Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco
Birth date: May 10, 1993
Town: San Pedro Laguna, Philippines
Charice’s first big break came on Little Big Star, a talent show loosely patterned after American Idol that premiered on Filipino television on Saturday, September 24, 2005. Thirteen-year-old Charice did not get off to an auspicious start: she was eliminated in the first round. Resigned to her early exit, she was thrilled to be invited back as a “wild card” contestant a few months later. She made the most of her second chance, placing first in every subsequent round. In the Grand Finals, she finished third, largely due to her low total of text votes.
