WILLIE TURNS TO GOLD
[PHOTO - Birthday Boy Willie Revillame opens show at his birthday dinner Saturday night at Shangri-La Makati. Inset: His ex-wife Princess Punzalan (left) and Willing Willie co-host Shalani Soledad]
MANILA, JANUARY 31, 2011 (STAR) - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo - For two days after his 50th-birthday episode of his TV5 game show Willing Willie last Thursday, Jan. 27, Willie Revillame went "missing, leaving his loan female co-host Shalani Soledad to, so to speak, mind the store, assisted by segment host Mo Twister.
[PHOTO - Willie and Shalani with TV5 Kapatid Network Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP, center) and Viva big boss Vic del Rosario Jr. (rightmost)]
Reason: His throat was swollen, and so was did a pressed pimple on his nose.
Millions of cash and, among other prizes, three Camella Homes houses & lots donated by Sen. Manny Villar were given away during the show which lasted for more than four hours. No wonder Willie's throat hurt.
During the show, Willie said that he has set aside P50 million for his foundation. In his will, his children are all provided for.
But Saturday night during a "surprise" birthday party at the Rizal Ballroom of Shangri-La Makati (where the Birthday Boy has been billeted since Thursday after the show), Willie opened a night of retro music by saying, "So you are 'surprising' me, huh. Ako ang may sopresa sa inyo," and proceeding to sing singing three songs, Ikaw Na Nga, I Love You and Kanlungan.
The party, which started at 8:30 p.m. with a sit-down dinner and ended at 4 o'clock the next morning, was graced by starry guests led by TV5 Kapatid bosses Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) and Ray Espinosa.
Gloria Diaz and boyfriend Mike de Jesus As a nod to his early years in showbiz, Willie then played the drums with Boy Katindig and his band, the same group Willie used to hang around with at Birdland.
The show was hosted by Ruffa Gutierrez, with Rufa Mae Quinto joining her for a while.
Daisy Romualdez and Pilita Corrales (photo at right) Among those who sang were Pops Fernandez, Kuh Ledesma, Gary Valenciano, The Rainmakers, and the trio of Gino Padilla, Dingdong Avanzado and Raymond Lauchengco.
One of the night's highlights was the meeting of Willie's ex-wife Princess Punzalan and Shalani. Princess flew in from the States (where she's based with her American husband) to play the mom of Richard Gutierrez in My Valentine Girls, a co-production venture between GMA Films and Regal Films.
"Yon ang talagang sorpresa sa akin," Willie said of Princess' presence.
Perhaps the only sad note to an otherwise joyful golden celebration was the news that Willie's buddies John Estrada and Randy Santiago have accepted an offer to host a new noontime show on ABS-CBN Kapamilya Network, with which Willie has swapped court charges. It turned out that, giving in to John and Randy's pakiusap,
But Willie is taking it personally. In fact, he has begged off from acting as Best Man at the wedding of John and Priscilla Meirilles at a La Union beach next month.
(photo from left: Vice Pres. Jojo Binay, Pops Fernandez, Annabelle Rama, MVP and Boss)
Vic Willie was ready to close a deal for the three of them to host a noontime show on TV5, reminiscent of the one (Magandang Tanghali Bayan) they did on ABS-CBN. Willie couldn't hide his displeasure during his birthday episode when he had a "live" phone exchange with John.
John wasn't present at the Shangri-La affair. Neither was Randy. But John has texted Willie, saying, "Trabaho lang, walang personalan."
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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