Iya Villania
| Iya Villania | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Raelene Elaine Villania June 29, 1986 Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Filipino Australian |
| Occupation | Actress, host, model, singer |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse(s) | Drew Arellano (m. 2014) |
| Children | 1 |
Raelene Elaine "Iya" Villania-Arellano (born 29 June 1986), better known as Iya Villania, is an Australian-Filipino television presenter and actress. She has been widely known for her work as a VJ in the music channel MYX.
Villania was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Her parents, Ray and Elena Villania, are of Filipino descent. The youngest of three siblings, she has two older sisters named Rhoda and Sheila. Villania's interest in music started when her father sang karaoke when she was a child. She used to be a member of a Missionary touring band in Australia that address issues in schools and churches such bullying, drink driving, self-esteem . The motivational band is called IRON AND CLAY Www.ironandclay.com.au then she returned to the Philippines and went to high school in Colegio San Agustin in Makati, graduating in March 2004. She attended college at De La Salle University – Manila majoring in psychology and graduated on December 16, 2008. On January 31, 2014, she married her boyfriend of ten years, television host Drew Arellano, in Meditation Point, Kawayan Cove, Nasugbu, Batangas. In March 2016, the couple announced through Instagram that they were expecting their first child. The couple's son, Antonio Primo, was born on August 30, 2016.
Villania's first television appearance in the Philippines was in 2003 on the IBC interactive program "Game Channel." After she gained a "cult" following, the management team of GMA Network took notice and cast her in the daytime drama Walang Hanggan. She then played the role of Sydney Torres in the third and fourth seasons of the iconic teen series Click.
In 2004, she moved to GMA's rival network ABS-CBN and was announced as one of the new VJ's for their subsidiary music channel Myx. She would remain in the job for 10 years. Subsequently, she was regularly featured in the variety show ASAP. Villania's feature film debut was in the 2004 drama "A Beautiful Life" alongside acclaimed actresses Gloria Romero, Dina Bonnevie and Amy Austria. In the same year, Villania appeared in the critically acclaimed historical film Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita. Her run as host on ABS-CBN included briefly co-hosting the noontime game show Wowowee in 2005, the two seasons of the reality dance competition show U Can Dance in 2006 and 2007, the reality show I Dare You in 2011 and her two-year stint on ABS-CBN's morning show Umagang Kay Ganda. Villania also hosted the Studio 23 lifestyle program Us Girls from 2006 to 2012.
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