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| Willie Revillame Early workRevillame met his mentor, entertainer Randy Santiago, in 1979 while performing in a bar, where he starred as an "extra". Santiago eventually hired Revillame as his sidekick in the now-defunct GMA Network noontime show Lunch Date, where Revillame stayed for three months and was signed by Regal Films to star alongside Joey Marquez in the movie Bobocop. Revillame was then on cast in movies playing sidekick to other movie personalities, like Philip Salvador, Rudy Fernandez, Edu Manzano, Cesar Montano, Aga Muhlach, Dolphy, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon. Noontime showsIn 1998, he joined his former Lunch Date co-host Randy Santiago and John Estrada in a new noontime show Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB), which replaced 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila. Magandang Tanghali Bayan started its first live episode on November 30, 1998. Willie Revillame hosted ABS-CBN's Wowowee from February 5, 2005 until May 4, 2010. During this period, PhilSports Arena stampede occurred. On August 24, 2007, in a 7-page resolution the Department of Justice dismissed criminal charges against Revillame in connection with the PhilSports Arena stampede. But Raul Gonzalez affirmed the charge against 14 other respondents, including ABS-CBN Network officials led by executive vice president Charo Santos Concio. A 5-man DOJ panel of prosecutors led by Atty. Dacera earlier ruled in an 80-page resolution that the organizers of the Wowowee variety show were guilty of gross negligence. ControversiesIn the August 3, 2009 episode of Wowowee Revillame spoke out against the insertion of a live broadcast on the transfer of the late President Cory Aquino's remains from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral during the live show. He suddenly said that he could not make people happy while the entire country was mourning the former president's passing. The Alliance of Filipino Journalists immediately denounced his remarks as a sign of disrespect towards Aquino. Revillame insisted that he had no intention of defaming the former president and her family. The Aquino family accepted his apology, but Revillame stressed that he would step down from Wowowee if he was truly wrong about his remarks. On August 10, ABS-CBN announced that Willie went on an indefinite leave. ABS-CBN senior executive Cory Vidanes said 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 delivered it before the camera was wrong. In a press conference on August 9, 2010, Revillame announced that he was ending his contract with ABS-CBN, even if it is supposed to expire in September 2011. He also accused ABS-CBN of violating several provisions in his contract. He narrated that his decision came out of meetings between ABS-CBN production head Linggit Tan and network president Charo Santos-Concio regarding a return to the show on July 31. However, on July 20, Tan said the management will replace Wowowee with a new show on July 31 and also offered him a one-hour weekly show. She added negative feedback still prevailed among network employees about him going to work again. Despite the move, the network stated that Revillame's Wowowee tirade only highlighted his arrogance and stressed that the contract is still in effect. Business careerRevillame is developing his first real estate business, the Wil Tower Mall near ABS-CBN Eugenio Lopez Drive in Quezon City, expected to be completed in 2012. Personal lifeRevillame was married to former beauty queen Liz Almoro in a civil ceremony at Lipa, Batangas on March 2005 officiated by Vilma Santos. This was followed shortly by a church wedding in June 2005. On July 16, 2007, a criminal case for "verbally and emotionally abusing his estranged wife" was filed against Revillame before a Quezon City court (Criminal Case No. Q-07-147787). As Crew Member
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