasid, Dingdong Dantes, and Jennylyn Mercado as hosts and Joey de Leon, Louie Ocampo, and Bert de Leon as judges—starts this Sunday, September 4 on GMA-7.