Brent Manalo

Lesyel Brent Romero Manalo was born on December 6, 1997, in Capas, Tarlac. He attended Wellspring High School, where he graduated as valedictorian. He later studied at De La Salle University in Manila, earning a Bachelor of Science in Advertising Management, graduating cum laude. While at university, he was a consistent Dean's Lister, a nominee for the "Jose Rizal Honors Society" and "Best Thesis", and a recipient of the "Ninoy Aquino Leadership Award".^[1]

In 2014, Manalo launched his YouTube channel, where he focused on travel vlogs and lifestyle content.^[2] In 2018, shortly after graduating from college, when he landed a campaign for an international fast-fashion brand. A week later, he was invited by Johnny Manahan of Star Magic to audition. While attending workshops, he continued modeling and eventually expanded into content creation, focusing on lifestyle and fashion. In 2022, Manalo secured a role in the top-rated TV drama series The Broken Marriage Vow.

Manalo made his acting debut in 2020 with the iWant series Ampalaya Chronicles, portraying the character Jeric. He later appeared in The Broken Marriage Vow (2022) as Miguel "Migs" Ilustre and in Beach Bros (2022) as Jason Coral.^[3][4]

In 2024, he appeared in the Hayskul Crush series by content creator and fellow housemate Esnyr, where he played a role in a love triangle alongside actor Shan Vesagas. The series is available on Esnyr's YouTube and TikTok channels.^[5][6] The following year, Manalo participated as a housemate in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition, emerging as the season's winners alongside his duo partner, Mika Salamanca.^[7]

After securing the title of Big Winner on the reality program Pinoy Big Brother, Manalo, together with his partner on the show, Mika Salamanca, donated their winnings to Duyan ni Maria, a Pampanga-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and support for underprivileged children.^[8]