Among the thousands of hopefuls who joined the reality-based talent search Star Circle Quest in 2004, Joross Gamboa and Roxanne Guinoo made the cut and became one of their generation’s hottest love teams. This 2021, the former sweethearts play onscreen lovers anew in the iWant TFC series “Hoy! Love You!”
Things happened in between and their past relationship even ended in a breakup. But along the way, Joross and Roxanne managed to rekindle their friendship. Roxanne said they simply laugh off the past. Now, their conversations are more about family life.
For Joross, the goal is longevity more than fame, taking inspiration from the career of late actor Eddie Garcia. He already tried his hands at film directing and writing and he’s eager to explore the industry more.
It was more than a decade since they were launched but it can’t be denied that the ‘JoRox’ magic remains captivating to this day fans can’t imagine seeing them paired with other artists.
Asked for their advice to this generation’s love teams, Roxanne said it’d be better to keep the friendship more than anything else. And, as much as possible, keep the relationship purely professional.
“Kasi masyadong mahirap, eh. Kunwari nagkaroon kayo ng issue sa totoong buhay tapos meron kayong ginagampanan, minsan nagkakaroon ng masamang epekto talaga, hindi mo ma-portray nang maayos ‘yung mga roles. So, mas maganda talaga kung friendship. Huwag maging marupok,” she explained.
Joross also talked about keeping a spiritual life, thinking he could’ve been a better man then if he only knew this earlier. Nonetheless, everything happens for a reason and what matters is the lesson learned along the way. “Dalawa lang ‘yan, eh – either matuto ka sa payo ng iba at experience ng iba o ikaw mismo maka-experience no’n. Gusto ko kasi ma-experience muna lahat bago ako matuto,” he said in jest.
More than their showbiz careers, the tandem prioritizes their family life. Roxanne is married to Elton Yap and is blessed with three kids while Joross has two children with wife Kath Saga. Their families had different adjustments this pandemic. Roxanne helped her kids navigate blended learning while Joross looked for earning opportunities in the world of online gaming.
They also made sure their kids are aware of the current situation. Thankfully, it wasn’t that difficult explaining things to them. They thought it would be best to spend the holidays in a more relaxed celebration. Roxanne’s family kept their annual Tagaytay Christmas getaway while Joross’ went to Batangas.
It’s their first time working under ‘new normal’ for “Hoy! Love You!” filmed in Batangas. It was a fun experience for them, locked-in in a beautiful resort with good friends. Roxanne added that it was less daunting thanks to the 12-hour working period but the challenging part is being away from their families. In their case, they struggled with poor signal reception as well.
Joross and Roxanne promise nothing but happy vibes for the fans and viewers. The story is about two single parents off to an unexpected journey of finding new love.
Roxanne plays an interior designer who will cross paths with her contractor, portrayed by Joross, for a project in Batangas. Sparks fly on their initial encounters. But, forced to work together, all kinds of vibes and ‘feels’ will make these single parents’ journey more exciting.
Joining them in the series are Pinoy Big Brother alum Karina Bautista and Aljon Mendoza collectively known as KarJon, Pepe Herrera, Keana Reeves, TJ Valderama, Casey Santos, together with Dominic Ochoa and Carmi Martin.