Willie Revillame

**Wilfredo Buendia Revillame** (born January 27, 1961), better known as **Willie Revillame**, is a Filipino television host, singer, songwriter, percussionist, businessman, actor, and comedian.

## Life and career

Revillame started out as the host of GMA Network's noontime variety program *Lunch Date* in the late 1980s together with Randy Santiago. in 1991, Revillame joined Eat Bulaga! as a Drummer, later in 1993, He became a Co-host. He gained superstardom by his drumming skills. After his hosting stint he started appearing on different movies playing sidekick to big-named stars. In 1998, he started to host *Magandang Tanghali Bayan* in ABC 5 (later TV5) until his departure in the show and network in 2004.

In late-2004, Revillame signs a contract with his original home network, GMA Network to air his own noontime show, Wowowee.

on October 12, 2013, Revillame retired in showbiz to take a rest and focus on business

In late-2014, Revillame marked his homecoming in GMA Network (his original home network), his long-awaited return to Philippine showbiz and to Philippine television via his newest noontime-variety program *Wil Time Bigtime*, airing on GMA Network every Monday to Saturday replacing Party Pilipinas.

## Business ventures

Revillame is known for developing a business, the Wil Tower Mall near near ABS-CBN Eugenio Lopez Drive in Quezon City with business partner Manny Villar. It held its grand opening on September 15, 2013. Revillame is also a former owner of the restaurants W Bar and Wil Steak Town at Wil Events Place located near Wil Tower Mall and ABS-CBN along Sgt. Esguerra Avenue in South Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City. Wil Tower Mall was developed by the real estate firm Vista Land, but Revillame's holdings were sold to his business partner and friend, former Senator Manny Villar.

Revillame was interviewed for the April 2015 episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho at his own rest house in Tagaytay City after the signing of contract with GMA Network. During the interview, GMA 7 broadcast journalist Jessica Soho said that Revillame is planning to build a 5-star resort-hotel located within the 5 hectare lot that he acquired from the Madrigal family. His own rest house is also located within the same lot.

## Controversies

### PhilSports stadium stampede

On February 4, 2006, while Willie was hosting *Wowowee*, the PhilSports Arena stampede occurred.

### Hello Pappy controversy

During the August 20, 2007, episode of the GMA program *Wowowee*, a contestant named Weng participated in the "Wilyonaryo" segment of the show. In the earlier rounds, she had won ₱1,500. For the jackpot portion of the game, out of the twelve "wheels" used in the game, she was randomly given a white-colored wheel. Weng now had to choose between two big prizes: the ₱10,000 that *Wowowee* host Willie Revillame was offering her, or whatever was inside the white wheel, which, according to the rules, could be a jackpot prize of ₱200,000 (US$97,000), a jackpot prize of ₱100,000 (US$48,500), a jackpot prize of ₱50,000 (US$24,000), a house and lot, or nothing at all (which would be signified by the numeral zero).

At first, Weng decided to go with what was inside the white wheel. However, after being prodded by the hosts to take the money instead, she decided to forgo the possible jackpot prize revealed in the white wheel and instead take home the ₱10,000 for this round, plus the ₱1,500 from an earlier round. After this, Revillame pulled a dark film from the window embedded in the wheel to reveal what prize the contestant had lost by choosing to take home the ₱15,000. Pulling the dark film revealed the numeral zero. This meant that if she had chosen the white wheel instead, she would have gone home with only ₱1,500.

After the decision, Revillame went on to reveal where the other prizes—the ₱200,000 cash prize, the ₱100,000 cash prize, the ₱50,000 cash prize, and the house and lot—were hidden. He said that the symbol for the ₱200,000 cash prize—the numeral "2"—was in the window of the violet wheel. Revillame was handed the violet wheel and he reached behind it, supposedly to pull the dark film in order to reveal the numeral "2." However, when he pulled the film, the numeral "0" appeared instead. Revillame appeared to fiddle with the back of the wheel and then he pulled out two films: one dark film (supposedly the "cover" film) and another film bearing the numeral "2". As he held those two films in his hand, the numeral "0" was still visible in the window of the violet wheel.

The scandal grew after Joey de Leon, one of the hosts of *Eat Bulaga!*—a rival variety show broadcast by ABS-CBN—began making comments about the incident, ending an edition of his *Manila Bulletin* entertainment column with the statement, "Teasing is not bad. Cheating is ... on TV."

On the August 29, 2007, episode of *Wowowee*, Revillame apologizes for the controversy.