Vic Sotto, Tito Sotto and Joey de Leon. Image: Instagram/@tvjofficial
Amid apparent suggestions of some to honor TVJ with the National Artist title, Joey de Leon, one third of the trio, said he is not after such and that he prefers that they be called “function all artists.”
De Leon, who completes the group alongside fellow hosts Tito Sotto and Vic Sotto, shared his sentiment on the matter through his Instagram page on Monday, March 25.
“May nag-suggest gawin na raw kaming National Artists pati ‘Eat Bulaga.’ Sabi ko, ‘WAG NA.’” he wrote. “Gawin niyo na lang kaming FUNCTION ALL ARTISTS!”
Explaining the moniker he proposed, De Leon continued, “Eh kasi we’ve covered nearly everything—radio, TV, newspaper, recording, movies, arts, politics, etc.”
Netizens then took to the comments section to argue that TVJ deserves the National Artist title, considering the trio’s contribution to the film and television industry in their decades of career.
Image: Instagram/@angpoetnyo
Image: Instagram/@angpoetnyo
The veteran TV host concluded his post by inviting their noontime viewers to watch their Lenten Special on “Eat Bulaga,” an annual drama anthology that stars the show’s hosts and celebrity guests.
Meanwhile, De Leon earlier celebrated the 14,000 days of “Eat Bulaga” by joking about how they have been the “longest-running” noontime show in the country, because they have apparently been “running” from one station to another since 1979.
