The third season of StarStruck was announced, the return of their reality-based talent show on GMA Network's variety program, SOP, where the hosts invited teenagers from 15 to 18 years old to audition for the upcoming season. Much of the auditions were held at the GMA Network's headquarters and at SM Supermalls throughout the Philippines.
The pilot episode was aired on December 5, 2005. Out of numerous who auditioned nationwide, only fourteen will have the chance to survive. If in the first and two seasons, StarStruck is shown only weekdays having Fridays as elimination night, this season Mondays to Fridays will be tests and Sundays would be the elimination night. The show held its the Final Judgment on March 12, 2006, at the Marikina Sports Complex.
In the third year of the reality-talent search, Out of numerous who auditioned nationwide, only the Top 100 was chosen for the first cut. From the Top 100, it was trimmed down to the Top 60, then from the Top 60 to the Top 43, then from the Top 43 to the Top 20, and from the Top 20 hopefuls. This batch was trimmed down to Top 20 hopefuls, from Top 20 finalists were reduced to Top 16 finalists and they formed the final fourteen finalists.
The Final 14 underwent various workshops and training in order to develop their personalities, talents, and charisma. But, the twist is that every week, one or two hopefuls from the final fourteen may have to say goodbye until only four remain. Those who were eliminated were dubbed as StarStruck Avengers.
The Final 4 will vie for the coveted Ultimate Male Survivor and Ultimate Female Survivor titles, both of them will received P1,000,000 pesos each plus and an exclusive management contract from GMA Network. This time, from the two Ultimate Survivors, the highest votes will be an Ultimate Sole Survivor title, has received a house and lot prize worth P2,500,000, an additional P300,000 in cash, and a business package worth P1,500,000 pesos each.
The First Prince and First Princess, both of them will received P250,000 pesos each plus and an exclusive management contract from the network. The StarStruck Avengers (the losing contestants) also received an exclusive contract from the network.
It also featured new ultimate title in StarStruck History, the Ultimate Sole Survivor and the two runners-up coveted to the First Prince and First Princess in the Final Judgment Night.
The introduction of the Top 20 dreamers revealed, for this season, instead of having just the traditional final fourteen, there will be the final twenty Survivors who will compete in various challenges. The hopefuls who will standout and survive these challenges will be part of the final fourteen.
When the Final 14 was chosen, they are assigned to different challenges every week that will hone their acting, singing, and dancing abilities. Every Friday, one is meant to leave the competition until there were just six others who are left. From survivor six, there will be two of them who will be eliminated and after the elimination of the two; the final four will be revealed.
The Final 4 will be battling with each other on the Final Judgment. People will choose who they want to win the competition by online voting and text voting. 30% of the result will come from the online and text votes and the remaining 70% is from the council.
A controversial incident happened in the sixth week of this season. The council member, Louie Ignacio revealed that someone from the remaining survivors had opened a confidential file on the show's computer and had subsequently told the other finalists about the next challenges the show has in store for them. Those implicated were Sara Larsson, Jackie Rice and Jana Roxas.
Sara Larsson eventually ousted as the fifth finalist to bid the contest goodbye. But even with Sara Larsson eliminated, the issue did not die but grew into a big controversy with more shocking revelations and crying bouts. Jackie Rice and Jana Roxas accused another survivor, Arci Muñoz of lying. The show aired footage captured by surveillance cameras showing the girls taking turns at the computer, but they all denied opening the confidential file in question. On the seventh week, the avenger Sara Larsson was given time to reveal her side of the story. On that same night, Arci Muñoz was eliminated.
The winner was announced on a two-hour TV special dubbed as StarStruck The Nationwide Invasion: The Final Judgment was held live on March 12, 2006, at the Marikina Sports Complex, the biggest venue in StarStruck history to avoid the recent Wowowee Stampede Tragedy in Philsport Arena where almost 200,000 attended in arena designed to accommodate 10,000 only. 10,000 spectators attended.
Before the performance of the final four, they were joined onstage by first the male graduates, Mark Herras, Rainier Castillo, Mike Tan and CJ Muere performs a dance number along with the male survivors, Gian Carlos and Marky Cielo the dance number song of Y-Not's Average Joe and Soul Control's Hello, Hello Hey, with the Abstract Dancers and G-MIC Dancers.
Jolina Magdangal sing and signature dance performing, the dance hits, together with the avengers performs a signature dance, Step Into The Rhythm signature dance for the first season avengers, Soul Control's Chocolatte signature dance for the second season avengers, and DJ Trix's I Like You signature dance for this season's avengers with the Abstract Dancers and G-MIC Dancers.
The final four perform their solo performances. Iwa Moto a dance number song of ?'s ?, Jackie Rice a dance number song of ?'s ?, Gian Carlos a dance number song of ?'s ? and Marky Cielo a dance number song of Y-Not's Favourite Son, performs a solo dance number with the Steved Groups and Kids@Work.
The avengers' performance came in next, in a song and dance medley detailing the journey of the survivors from the audition process, the four International contenders and the elimination of the tenth avengers for a dance number. Before the winners were Announced, Janno Gibbs and Jennylyn Mercado sang Moments of Love, from the film soundtrack of Moments of Love.
Announcement come, Jackie Rice of Olongapo, Zambales is the Ultimate Female Survivor and Marky Cielo of Bauko, Mountain Province is the Ultimate Male Survivor were proclaimed as the Ultimate Survivors, each of them received P1,000,000 pesos each plus and an exclusive management contract from GMA Network worth P2,000,000 pesos each.
While, Iwa Moto of Las Piñas is the First Princess and Gian Carlos of Iloilo City is the First Prince were proclaimed as the runner-ups, each of them received P250,000 cash each plus and an exclusive management contract from the network. The StarStruck Avengers (the losing contestants) also received an exclusive contract from the network.
And the first-ever Ultimate Sole Survivor won by Marky Cielo received a house and lot prize worth P2,500,000, an additional P300,000 in cash, and a business package worth P1,500,000 pesos each. The Final Judgment gained 32.7% rating.
This season of the final four were given their own TV special entitled Homecoming: A StarStruck Special which was aired on April 23, 2006. In the special with, Marky Cielo, Jackie Rice, Gian Carlos and Iwa Moto went back to their respective hometowns where they were treated accordingly as VIPs in their respective home provinces. Apart from that, there were several revelations from the final four as far as their lives were concerned.
^ The Top 20 were reduced to the Circle 16 was chosen on December 4, 2005.
^ The final fourteen was chosen on December 11, 2005.
^ Jackie Rice and Jana Roxas accused another survivor, Arci Muñoz, of lying. The show aired footage captured by surveillance cameras showing the girls taking turns at the StarStruck computer, but they all denied opening the confidential file in question. Sara Larsson was eliminated on January 15, 2006.
^ The seventh week the fifth avenger Sara Larsson was given time to reveal her side of the story. Arci Muñoz was eliminated on January 22, 2006.
^ It was a non-elimination week. The bottom group are Chuck Allie, Iwa Moto, Marky Cielo and Jana Roxas, but next week the two survivors were eliminated from the competition on February 5, 2006.
^ It was a double-elimination week. The bottom group are Bugz Daigo, Chuck Allie, Gian Carlos, Marky Cielo and Vivo Ouano. The first called to eliminated is Bugz Daigo and the second called is Vivo Ouano.
^ It was a non-elimination week. On February 12, 2006, the two hopefuls are possible were eliminated.
^ It was a non-elimination week. The bottom group are the remaining survivor six, was safe for the elimination on February 19, 2006.
^ The final four was chosen on February 26, 2006, And the last avengers are Jana Roxas and Chuck Allie. The first called to eliminated is Jana Roxas and the second called is Chuck Allie.
^ In the final judgment night, Marky Cielo and Jackie Rice were proclaimed as the Ultimate Survivors.