Joey de Leon asked TAPE to just wait for “Eat Bulaga!” to reach 50 years before TAPE kicked them out
Joey de Leon reveals that the management of TAPE Inc. wanted to remove Paolo Ballesteros, Ryzza Mae Dizon, Ryan Agoncillo, and even Maine Mendoza from “Eat Bulaga!”
Joey, one of the three pioneer hosts of the noontime show, says that management also wanted to slash salaries and remove production staff and portions of the show.
“Sige, sasabihin ko na sa inyo yung totoo—pinapatanggal nila si Ryzza Mae, yung bata, si Ryan Agoncillo, at saka si Paolo Ballesteros,” disclosed the comedian in his June 8, 2023 interview with One News PH.
Joey is one-third of the TVJ comedy trio composed of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey himself.
He adds, “Ewan, may mga ipapasok silang bagong talents nila. Pati si Maine, actually. Pero sabi [namin], ‘Di pwede, e, tanggalin niyo na kaming lahat.‘
“Pati ano, mga official ng production, hindi lang sa hosts, e. Pati mga portions namin, gusto palitan, ewan ko, di raw sila natutuwa.“
Joey admits this is one of the triggering factors why the Dabarkads decided to cut ties with TAPE Inc., which led to their big announcement to leave “Eat Bulaga!” on May 31, 2023. They have been airing on GMA-7 for the past 28 years.
READ: Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon air goodbyes to “Eat Bulaga” producer, TAPE Inc.
TVJ moving to TV5
Joey also reveals that management wanted to slash their salaries across the board. In a separate interview, Wally Bayola discloses that the salary cut could reach around 30%.
The TVJ triumvirate did not force the other Dabarkads to leave the show as well.
He says, “Through the years, basta gusto niyo sumama, nandito lang kami. Wala talagang ano… alam mo, bago pa kami maging Kapatid kami, magkakapatid na turingan namin.
“So, walang nagsisikretuhan sa amin. Pinagtatanggol namin. Kaya nga nangyari ito dahil may pinapatanggal sila na tatlong hosts, e. Yun ang totoo—may pinapatanggal silang tatlong hosts.”
Joey points out that he even tried to bargain with the management and told them to just wait for the show to reach 50 years before TAPE kicks them out.
“Ako nga, mabigat yung nabitawan ko nung isang meeting, e. Sabi ko, ‘Hindi ba pwedeng paabutin niyo lang kami ng 50 years tapos sipain niyo na kami?’
“Yan ang words ko mismo. ‘Sipain niyo na kami.’ Totoo, yun ang sinabi ko. Ito, first time ko sinabi ito. Ayoko nga ng magulo, may away, ganun.”
Joey is grateful that they found a new home in TV5. With regards to the time slot, Joey says they are leaving it to the management of MediaQuest and TV5 to decide.
The mass resignation of the “Eat Bulaga!” hosts is a major blow to the noontime show, which has been a staple in Filipino households for decades.
READ: TV5 Is The New Home of TVJ, “Eat Bulaga!” Hosts
The post Joey de Leon Reveals TAPE Wanted Maine Mendoza, Three Other Mainstays Out Of “Old” “Eat Bulaga!” appeared first on FreebieMNL.
