Her father left her mother when Gladys was barely seven. She and her brother were since raised single handedly by her mother who also had to take care of their sick lolo. But abandonment by her father was not enough test for Gladys and her family. They had to contend against poverty and the harshness of Mount Pinatubo when it erupted in 1991.

Instead of giving up, Gladys found a way to help her mother. At the age of 14, she found herself singing for a band in an Olongapo bar where she met comedian and host Arnel Ignacio who convinced her to move to Manila. Then during one of her gigs in Manila, she was discovered by Boy Abunda.

It would be easy to say that from there, the rest is history. But Gladys had to go through so much more before reaching the peak of her career which is being a mainstay of Eat Bulaga. But eventually even a comedienne like Gladys is not spared from intrigues. Earlier this year, tabloids feasted on her "relationship" with a fellow host on the show. All these and the pressure in the business got to Gladys and she realized that she doesn’t even recognize her own self. So Gladys packed her bags and left the country to take a break.

Gladys had barely settled in her home after a three-month vacation in the US when Big Brother swept her off her feet and brought her to his house to replace some housemates who recently exited voluntarily. In a new home with new people around her, she is ready to take on new challenges. "Bagong panganak ulit ako. Back to zero. Bagong proyekto. Bagong mundo, bagong challenge… bagong adventure. Bagong mundong papasukan ni Gladys, bagong mundong kikilala kay Gladys."