Filipino actors and models Marco Gallo and L.A Aguinaldo are putting an unusual amount of trust in their best friends as they search for love in “WINGMAN,” Mediacorp’s new regional reality dating show now streaming on mewatch and the Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube channel.
The show premiered Thursday, Sept. 10, bringing together eight singles from across the region, each accompanied by a best friend tasked with helping them find a romantic match.
For Marco, 25, that wingman is model and entertainer Lorenzo Isip, while L.A, 33, is joined by model, actor, and media entrepreneur Richard Juan.
Unlike conventional dating shows, “WINGMAN” puts the friends directly in the middle of their singles’ romantic journeys. They take on challenges to earn dates, strategize with fellow wingmen, and help their friends navigate the choices they face in the villa.
For Marco and L.A, that means having someone who know them well involved in some of their biggest romantic decisions.
Marco Gallo wants a connection beyond show business
Marco enters “WINGMAN” with plenty of experience when it comes to long-term relationships. The actor and model has had two three-year relationships, both of which ended badly and attracted press attention.
Now 25, Marco jokes that his “frontal cortex has finally developed.” While he believes attraction is easy to find, genuine connection has proved harder to come by.
Rather than sitting out opportunities to meet someone, Marco hopes the experience will help him find a connection beyond the show-business world.
That is where Lorenzo comes in.
After ending a relationship and moving to Manila to pursue a career in show business, Lorenzo has become accustomed to the social side of the industry through his work as a model. He is outgoing and willing to take one for the team, qualities he plans to put to use as Marco’s wingman.
Lorenzo is prepared to distract or engage other wingmen when necessary so Marco can focus on a potential match. He sees himself as the icebreaker who can help his best friend get past the protective instincts of the other contestants’ friends.
L.A Aguinaldo is ready to date outside the spotlight
L.A arrives at the villa with a different relationship challenge.
As a model and actor working in the Philippine entertainment industry, he has felt pressure to keep his relationships private because of scrutiny from the entertainment press. Past partners eventually felt hidden and chose to leave.
For L.A, “WINGMAN” offers an opportunity to approach dating differently.
He wants to look beyond the Philippine show-business scene and meet someone from a different background, hoping it will give him the chance to pursue a more open and normal relationship.
His wingman Richard Juan brings his own experience in entertainment and media to the task.
A model, actor, and media entrepreneur, Richard is a natural networker who knows how to connect with people and read a room. His decision to pursue entertainment was initially opposed by his family and former partner, although his family now supports his career. His previous relationship eventually ended, and he has not dated seriously since.
In the villa, Richard plans to use his ability to negotiate, connect with people, and assess situations to help L.A make the most of every opportunity.
Eight singles, eight wingmen and one complicated dating experiment
The concept of “WINGMAN” turns the familiar dating-show formula into a test of friendship as much as romance.
The eight singles enter a villa with their best friends, who are tasked with playing cupid. But the wingmen are not simply there to offer advice from the sidelines. They must tackle challenges to earn dates for their singles, strategize with the other wingmen, and help guide their friends through romantic decisions.
That means the people who know the contestants best can also have a major influence on who they date.
The other contestants bring their own distinct personalities and approaches to finding love.
Thailand’s Frayya, 23, is an actress from an entertainment family who joins the show after the end of a seven-year relationship that did not receive her family’s approval. Her wingman, 21-year-old model and actress UL, is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and plans to draw on her analytical approach to help Frayya identify behavioral red flags and assess potential matches.
Singapore’s Cheryl, 24, is a social media marketing professional and pageant queen who is confident, outgoing and looking for someone who values romance. Her wingman Krystal, 30, works in healthcare services and believes her own difficult experiences have made her more guarded about love. She plans to help Cheryl look for a good man with a kind heart.
Also representing Singapore are Olivia, 29, and her wingman Yuki, 25. Olivia, a financial auditor, has been single since 2019 after being kept a secret in her last relationship. She now wants someone who will embrace a relationship openly. Yuki, a marketing director, takes a more direct approach and plans to carefully assess Olivia’s potential matches.
Gigi, 33, is a Thailand-based hospitality technology professional originally from Canada, while her wingman Radhika, 33, is a technical trainer originally from India and now based in Singapore. After an eight-year relationship, Gigi is looking for someone driven, intelligent and kind, while Radhika believes she understands what her friend wants — and needs — from a partner.
The male singles include Singapore’s Tyler, 21, a fashion-forward free spirit whose romantic history includes getting engaged at 20 and traveling to China to meet a situationship. His wingman Josh, 28, is an actor and content creator who plans to help Tyler rein in his impulses before they lead to more romantic drama.
Singapore’s Sam, 29, brings a different combination of talents to the villa. A gymnastics coach, voice instructor, theme-park performer and wakeboarding champion, he is still looking for the right person after three long-term relationships. His wingman Hadri, 31, is a freelance film stuntman and former theme-park performer who has been on plenty of first dates but has never had a relationship himself.
Together, the contestants bring different personalities, dating histories, and friendship dynamics to a show where finding love is not solely in the hands of the singles themselves.
When Your Best Friend Gets a Say in Your Love Life
At the heart of “WINGMAN” is a simple question: What happens when the person who knows you best also gets a say in who you date?
For Marco, Lorenzo’s role means having someone willing to break the ice when attraction alone is not enough to start a conversation.
For L.A, Richard’s ability to read people and situations could help him navigate a dating environment where he is no longer trying to keep his romantic life away from the spotlight.
But the wingmen also have something to prove. The winning couple receives S$20,000, while the winning wingman takes home S$10,000.
Hosted by Mediacorp 987 personality Germaine Tan and produced by Beach House Pictures, “WINGMAN” runs for 12 episodes, with two new episodes released every Thursday until the finale on Oct. 8. The series is available to watch for free globally on mewatch and the Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube channel.
With eight singles looking for love and eight friends helping them navigate the search, “WINGMAN” puts both romance and friendship to the test — and for Marco and L.A, their best friends are along for every step of the journey.
This article was written with the help of A.I., based on a Mediacorp press release, and was reviewed and edited by the Hallyu Dorama team.