Two of Philippines’ entertainment icons, news broadcaster, Mel (Tiangco) and comic genius, Joey de Leon were in Sydney last week on a promotional tour. The visit coincided with the 6th anniversary celebration of their top rating show “Mel & Joey” .
Ms. Gina Boulos, CEO of UBI hosted a dinner function for GMA 7’s on-air personalities and crew members. Community leaders, the media and distributors were invited also to the cozy dinner function at Dunkirk Hotel at Pyrmont.
While in Sydney, the Mel & Joey cast and crew will seize the opportunity to film segments of life of the Filipino-Australian community for inclusion in their TV show “Mel & Joey. The team will then proceed to Melbourne to meet Filipinos in that city.
The overseas trip is like an annual pilgrimage for Mel & Joey who feel they need to get a close view of their overseas fans. “Dahil Kapuso pa rin namin kayo,” says Mel Tiangco.
The “Mel & Joey” Show is a lifestyle and talk show which airs on Sundays on GMA 7. The show gives viewers a glimpse of life’s experiences. The show is a unique blend of substance and humor; a fusion of straight news and comedy. Although a rare formula in the entertainment industry, the risk has paid off and to date has spelled success for the showbiz veterans. Mel and Joey have also proven that anything is possible.
Mel Tiangco’s credibility as a news presenter remains undeterred. As anchor woman of “24 Oras”, a primetime newscast, she ranks ninth in a Readers’ Digest survey of most trusted news presenters last year. For Mel, as a role model, her integrity extends beyond the set and when the cameras stop rolling. “It’s a case of walking the talk,” says Mel. In addition to her television commitments, Mel is part of the Kapuso Foundation and uses her on camera role for the plight of the needy.
Although considered one of the top celebrities in the Philippines, Joey on the other hand, refuses to indulge in a celebrity mentality and entertain the thought that he is a role model. Dressed in faded jeans and tees, a vision of the past, he quips: “I’m just a plain, simple laborer.” “Trabajo lang ng trabajo. Pag patay na tayo, o, di tulog na tulog,” he adds. Although he admits “medyo mahal na ngayon ang t-shirt ko” and admits that Mel has had an influence on his fashion style.
Undeniably witty and gifted a sense of humour that distorts the normal and disentangles the truth, he never runs out of material. “There’s so much just from our daily lives, ” he says. He rejoices in the absurd, twisting words and churning out classic lines that become part of a generation and culture. “Pag walang maisip, hindi magaling yon, he quips.”
For those who’ve been in Sydney a while, seeing Joey de Leon was like a free trip back to the seventies when he was just picking up momentum in his career. He’s cool, quick to dish out laugh-a-minute gags proving he still has it after all these years.
Abandoning a possible architecture career, Joey started off as a disc jockey in the sixties. The diversion made him king of the airwaves, until he got a lucky break and met up with the Sotto brothers, Tito and Vic Sotto. The rest is history as they went on to the “Eat Bulaga” lunchtime show which now boasts of being 32 years on air. Today, he’s a comedian, actor, TV presenter, recording artist, scriptwriter, comedy writer, Manila Bulletin columnist, advertising endorser, husband, and father all rolled into one. But he’ll always be Joey, just a simple guy with impeccable comedic timing.
Despite his success, he still has the whip on himself, forever pushing the boundaries and looking for new horizons. Aside from daily shows, he’s continually scribbling, gathering materials from a life that supplies him freely. “Mas masarap matulog pag pagod,” says Joey.
At the rate Joey de Leon is going, retirement is a word that doesn’t even come close to the imaginable.
