| Genre: | Drama, Comedy |
| Runtime: | 30-45 minutes |
| Creator: | ABS-CBN Studios |
| Based On: | Yo soy Betty, la fea by Fernando Gaitán |
| Developer: | ABS-CBN Studios Roldeo T. Endrinal |
| Director: | Erick C. Salud Don M. Cuaresma Claudio "Tots" Sanchez-Mariscal IV |
| Executive Producer: | Darnel Joy Villaflor |
| Producer: | Julie Anne R. Benitez |
| Cinematography: | Alfredo Hernando George Tutanes |
| Starring: | Bea Alonzo John Lloyd Cruz |
| Opentheme: | "Kagandahan" by Bea Alonzo |
| Endtheme: | "Mahal Naman Kita" by Nikki Gil |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Location: | Quezon City, Philippines |
| Language: | Filipino |
| Company: | Dreamscape Entertainment Television RCN Televisión |
| Network: | ABS-CBN |
| Num Episodes: | 163 |
I Love Betty La Fea (stylized as I ♥ Betty La Fea) is a Philippine television drama series broadcast by ABS-CBN. The series is based on the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea. It aired on the network's Primetime Bida evening block and worldwide on TFC from September 8, 2008 to April 24, 2009, replacing The Singing Bee and My Girl and was replaced by Only You.
Beatriz Pengson, or simply Betty, is an aesthetically challenged career-oriented girl who happens to work in a posh advertising agency known as Ecomoda Manila. In an industry where everyone thrives on beauty and perfection, her lack of good looks and outdated sense of fashion make her an instant outcast among her superficial colleagues. Despite her shortcomings, Betty's capabilities and innate kindheartedness have gained her a set of loyal friends.
Betty's lackluster life, however, takes a turn for the better (or is it for worse?) when she meets the man of her dreams, Armando Solis, the President of Ecomoda Manila. How will Betty catch the elusive heart of someone who's way out of her league? Is it possible that a good-looking guy like Armando will eventually fall in love with a certified ugly duckling?[1]
The story starts from Betty, Andrew, Nicholas, and Armando's childhood.
Betty gets a job and becomes president of Ecomoda Manila.
Betty gets a date with some boys. Meanwhile, Nicholas makes a magazine called the B Magazine.
Betty's dad Hermes Tingson suffers a heart attack. Betty breaks up with Armando. So Betty entered the "New You" contest and try to renew her ugly face.
Betty falls from the boat with the party. When her body reaches the shore, a mysterious man kissed her and this man was Aldo, where Betty stayed in Batangas. Betty had a new business in Villa Olivia. Daniella got arrested but later sets free easily. So Betty also stayed in a new house. When Betty went back to Manila, she became president of Ecomoda Manila. Meanwhile, Candy suffers breast cancer and joint pains and later died.
Returning Characters
Betty and Armando were about to get married but Roberto and Daniella suspects the Pengson family for killing Susan Solis and ordered Hermes to be arrested. Roberto then kicks them out of his house.
Since the Pengson and the Solis Family found out that the criminal was Elvira Valencia, Virgilio Arellano was set free. Betty and Armando finally get married. Betty and Armando give birth and Patricia and Nicholas starts a family.
It had originally been reported that the Philippine version of "Yo soy Betty, La Fea" was going to be called "Betty Na Mas Pangit" (The Uglier Betty), but eventually the title was revealed to be "I Love Betty La Fea" instead.[6]
The series was set to debut in September 2008 with Bea Alonzo in the lead role. Early reports claimed that this Betty will be fatter and uglier than the other versions, and the story might be a mix of elements from the various other international adaptations.
The official announcement of Alonzo's hiring ended a long period of casting speculation, during which actress/singer/TV host Toni Gonzaga and her frequent co-star Sam Milby were mentioned for the lead roles of Betty and Armando. Before Gonzaga's name was attached, it had previously been reported that Regine Velasquez wanted to leave the GMA Network to star in a reported musical adaptation of "Betty la fea" for rival network ABS-CBN, who bought the Philippine rights to the Colombian telenovela.
Ultimately, though, she chose to stay with GMA Network, so the lead part was put up for grabs again. After Velasquez chose to stay with GMA Network, the names of a handful of ABS-CBN stars were then mentioned for the plum role, including Valerie Concepcion, Mariel Rodriguez, Bianca Gonzalez, Anne Curtis, Toni Gonzaga, and Bea Alonzo.
People in the know insisted that the plum part would most likely go to Anne Curtis, who had plenty of practice playing the Ugly Duckling in "Kampanerang Kuba", as a reward for not moving back to GMA-7, but Gonzaga supposedly ended up winning the coveted role. The false news of Gonzaga and Milby's casting was probably derived from descriptions of their upcoming movie, My Big Love, in which Milby wears a fat suit and Gonzaga's character falls in love with him unconditionally, despite his appearance.
After the role of Betty was cast, inquiring minds once again focused on who would play the male lead role. Fans speculated that the part would go to Jon Avila, Luis Manzano, Piolo Pascual, Jake Cuenca, Aga Muhlach, or Bea Alonzo's frequent co-star, John Lloyd Cruz, who led all online polls as the Armando of choice for a large majority of fans.
On Monday, June 30, 2008, ABS-CBN aired a teaser music video (to the tune of Mika's "Hey Betty, You are Beautiful", which was originally recorded for the U.S. version, "Ugly Betty") during a primetime telenovela called "My Girl". The video introduced Betty and some of the show's other characters, such as Armando's business rival, Daniella (Ruffa Gutierrez); Betty's childhood friend, Nicolas (Vhong Navarro); Betty's doting parents, Julia (Ai Ai delas Alas) and Hermes (Ronaldo Valdez); Betty's little brother, Andrew (Sam Concepcion); and about a dozen others. The only notable character missing from the clip was the male lead himself, Armando, who still had not been cast at the time the teaser aired. Ironically, the clip was introduced by Toni Gonzaga, who had been a top contender for the role of Betty. Apparently, the early reports that this Betty would be fatter and uglier than other Bettys were false. Not only Betty is not fat, she is not particularly ugly either.
In this version, the workplace is not a fashion house or a glossy magazine, but an advertising agency called Ecomoda Manila, or EM. In early August 2008, the internet rumor mill was naming Piolo Pascual as the show's Armando. When questioned about the casting rumors, Pascual only said that in deference to the producers' desire for secrecy, he could not comment on the matter. Like many of the previous casting rumors, this one was shortly proven to be false when it was finally revealed, with much fanfare on August 17, that Bea Alonzo would once again be reunited with her regular romantic male lead, John Lloyd Cruz, much to the relief and delight of the staunch fans of this popular pairing.
It was the top show when May Bukas Pa and Tayong Dalawa has not been aired. Later, it had been in a very strong second place.
The final episode, which aired last April 24, 2009, got 41.3% in National TV Ratings conducted by TNS Media Research making the number one TV show on that day.[7]
This is the only version of the Betty franchise where Betty never had a make over. In this version, she decided to embrace her inner beauty instead of trying to be beautiful.