Philippine television Television in the Philippines was introduced in October 1953 upon the first commercial broadcast made by Alto Broadcasting System (now ABS-CBN), making the Philippines the first Southeast Asian country and the second in Asia to do so. Even ...

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

Iya Villania Raelene Elaine "Iya" Villania-Arellano (born June 29, 1986), (), is a Filipino-Australian singer, actress, model, dancer, and television presenter. She has been widely known for her work as a VJ in the music channel Myx and as the ''Chika Minut ...

Mariel Rodriguez Maria Erlinda Lucille Sazon Termulo-Padilla (born August 10, 1984), professionally known as Mariel Rodriguez (), is a Filipino-born American actress, television host, model, and video jockey. Early life Mariel Rodriguez was born Maria Erlind ...

Valerie Concepcion Valerie Norona Galang-Sunga (born December 21, 1987), known professionally as Valerie Concepcion (), is a Filipino actress, television host, and endorser. She is known for her role as Nora Ferrer in the soap opera '' Sinasamba Kita'' but later tr ...

Pokwang Marietta Tan Subong (born August 27, 1972), known professionally as Pokwang, is a Filipinos, Filipino comedian, actress, television host and singer. She started in a reality show on ABS-CBN and subsequently appeared in dramas and sitcoms of t ...

Roxanne Guinoo Roxanne Bosch Guinoo-Yap (born February 14, 1986) is a Filipino actress. She mostly appears on TV shows but has also starred in movies, such as '' Now That I Have You'', the '' Shake, Rattle & Roll'' film series'','' and '' D' Anothers''. F ...

Precious Lara Quigaman Precious Lara San Agustin Quigaman-Alcaraz, () is a Filipino actress and beauty queen who won Miss International 2005, in Tokyo, Japan. She is the fourth Filipino to have won the pageant, after Gemma Cruz in 1964, Aurora Pijuan in 1970, and ...

Jed Montero Jed Montero (born Rebecca Gail Bacbac Montero on September 6, 1988) is a Filipina actress, model (profession), model, athlete and Television presenter, host. Just like Paulo Avelino, Montero hails from Sagada, Mountain Province. Her parents are ...

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (; born February 14, 1971) is a Filipino retired television presenter, actress, talent manager and film producer. She notably appeared as Princess Intan in the acclaimed '' Crazy Rich Asians'' and is a rec ...

Korina Sanchez Korina Maria Baluyut Sanchez-Roxas (; born October 5, 1964), known professionally as Korina Sanchez, is a Filipino broadcast journalist, television news anchor, senior field reporter, magazine show host, radio anchor, and newspaper columnist. ...

Dolphy Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), known professionally as Dolphy, was a Filipino comedian and actor. He is widely regarded as the country's "King of Comedy" for his comedic talent embodied by his long roster of works ...

Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a Filipino actor, film director, and politician serving as senator of the Philippines. He is known as the "Bad Boy" of Philippine cin ...

Edu Manzano Eduardo "Edu" Barrios Manzano (; born September 14, 1955) is a Filipino actor, television presenter, and politician. He hosted the game shows ''The Weakest Link'', '' Pilipinas, Game KNB?'', '' 1 vs. 100'', '' Asar Talo Lahat Panalo!'', and '' ...

Billy Crawford Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (born May 16, 1982) is a Filipino actor and singer. Crawford is a recipient of a NRJ Music Awards, a FAMAS Award and a special Aning Dangal award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Crawfor ...

Kim Atienza Alejandro "Kim" Ilagan Atienza (; born January 24, 1967), also called Kuya Kim, is a Filipino television presenter. Prior to becoming the resident weather anchor for ''TV Patrol'', Atienza served as Manila City Council, councilor of the Manila ...

Luis Manzano Luis Philippe Santos Manzano (; born April 21, 1981), also known by his nickname Lucky, is a Filipino actor, comedian and television host. He is the son of actors Edu Manzano and Vilma Santos. He is best known for as the presenter of several A ...

Cesar Montano Cesar Demontaño Manhilot (born August 1, 1962), known professionally as Cesar Montano (), is a Filipino actor, film producer, film director and aspiring politician. Montano started in show business as a commercial model.Gabby Concepcion (2009, 2010) *

Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), known professionally as Vice Ganda (), is a Filipino comedian, actor, host, singer and television personality. He is considered one of the most successful entertainers in Philippine show business ...

(2009) *

John Lloyd Cruz John Lloyd Espidol Cruz (born June 24, 1983) is a Filipino actor. Regarded as the "''King of Contemporary Cinema''" by the media, Cruz has top-billed several box-office successes. He has more than ten films with box office grosses of ₱100 mill ...

(2008, 2010) * KC Concepcion (2010) *

Randy Santiago Randy Gerard Legaspi Santiago (born November 26, 1960) is a Filipino actor, comedian, television host, musician, director, producer and entrepreneur. He is the older brother of Raymart Santiago, Rowell Santiago and Reily Pablo L. Santiago Jr ...

*

Dennis Padilla Dennis Esteban Dominguez Baldivia (born February 9, 1962), popularly known as Dennis Padilla (), is a Filipino comedian, TV host, radio broadcaster and actor. He is the son of the late Dencio Padilla, and the father of actress Julia Barretto. ...

(2010) *

Yul Servo John Marvin "Yul Servo" Cruz Nieto (born February 22, 1977) is a Filipino actor and politician who has served as the 28th Vice Mayor of Manila since 2022. Early life Nieto, nicknamed "Jon-Jon" as a child, was born in Calumpit, Bulacan, and ...

(2008–10)

Featuring

* Wowowee Dancers (formerly ''ASF Dancers'') (2005–10) * Kembot Girls (2010) * ASF Boys (2005–10) * Wowowee Girls (2005) *

Bentong Bentong, the seat of Bentong District, is a town located in western Pahang, Malaysia, at the border with the state of Selangor in the west and the state of Negeri Sembilan in the south. Government Bentong Municipal Council () is the local au ...

(2005–10) * Luningning (2008–10) * Saicy Aguila (2008–10) * Mariana del Rio (2008–09) *

Priscilla Meirelles Priscilla Meirelles de Almeida-Estrada (born 5 September 1983) is a Brazilian model, television host, actress, environmentalist and beauty queen. She won the Miss Earth 2004 pageant held in the Philippines, becoming the 4th Miss Earth. She a ...

(2008–09) * Ariana Barouk (2008–09) * Sandra Seifert (2008–09) * Nina Jose (2008–09) * Owen Ercia (Jimmy Santol) (2005–10) * DJ Coki (2007–10) * DJ Mod (2005–07; 2010)

Segments

Final segments

Cash Motto

In the Cash Motto segment, a random studio audience member who sent in a motto played a game with winnings up to

PHP PHP is a general-purpose scripting language geared towards web development. It was originally created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1993 and released in 1995. The PHP reference implementation is now produced by the PHP Group. ...

1,000,000. The contestant had one minute to grab as much cash in the air in a secluded capsule. They could not take peso bills while it is on the tank itself. The contestant was provided a broom to loosen up the money, so more would fly in the air. The amount of money they collected was what they kept. If the total amount of money grabbed reached PHP40,000 or over, the contestant received a ''Wowowee'' videoke along with the money they grabbed. Another random studio audience member was chosen after the segment. This second audience member did not get to play the game, but had to guess how much money the first audience member grabbed. The co-hosts usually gave a hint on the range. The contestant had up to three chances to guess how much was won. If the contestant guessed the correct amount, they won whatever the other player won. If they failed to guess, they still won PHP1,000 for being chosen.

Hep, Hep, Hooray

Twenty (previously ten) random audience members got to play Hep, Hep, Hooray. The game retired at the end of 2009 but quickly returned on January 4, 2010, due to more audience demand than its predecessor, ''Samson, Lion and Delilah''. In this segment of the show, the audience was prepared to dance to one of

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

's hit songs. This opening song number was the theme tune for the choosing of the ten random audience members, the audience was warmed up for the public displays of talent, where Willie and his co-hosts drew from the audience, from different sections including the TFC subscribers to dance the song in an entertaining way. The objective of the game was to repeat the words "Hep Hep" and "Hooray". A co-host put the microphone in front of a contestant's face and they were supposed to say "Hep Hep" while clapping their hands together below their waist, then another co-host would put the microphone to another contestant's face and they were to finish the cheer with saying "Hooray" and raising their hands in the air. If a contestant made a mistake, they were out of the game, but they won PHP1,000 and a gift pack from

Rexona Rexona is an Australian deodorant and antiperspirant brand owned by the British- Dutch company Unilever. While marketed under the Rexona name in most countries, it is known as Rexena (; ) in Japan and South Korea, Sure in the United Kingd ...

as a consolation prize. This was a last person standing game. The one who lasted the longest won. Since ''Cash Bukas'', the old bonus round for the game moved on to ''Willie of Fortune'', and new rules were written on its relaunch. The final person standing went for the final round, where the contestant could duel against one of the three "Amazonas": April, Lovely, and Aiko. During the duel, the same rules applied, repeating the words "Hep" "Hep" "Hooray". The contestant's goal was to beat the "Amazona" to win the jackpot, which always started at PHP10,000. Every day the jackpot was not won, another PHP10,000 was added to it. On January 25, 2010, Jana was removed as an Amazona due to losing three times; April replaced her. A new batch of Amazonas were introduced on March 8 of the same year, referred to the hosts as "Amazunas". A new name to "Amazunas" was introduced April 10: the "Dragon Ladies". Beginning July 5, the "Dragon Ladies" portion was removed, and the last person standing automatically won P10,000 from Rexona. On July 26, a new format called the ''Pair Factor'' was introduced. The twenty random audience members chose a partner to play with. The rules still mainly stayed the same, however, they had to both clap with "Hep" "Hep", and raise their hands with "Hooray". There were two groups consisting of five pairs each playing in their own group. The winner of rounds one and two would advance to the final round competing against each other. The last pair standing won P10,000 from Rexona.

Willie of Fortune

Six people selected earlier through "themed" auditions competed in pairs in rounds of ''Willie of Fortune''. The in-house keyboardist played a portion of a song, and the first person to name the song correctly won one point. If the player could correctly sing the exact lyrics from that portion of the song, they would receive the second point. Two points were required to win the round and get to round two. In this round, the three remaining players went to a knock out question. One song would be played, and whoever could buzz in the correct song title first won PHP10,000 and advanced to the jackpot round, ''Cash Bukas''. Every Saturday, celebrity teams played against each other. The same gameplay rules used in the weekday version were in effect. However, the team who reached five points first won, and went straight to the jackpot round, ''Cash Bukas''.

Cash Bukas

In the ''Cash Bukas'' segment, the winner of ''Willie of Fortune'' (previously the player was taken from ''Hep, Hep, Hooray'') got to play for four prizes. 10 trays were available for the player to select, while the player only selected three to play with. Next, the player chose only one tray. The player was offered increasing amounts of cash until the player took the offer, or kept playing to open the tray. The trays offered in the game were as follows: * 1: PHP100,000 * 1: PHP500,000 * 1: Grand Pasada Showcase (Sinski Maton) * 1: PHP1,000,000 * 6: Cheap prizes (e.g., sandals, salted egg, noisemakers, etc.)

Tic Tac to Win

''Tic Tac to Win'' was a game that premiered in January 2010, with a format similar to past "end-games" in the show, including its predecessor, ''Want More, No More''. Beginning on February 6 of the same year, the game was played on a recurring basis.

Tumpak o Sablay

A group of fifty contestants was asked a trivia question that was asked by a random person in the streets, or a celebrity in some cases. The contestants went to either side of the stage "Tumpak" (Correct) or "Sablay" (Fail) to guess if their answer is right or wrong. Similar to ''Pera o Bayong'', the last person standing on the round got to play for the jackpot round with PHP10,000 to keep.

Jackpot Round

Twenty letters (A-T) with prizes in different amounts were presented on a 5x4 board. The winner of the previous round chose nine letters from the board, and arranged the letters as they desired on a giant

tic-tac-toe Tic-tac-toe (American English), noughts and crosses (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), or Xs and Os (Canadian English, Canadian or Hiberno-English, Irish English) is a paper-and-pencil game for two players who ta ...

board. Scattered and hidden in the twenty letters were: *4: Brand new car *4: House and lot *4: PHP1,000,000 Eight letters contained instant cash for the contestant to keep: *4: PHP10,000 *3: PHP25,000 *1: PHP50,000 The goal was to make a tic-tac-toe of either the car, house, or PHP1,000,000. If a tic-tac-toe was achieved, it was won. If no tic-tac-toe was achieved, the contestant still kept the instant cash that was won on the board.

Discontinued segments

Special shows

World tours

''Wowowee'' had broadcast episodes from other locations in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, and had also gone on world tours to other countries such as the United States (

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

,

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

,

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

,

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

,

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

,

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

,

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, and

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

), Australia (

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

), Canada (

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

) and the United Arab Emirates (

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

). In celebration of TFC's 15th anniversary and ''Wowowees 4th anniversary, ''Wowowee'' held a grand world tour in 2009. Starting in

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

, the tour reached Italy, United States (San Francisco,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

,

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

and Las Vegas) and Canada (

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

).

2006: Alay sa Kapamilya

''Alay sa Kapamilya'' was a program organized by ABS-CBN as an observation for the PhilSports Arena stampede victims. It preempted ''Wowowee'' for six days while the network decided over the fate of the variety show. The shows were a solemn tribute to the victims, featuring performances by ABS-CBN regulars. Eventually, ABS-CBN decided to temporarily cancel the variety show until the start of the show's second iteration on March 11, 2006.

2006: Honoring Overseas Filipino Workers

On several occasions, the show has paid tribute to

Overseas Filipino Workers Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million ...

(OFWs) serving across the world. On the August 2, 2006, episode, ''Wowowee'' with cooperation with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) produced a special edition saluting and featuring female OFW's who returned from

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

where a war was present in that country. They were all invited to attend and even participate in the show that day. The contestants during the first half that day were close friends of the OFWs, while an unspecified number of OFW's participated in "The Ultimate Pera O Bayong". All the winnings won during the show were combined together and evenly distributed to all of the OFWs in the audience, with the grand total of winnings being PHP1,390,000.

2007: Armed Forces of the Philippines join ''Wowowee''

On September 1, 2007, about 500 soldiers came in full force to the show. Representatives from the major services, AFPWSSUS and Technical Services come to play and have fun during the show and take a crack at the grand prizes in different games. Highlights of the event were the interviews with the loved ones of Marines who lost their lives in the fight against the Abu Sayaff Group/ MILF rebels in Basilan on July 10 and August 11, 2007. Tearfully, loved ones recounted their last communication with the fallen Marines. Host

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

also asked each of them for a short message and everybody was moved to tears during the emotion-filled moment. AFP, PIO Chief LTC Bartolome Bacarro held back his tears but could not help it, just like the rest. Emotions rose again when candles were lit for the Marines.

2010: New set and co-hosts

A new set and a new batch of co-hosts were introduced in April 2010. Joining the four co-hosts already on the show were Carmen Soo, Isabelle Abiera,

Jed Montero Jed Montero (born Rebecca Gail Bacbac Montero on September 6, 1988) is a Filipina actress, model (profession), model, athlete and Television presenter, host. Just like Paulo Avelino, Montero hails from Sagada, Mountain Province. Her parents are ...

, and Kelly Misa. The new set consisted of a large LED video wall on the front of the stage with a brand new lighted flooring. Audience seats were moved and had seat numbers that might be used for future games. The show began with an extravagant opening sequence of

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

singing and dancing to his hit songs over the past five years. Later, the usual games were played. In ''Cash Motto'', a new format was explained that would begin taking place on April 17 called ''Cash Mo-Tour'', in which the cash tank would travel around

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...

and barangays for lucky people to win big. In ''Hep, Hep, Hooray'', the winner will play against the new name of the "Amazunas", the "Dragon Ladies" for the special jackpot of the day, PHP100,000. It was announced on the week of April 12 that the first stop for the ''Cash Mo-Tour'' will be held at Plaza Moriones in

Tondo, Manila Tondo is a district located in Manila, Philippines. It is the largest, in terms of area and population, of Manila's sixteen districts, with a census-estimated 654,220 people in 2020. It consists of two congressional districts. It is also the se ...

, but due to technical difficulties, it was announced on April 16 that the premiere would be postponed. Two months later on June 19, the game premiered in

Valenzuela City Valenzuela (, Tagalog: ; American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Valenzuela (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 714,97 ...

.

Ratings

During its 5 years on air, Wowowee became one of the longest-running noontime show, ''

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat !'' (; stylized as ''Eat... Bulaga!'') is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television variety show broadcast by Radio Philippines Network, ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. Originally hosted by Tito S ...

''s biggest opponent. According to TNS National TV Ratings, Wowowee was consistent in hitting the 20% mark but also breached the 30% mark on special occasions such as the comeback of

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

on the show after his one-month sabbatical in 2009. It rated 32.3%, a 12.1% lead against ''

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat !'' (; stylized as ''Eat... Bulaga!'') is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television variety show broadcast by Radio Philippines Network, ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. Originally hosted by Tito S ...

''s 20.2%. Wowowee also gave ''

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat !'' (; stylized as ''Eat... Bulaga!'') is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television variety show broadcast by Radio Philippines Network, ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. Originally hosted by Tito S ...

'' a close fight in its Metro Manila bailiwick while in rural areas, ''Wowowee'' was winning via landslide victory. However, ''Eat Bulaga!'' later defeated the show in rural areas due to its "Juan for All, All for Juan" segment.

Cancellation and aftermath

On July 27, 2010, ABS-CBN announced that ''Wowowees second and final iteration that started on March 11, 2006, and the program overall, would end on July 30 after 5 years of airing. The decision stemmed from Revillame's on-air demand during the May 4 episode for ABS-CBN to fire entertainment writer and then- DZMM radio host Jobert Sucaldito over the latter's constant criticisms directed at the show for allegedly auditioning students with below-average grades as contestants. Its ending coincided with ''

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat !'' (; stylized as ''Eat... Bulaga!'') is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television variety show broadcast by Radio Philippines Network, ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. Originally hosted by Tito S ...

''s 31st anniversary with

Luis Manzano Luis Philippe Santos Manzano (; born April 21, 1981), also known by his nickname Lucky, is a Filipino actor, comedian and television host. He is the son of actors Edu Manzano and Vilma Santos. He is best known for as the presenter of several A ...

serving as guest host along with the erstwhile co-hosts reserving the last part of the show for an emotional farewell. '' Pilipinas Win Na Win'' took over the noontime slot effective the following day. The new show was hosted by

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (; born February 14, 1971) is a Filipino retired television presenter, actress, talent manager and film producer. She notably appeared as Princess Intan in the acclaimed '' Crazy Rich Asians'' and is a rec ...

and

Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a Filipino actor, film director, and politician serving as senator of the Philippines. He is known as the "Bad Boy" of Philippine cin ...

with erstwhile ''Wowowee'' co-hosts

Mariel Rodriguez Maria Erlinda Lucille Sazon Termulo-Padilla (born August 10, 1984), professionally known as Mariel Rodriguez (), is a Filipino-born American actress, television host, model, and video jockey. Early life Mariel Rodriguez was born Maria Erlind ...

,

Pokwang Marietta Tan Subong (born August 27, 1972), known professionally as Pokwang, is a Filipinos, Filipino comedian, actress, television host and singer. She started in a reality show on ABS-CBN and subsequently appeared in dramas and sitcoms of t ...

, and

Valerie Concepcion Valerie Norona Galang-Sunga (born December 21, 1987), known professionally as Valerie Concepcion (), is a Filipino actress, television host, and endorser. She is known for her role as Nora Ferrer in the soap opera '' Sinasamba Kita'' but later tr ...

. Three months after ''Wowowee'' ended, '' Showtime'' became a temporary noontime show, serving as the lead-in program for Pilipinas Win Na Win which was pushed back to an early afternoon timeslot. ''Pilipinas Win Na Win'' was cancelled on December 31, 2010 due to low ratings. In January 2011, ABS-CBN announced through its Push.com site that a new noontime show, hosted by ex-''Magandang Tanghali Bayan'' hosts

Randy Santiago Randy Gerard Legaspi Santiago (born November 26, 1960) is a Filipino actor, comedian, television host, musician, director, producer and entrepreneur. He is the older brother of Raymart Santiago, Rowell Santiago and Reily Pablo L. Santiago Jr ...

and

John Estrada John Anthony Siason Estrada (born June 13, 1973), known professionally as John Estrada, is a Filipino actor, model and filmmaker who has starred in a number of roles as a leading man and antagonist. He was a contract actor with ABS-CBN from ...

, as well as

Toni Gonzaga Celestine Cruz Gonzaga-Soriano (born January 20, 1984), professionally known as Toni Gonzaga, is a Filipino media personality, host, actress, businesswoman, singer and vlogger. Gonzaga was the former lead host of ABS-CBN's long-running reality ...

and ex-Wowowee host

Mariel Rodriguez Maria Erlinda Lucille Sazon Termulo-Padilla (born August 10, 1984), professionally known as Mariel Rodriguez (), is a Filipino-born American actress, television host, model, and video jockey. Early life Mariel Rodriguez was born Maria Erlind ...

, was in the works. The show, entitled '' Happy Yipee Yehey!'' premiered on February 12, 2011, a week after what would have been the sixth anniversary of ''Wowowee'' which returned ''Showtime'' to its original timeslot and Willie was still under contract with ABS-CBN despite that he already transferred to TV5 on September 18, 2010 one month after ''Wowowee'''s cancellation. Under the contract with the network, Revillame was supposed to host ''Wowowee'' and continue the show's second run and program overall until September 10, 2011 or upon its cancellation or earlier termination, which meant the show would have run for 6 years 7 months if it had not ended on July 30, 2010. After ''Wowowee'''s cancellation, Studio 3 of the

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center The ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center (also called ABS-CBN Broadcast Center; formerly known as Broadcast Plaza from 1974 to 1986 and current edifice formerly spelled officially as ABS-CBN Broadcasting Centre) in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines is th ...

was then occupied by ''Pilipinas Win na Win'', ''

The Price is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

'' (the first non-afternoon game show to use Studio 3 at the aftermath of the cancellation of ''Wowowee''), ''Happy Yipee Yehey!'' from September 17, 2011 to January 25, 2012 before moving to Dolphy Theatre (Studio 1) from January 26 to February 3, 2012 and produced the finale episode at AFP Theater on February 4, 2012, and recently by ''Showtime'' (as ''It's Showtime'') since its return to noontime on February 6, 2012.

Successor programs

''Willing Willie'' and ''Wil Time Bigtime''

After a five-month hiatus,

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

made his comeback on the TV5 show '' Willing Willie'' on October 23, 2010. Several personalities from ''Wowowee'' joined in the new show's roster of hosts, including Owen Ercia and DJ Coki. On November 24, 2010,

ABS-CBN Corporation ABS-CBN Corporation is a Mass media in the Philippines, Filipino Media conglomerate, media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment television and film production, Broadcast syndication, progra ...

filed a copyright infringement suit against Willie Revillame, Wil Productions, Inc. and TV5 for allegedly copying ''Wowowee'' in ''Willing Willie''. However, hearings on the case, which was filed at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 66 under presiding judge Joselito C. Villarosa, was suspended after the Court of Appeals granted the request for a temporary restraining order by TV5. TV5 then filed a petition for

certiorari In law, ''certiorari'' is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency. ''Certiorari'' comes from the name of a prerogative writ in England, issued by a superior court to direct that the recor ...

,

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

and writ of preliminary injunction before the Court of Appeals. ABS-CBN responded by filing a motion seeking to dismiss the petition of the former. On March 10, 2011, the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of TV5. On May 14, 2011,

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

's comeback for the primetime variety show ''

Wil Time Bigtime ''Wil Time Bigtime'' (formerly known as ''Willing Willie'') was a Philippine television variety show broadcast by TV5. The show was hosted by Willie Revillame. It aired from October 23, 2010 to January 5, 2013, replacing ''5 Max Movies'' and ...

'' after 9 months, this show has now officially canceled on January 5, 2013.

''Wowowillie'' and ''Wowowin''

TV5 announced the newest noontime variety show ''Wowowillie''. It premiered on January 26, 2013, but the show was cancelled on October 12, 2013, due to the early retirement from television of Willie Revillame as well as poor ratings of the show. In March 2015,

GMA Network GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...

announced the comeback of

Willie Revillame Wilfredo "Willie" Buendia Revillame (; born January 27, 1961), is a Filipino television host, actor, comedian, drummer, singer, and businessman. He has hosted numerous variety shows, such as ''Lunch Date'', Sang Linggo nAPO Sila'' and ''MTB ...

to Philippine television and to GMA Network via his newest Sunday afternoon variety show, ''

Wowowin ''Wowowin'' is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network and All TV. Hosted by Willie Revillame, it premiered on May 10, 2015 on GMA Network. The show aired its final broadcast on GMA Network on February 11, 2022. The show ...

''. ''Wowowin'', produced by Revillame's WBR Entertainment Productions, premiered on May 10, 2015, nationwide and worldwide via

GMA Pinoy TV GMA Pinoy TV is a Philippine pay television channel that was launched in March 2005, by GMA Network. Operated by its subsidiaries, GMA International and GMA Worldwide Inc. and its news division, GMA Integrated News, it is targeted towards the ...

. The hashtag #Wowowin trended on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

nationwide through the night.

Controversies

ULTRA stampede

On February 4, 2006, ''Wowowee'' was to hold its first anniversary show at the ULTRA stadium when a

stampede A stampede () is a situation in which a group of large animals suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are excited or frightened. Although the term is most often applied to animals, there are cases of humans stamped ...

occurred at 6:00 a.m. PST. The show was set to air at 1:00 until 2:30 in the afternoon. The incident was dramatized and investigated in the

GMA Network GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...

-produced

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

series, ''

Case Unclosed ''Case Unclosed'' is a Philippine television documentary show broadcast by GMA Network. Originally hosted by Kara David, it premiered on October 2, 2008. Arnold Clavio served as the final host. The show concluded on February 25, 2010, with a t ...

'' as their 18th episode. The episode was aired on February 5, 2009, 3 years later after the incident.

Hello Pappy scandal

On August 20, 2007, during the ''Wilyonaryo'' segment, Willie Revillame looked for the ₱2 million jackpot prize in the violet wheel. However, he found out that there are two numbers in the wheel by pulling off the films. A later feud between Revillame and rival show ''

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat !'' (; stylized as ''Eat... Bulaga!'') is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television variety show broadcast by Radio Philippines Network, ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. Originally hosted by Tito S ...

''

Joey de Leon Jose Maria Ramos de Leon Jr. (born October 14, 1946), professionally known as Joey de Leon and also known as Henyo Master, is a Filipino comedian, actor, television host and songwriter. He is one of the members of the comedy trio, collectively ...

led to this scandal.

Cory Aquino live funeral coverage controversy

In the August 3, 2009 episode of Wowowee, during which the show was interrupted for live coverage of the transfer of President Cory Aquino's remains from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral, Revillame said that he could not make people happy while the entire country was mourning. The Alliance of Filipino Journalists denounced his remarks as a sign of disrespect towards Aquino. Revillame said he had no intention of defaming the former president and her family. ABS-CBN senior executive Cory Vidanes said that the network supported Revillame's action, stating that his outburst did not run afoul of the Broadcast Code of the Philippines. Network entertainment official Johnny Manahan said Revillame was correct in saying that the footage should not have been inserted, but the way he said it was wrong.

Revillame's row with Jobert Sucaldito

During the May 4, 2010 episode of ''Wowowee'', Revillame demanded on-air for ABS-CBN's management to fire entertainment writer and then- DZMM radio host Jobert Sucaldito over criticisms directed at the show for allegedly inviting students with below-average grades as contestants. Later that night in a '' TV Patrol World'' interview, Sucaldito responded that the criticisms he made were just his opinion. However, the row had sparked overwhelmingly negative reactions towards Revillame on social media sites such as

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

calling for him to be fired. Revillame then went on indefinite leave from the noontime show starting May 5th with his co-hosts vaguely stating that he was just 'resting' but ratings had started to nosedive. During the height of the corporate discussions, Revillame penned a letter to ABS-CBN executives to release him from his contract that was then valid until September 2011; such letter was leaked on May 21, 2010 through ''

The Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...

'' columnist Ricky Lo. ABS-CBN then began fielding in guest-hosts that will helm the show for two-week shifts with the first being

Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a Filipino actor, film director, and politician serving as senator of the Philippines. He is known as the "Bad Boy" of Philippine cin ...

. Among the other guest hosts were

Cesar Montano Cesar Demontaño Manhilot (born August 1, 1962), known professionally as Cesar Montano (), is a Filipino actor, film producer, film director and aspiring politician. Montano started in show business as a commercial model.Pilipinas Got Talent ''Pilipinas Got Talent'' (known and abbreviated as PGT) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television reality competition show broadcast by ABS-CBN, Kapamilya Channel and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. The show is based on the B ...

's inaugural tandem emcees

Luis Manzano Luis Philippe Santos Manzano (; born April 21, 1981), also known by his nickname Lucky, is a Filipino actor, comedian and television host. He is the son of actors Edu Manzano and Vilma Santos. He is best known for as the presenter of several A ...

and

Billy Crawford Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (born May 16, 1982) is a Filipino actor and singer. Crawford is a recipient of a NRJ Music Awards, a FAMAS Award and a special Aning Dangal award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Crawfor ...

before settling with Manzano alone for the last weeks of July until its cancellation.

Awards

*2005 KBP Golden Dove Awards Best Variety Show – Won *Best Variety & Game Show (Star Awards for TV) (2009 & 2010) – Won (which was a combination of Best Game Show and Best Variety Show in one category this year) *Best Variety Show (Star Awards for TV) (2008) – Won ** In 2008, tied with GMA Network's ''Eat Bulaga''. – Won *Best Male TV Host (Willie Revillame) (2005 & 2007) – Won *Best Female TV Host (Janelle Jamer) (2007) – Won *Consumers Award Outstanding Variety Show (2008) – Won *Consumers Award Outstanding Male TV Host (2008) – Won *PMPC Star Awards Best Female TV Host (Valerie Concepcion) (2008 & 2009) – Won *Anak TV Seal Awards (2009) – Won

References

External links

Official WebsiteOfficial TFCnow''Wowowee'' Episode Information
* {{Noontime variety shows in the Philippines 2005 Philippine television series debuts 2010 Philippine television series endings 2000s Philippine television series 2010s Philippine television series ABS-CBN original programming ABS-CBN variety shows Willie Revillame Filipino-language television shows Television controversies in the Philippines Philippine television series revived after cancellation Television series by ABS-CBN Studios

Hosts

Final main host

Final Co-hosts

Final Guest hosts

Featuring

Segments

Final segments

Cash Motto

Hep, Hep, Hooray

Willie of Fortune

Cash Bukas

Tic Tac to Win

Tumpak o Sablay

Jackpot Round

Discontinued segments

Special shows

World tours

2006: Alay sa Kapamilya

2006: Honoring Overseas Filipino Workers

2007: Armed Forces of the Philippines join ''Wowowee''

2010: New set and co-hosts

Ratings

Cancellation and aftermath

Successor programs

''Willing Willie'' and ''Wil Time Bigtime''

''Wowowillie'' and ''Wowowin''

Controversies

ULTRA stampede

Hello Pappy scandal

Cory Aquino live funeral coverage controversy

Revillame's row with Jobert Sucaldito

Awards

See also

References

External links