MANILA — Filipino personalities Marco Gallo and L.A. Aguinaldo are taking a very public shot at romance, but there is a catch: on their new reality show, the people helping steer their love lives may have almost as much influence as the singles themselves.
Gallo and Aguinaldo are among eight singles from around Southeast Asia joining “Wingman,” Mediacorp’s new digital-first reality dating series, which premieres on September 10, 2026. Unlike the usual dating-show setup, every contestant enters the villa with a close friend whose mission is to help them find the right match.
And those friends are not simply there to give advice from the sidelines.
Marco Gallo brings Lorenzo Isip into the dating game
Gallo, 25, will be joined by model and entertainer Lorenzo Isip, who serves as his wingman. The Filipino-Italian actor first became widely known after appearing on “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7” in 2016 and later expanded his following through projects including “The Rain in España,” “Safe Skies, Archer” and other film and television roles. His official Viva Artists Agency profile lists him as both an actor and content creator.
According to information released ahead of “Wingman,” Gallo enters the experiment looking for something more substantial than simple attraction, with the actor hoping the unconventional setup could help him form a connection beyond his usual show-business environment.
That means Isip’s role could become crucial. Wingmen will have to compete in challenges that can help secure dates for their friends, while also navigating strategy, personalities and the inevitable complications that come when several people begin developing feelings inside the same villa.
L.A. Aguinaldo teams up with Richard Juan
Meanwhile, L.A. Aguinaldo is bringing another familiar entertainment personality into the experiment: Richard Juan, an actor, host, producer and entrepreneur who will serve as Aguinaldo’s wingman.
Aguinaldo, 33, has built a career as a model and digital personality, becoming a recognizable face in Philippine fashion and appearing at major international fashion events. Tatler included him among its Asia’s Most Stylish Philippines honorees in 2023.
His “Wingman” journey may also expose a more personal side that followers rarely see. Promotional information for the series says Aguinaldo has previously kept relationships relatively private because of the scrutiny attached to working in entertainment — an approach that sometimes created difficulties in those relationships. This time, the model is entering a format built around having his romantic decisions watched, discussed and occasionally influenced by someone who knows him well.
The twist: your best friend can change your dating chances
The concept separates “Wingman” from many familiar dating competitions.
Eight singles live together while their eight best friends act as their wingmen. Those wingmen take part in challenges, help earn romantic opportunities and advise their friends about whom to pursue — meaning a contestant’s chemistry alone may not be enough to carry them through the experience.
Mediacorp’s original casting requirements offer another glimpse at how deliberately the friendship element was built into the show. Applicants had to join as a single-and-wingman duo, both participants had to be single, between 21 and 35 years old, legal residents of Southeast Asia and fluent in English. The two members of each application also had to be of the same sex. Filming was scheduled to take place in Singapore.
Mediacorp first opened regional casting in December 2025, describing the format as an experiment in whether a person’s closest friend can actually improve — or potentially complicate — the search for romance.
Four Filipinos are part of the experiment
Gallo, Aguinaldo, Isip and Juan give the Philippines four representatives in the regional cast.
Other singles identified ahead of the premiere include personalities and professionals from Singapore and Thailand, underscoring Mediacorp’s attempt to turn “Wingman” into a wider Southeast Asian dating experiment rather than a Singapore-only production.
The series is hosted by Mediacorp 987 personality Germaine Tan and produced by Beach House Pictures.
There is also money at stake.
The couple that emerges on top is set to receive S$20,000, while the winning wingman will receive S$10,000 — adding a competitive layer to decisions that are supposedly about finding genuine chemistry.
When and where to watch ‘Wingman’
“Wingman” will have 12 episodes, beginning with four episodes on Thursday, September 10. Two new episodes are scheduled to follow each Thursday until the finale on October 8, 2026.
The series will stream through mewatch and the Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube channel.
For Gallo and Aguinaldo, that means viewers accustomed to seeing them in scripted projects, fashion campaigns and curated social-media posts are about to see them in a considerably less predictable setting.
Because “Wingman” is not simply asking whether two people can fall for each other.
It is asking what happens when your best friend gets a front-row seat — and potentially a hand in deciding who gets close enough to try.
WWC ONE MEDIA MJE
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