Joey de Leon, one of the esteemed hosts of the popular show ‘Eat Bulaga,’ has recently voiced his concerns about the lack of communication from GMA Network following the controversial ‘TAPE Inc. vs TVJ’ incident.
During an interview on June 12 with Filipino host Julius Babao, de Leon disclosed that they have not received any communication from the GMA Network since their departure from TAPE Inc.’s ‘Eat Bulaga,’ which was previously aired on the said network.
Nevertheless, de Leon expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards Susan Co, the representative of Puregold, who promptly reached out to them and checked on their well-being after the incident was broadcasted on national television. This thoughtful gesture of care and respect from ‘Eat Bulaga’s’ sponsor was sincerely appreciated by de Leon.
“Kaya ako naiyak sa show ni Cheryl Cosim, hindi na dun dahil sa show ah, well konektado. Pero dahil sa ibang tao, dahil ang yabang ko pa kay Susan (Puregold’s) e, ah, okay lang kami, talagang nung point na ‘yun okay ako e. No, ‘wag niyong pansinin ‘yung ginagawa namin. Ang tinatanong ko, kung okay kayo. Bumigay ako,” shared de Leon.
He further expressed his disappointment, saying, “E ‘yung 7. Oy, 7 Kayo ba tumawag na oy! Okay ba kayo? Well e, ganun talaga.”
When Julius Babao inquired about whether he still watches the new iteration of ‘Eat Bulaga’ with its new hosts, de Leon did not shy away from the question. He openly admitted to watching the show and even mentioned that he keeps up with various other programs, including ‘It’s Showtime.’
“Oo sumilip ako siyempre… Sinungaling ko namang kung sabihin kong hindi ko nasilip. Nasilip ko, sanay akong manood ng Showtime, lahat. ng TV. Wala akong masamang komentaryo. Nagtatrabaho ‘yung mga tao,” shared de Leon.
De Leon also shared his feelings of sadness regarding the backlash faced by the new talents who were innocently caught up in the rivalry between TAPE Inc. and TVJ. He emphasized that these emerging talents should not be involved in the conflict and deserve understanding and support instead.
“Yun nga lang siyempre, hindi ko akalain yung puna ng iba ang daming… ‘Yung nauso yung social media, lahat ang daming nagkokomentaryo ‘di ba? Labas na ako ‘dun,” added de Leon.
Providing a brief background, it is worth noting that Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon, collectively known as TVJ, officially resigned from TAPE Inc. (and GMA Network) on May 31. They recently announced their transition to a new management and network, TV5.
While the ongoing dispute between TAPE Inc. and TVJ remains unresolved, both parties have taken the opportunity to share their perspectives through interviews on national television.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the situation, the promising careers of the new talents and the enduring success of the original hosts of ‘Eat Bulaga’ continue to flourish. With the respective shows now airing on different networks, audiences can eagerly anticipate witnessing the presence of both programs in their new broadcasting homes.
