Do you people ask you to say Filipino words just to hear your accent?

Yeah, sometimes. A lot of people say that my accent's cute. I'm trying really hard to speak more fluently Filipino and people appreciate that... and I appreciate their appreciation, ha ha! They notice that I'm trying.


Your accent doesn't really sound purely Australian

I'm Australian but I've never lived in Australia so I don't have that Aussie accent. I'm not really sure where my accent comes from as well.


Here in the Philippines, a lot of people think that just because you speak in English that you're pa-sosyal. What do you think about that?

Sosyal? I'm naman but I do get that sometimes I may come off as snobbish to some people but I'm actually just a very shy person. I like to keep to myself. I like being quiet and listen to what other people have to say.


How do shy people function in show business?

For me, one of my, I don't know if it's a technique or not, I have a parang, uhm, an alter ego? Like one that I can just switch off and I'm not Vanessa anymore, I'm someone else. So when I'm in front of the camera, when I'm shooting or filming, it's like I'm a different person then I just go back to being me when I'm off the air.


But in the age influencers, being a celebrity doesn't really end when the cameras stop recording? You do have to interact with your fans off camera, in real life, right?

That's a tough one. Siguro you just have to overcome it talaga. Minsan, I just have to, alam mo yung fake it til you make it? Ganun. You just have to fake the confidence na lang until eventually you are genuinely confident enough. You can still be shy but confident at the same time. Does that make sense?


Can you give an example of when you've done that?

Sa Miss World. I was 18 years old pa lang and I was shy about it kasi I always tell myself, if it's a situation that I have to be confident, for example Miss World swimsuit portion, that's 30 seconds to one minute, I always tell myself, "For the next 30 seconds to one minute, I'm not shy", that's it. I guess that's how I cope with it.


Why can't you tell yourself to not be shy 24/7?

Oh, that's kind of draining. I'm working on it naman kasi bawal maging shy sa showbiz, at least that's what everyone says but I guess, but like I said, you can turn it off and you become someone else.


What do you do when everything becomes like draining?

I surround yourself with good friends. I always talk to your family kasi my family is abroad so I'm here with my brother lang. I always give my mom a call, I always touch base, you know what I mean? Call my friends, hang out with people that aren't from showbusiness.