Joey de Leon

Joey de Leon
Joey de Leon (right) plays as a contestant in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? hosted by Vic Sotto (left).
Born	José María Ramos de León, Jr. (1946-10-14) October 14, 1946 (age 70) Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Occupation	Comedian, actor, television presenter
Years active	1969–present

José María Ramos de León, Jr., better known as Joey de Leon (born October 14, 1946) is a Spanish Filipino comedian, actor and television presenter. He hosts the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!. He is a member of the comedy trio Tito, Vic and Joey that has made several comedy movies and TV shows. As a songwriter, de Leon has penned songs including "Ipagpatawad Mo" (Forgive Me), "Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko" (Sing and I Will Dance), "Boyfriend kong Baduy" (My Geeky Boyfriend) and "Iskul Bukol" (School Lump).

De Leon was the second child of Jose Seoane de Leon (1918–2008), of Filipino-Spanish descent, and Emma Manahan Ramos. His paternal grandfather was the first mayor of Malolos, Bulacan. At the age of three, his parents divorced. His father then moved to Madrid, Spain and eventually remarried.

Prior to being an entertainer, de Leon earned his architecture degree from the National University in Manila. He was also a disc jockey for 12 radio stations when he was starting out.

Joey de Leon has five children. With first wife actress Daria Ramirez, he has two children, Joseph Joachim (Keempee) and Jacinda Myrtle (Cheenee). Through his second wife Eileen Macapagal, he has three children, Jocas Eightria, Jako Raphaelle and Jio Sebastiean. De Leon also has four grandchildren from eldest daughter Cheenee and one granddaughter from Keempee.

De Leon started out his showbiz career in the 1960s as a radio disc jockey and announcer. He worked for 12 radio stations, including all seven radio stations owned by ABS-CBN Corporation as well as other broadcasters like KBS. His first big break on TV was IBC 13's gag show OK Lang.