‘Englishera Girl’ Speaks Out on Viral Dating Show Backlash
ENGLISHERA GIRL – The ‘Englishera Girl’ finally breaks her silence on the intense backlash from her viral dating show appearance, defending her side of the story.
Aly, the 28-year-old woman known as the “Englishera girl,” has spoken out about the backlash she received after a viral dating show clip sparked online criticism. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, March 12, Aly defended her comments and stressed that there was “nothing wrong” with what she said during the show.
Aly recently gained attention after a spliced video from her appearance on Pusuan o Laruan with Marion Aunor circulated on social media. In the show, contestants holding balloons pop them to signal disinterest in a potential match.
Aly popped her balloon after Ian, a school instructor, introduced himself and began discussing his red flags in Filipino. Aly explained her decision by saying, “I’m an Englishera… halata. Baka ma-overwhelm ka sa’kin, at baka ma-overwhelm din ako sa’yo ‘pag straight Tagalog.” The edited video triggered strong reactions from Filipino netizens, who criticized Aly for rejecting Ian based on language preference.
In her Instagram post, Aly described the intense backlash as the “worst experience” of her life. “I didn’t do anything wrong and yet I got hate DMs, was made into memes, a sound bite, death threats, and more,” she said. Aly shared that the hate from “tens of thousands of people” caused her emotional distress and made her fearful of being recognized in public.
Aly clarified that her rejection of Ian was not meant to insult him or anyone else, but was simply a personal preference. “What I said was a preference, not a dealbreaker,” she explained. “I ended up becoming friends with him after filming.” She also defended her choice to mix English and Tagalog, saying, “It’s a Filipino show,” and that she “was adjusting.”
Despite the negativity, Aly expressed gratitude to those who supported her. I am blessed with good people. “There are many people close to me or those I barely talk to standing up for me,” she said. “There are even creators and celebrities I personally like and strangers who defended me as well.”
Aly concluded with a message of forgiveness for her critics. “We all have our preferences, and I forgive you. I wish you peace.”
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