Edward Barber did not announce his engagement through a glossy celebrity shoot or a carefully timed social media post. He revealed it from a church stage.
“That’s my wonderful fiancée, Ricki,” Barber told the congregation as a photo of the couple appeared on the LED screen behind him. In the image, Barber had his arm around his fiancée, whose raised left hand showed an engagement ring. The moment quickly circulated online.
For longtime followers who first knew Barber as one-half of the MayWard love team with Maymay Entrata, the announcement was another reminder of how far his life has moved from the showbiz trajectory that once seemed mapped out for him.
Barber entered Philippine entertainment through Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7 in 2016, where he finished fourth. His stint led to his pairing with season winner Maymay Entrata, forming MayWard, one of the prominent love teams of their generation.
The pair starred in Loving in Tandem in 2017, while Barber later appeared in projects including Seven Sundays, Princess DayaReese and La Luna Sangre. He also built a career as a host and video jockey under Star Magic and ABS-CBN.
But the pandemic interrupted that trajectory.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Barber began publicly talking about questions of faith, identity and purpose. He was baptized as a Christian in May 2021 and became involved with Favor Church Manila.
By 2024, he was already clear about where his priorities were heading.
“I’ve seen hosting as my work and I love it. I love the people with me. But at the end of the day, if I have to choose between the two, I will probably choose the ministry,” Barber said in an interview with Bianca Gonzalez.
He also launched The Painfully Human, a podcast focused on faith, identity and personal conversations, with guests including Andrea Brillantes.
Barber’s shift toward ministry became formal on Jan. 24, 2026, when Favor Church Manila ordained him as one of its new pastors and pastors-in-training during the church’s annual Leaders Advance event. He was 25.
Seven months later, another major change became public.
During his Aug. 18 church message, Barber spoke about finding the relationship he had prayed for.
“From the last time I was here,” he told the congregation, “I am now in an awesome relationship.”
He then introduced Ricki as his fiancée.
Ricki Umali is not from show business, and little has been publicly disclosed about her. That is worth keeping intact. Beyond Barber’s own announcement and the photograph he shared, there is little reason to turn a private person into a celebrity profile simply because she is marrying one.
Predictably, Barber’s engagement also revived memories of MayWard.
Some fans congratulated him; others revisited his former onscreen partnership with Entrata. But the engagement is not a MayWard story. Barber and Entrata ended their professional pairing years ago, and Entrata had not publicly commented on his engagement as of the original report.
The more relevant story is what Barber has done with his life since that chapter ended.
His baptism, church involvement, podcast, ordination and now engagement form a fairly clear progression. Entertainment remains part of his career, but it is no longer the sole frame through which he presents himself publicly. He has repeatedly indicated that ministry would take precedence if he were forced to choose between the two.
At 26, Barber is engaged, serving in ministry and still connected to the entertainment industry that introduced him to the public a decade ago.