IT?S ALL RUMORS, says comedian-TV host Joey de Leon on reports that he was upset with his home network, GMA-7, for interviewing beleaguered rival host Willie Revillame recently about the latter?s troubles with ABS-CBN.

?I can?t keep GMA-7 from doing what it wants. I?m just an employee,? De Leon said at a media gathering on Monday night.

He also belied talks that he was miffed because GMA-7 supposedly has a standing offer for Revillame, who had earlier declared himself free of his contract with ABS-CBN following the axing of ?Wowowee.?

?My bosses can hire whoever they want to hire,? De Leon pointed out.

He likewise clarified that his absence from the show biz gabfest ?Star Talk? on Aug. 14, the day after Revillame?s interview aired on ?24 Oras,? was not a sign of protest. ?I?ve had stomachache for two straight days at that time. I decided to just take a rest. When I came back the following week, Lolit (Solis, cohost) teased me about it, nagtampo raw ako. Sinakyan ko na lang siya,? he said.

Working with Revillame

De Leon stressed that he ?honestly? has no problem with Revillame: ?I even asked him to work with me on a couple of films in the past (?Barbie 2? and ?3,? ?Sam and Miguel?). The rivalry began when we became hosts of competing shows.?

De Leon is a cohost of GMA-7?s ?Eat ... Bulaga!? that airs on the same time slot as ?Wowowee? before it went off the air in August.

?Willie is already facing a lot of problems right now. I don?t wish for more bad things to come his way. I?m not that wicked,? said De Leon.

But the 63-year-old De Leon opined that the trouble between ABS-CBN and Revillame could have been avoided if only the latter had kept his cool.

In May, Revillame threatened to resign from the Kapamilya network if it did not fire one of its talents, dzMM-Teleradyo commentator Jobert Sucaldito, whom he accused of unfairly criticizing him.

De Leon recalled that one of his toughest times as a TV host happened in February 2006, in connection with the ?Wowowee? stampede that left 78 people dead and over 400 injured.

?Willie accused me of doing this (makes a hand-across-neck gesture to indicate death) ... Why would I do something so rude during a tragic time like that? Tony Tuviera (?Bulaga? producer), being the peace-loving person that he always is, told me not to react. Nahirapan ako magpigil so I spoke about it on ?Star Talk.? I was prepared to leave ?Bulaga? then. I felt so bad for being told to simply shut up. It was good that things got ironed out,? he said.

New programs

Is he open to working with Revillame again in the future?

?I?m not sure. I?m already busy with my shows on GMA-7 and TV5. If I accept one more, I won?t have enough time for myself and my family anymore,? he explained. ?Let us first wait for Willie to return to TV work. He might end up going back to ABS-CBN after all.?

Speculations are rife that Willie is also negotiating with TV5 as a block-timer. He will reportedly launch a new game show in October.

De Leon has two new programs on TV5?the comedy program ?Wow Meganon?? and the game show ?House or Not.?

?Wow Meganon?? is a modern take on the award-winning and top-rated gag show ?Wow Mali.? Comic DJ Mr. Fu is also in the cast. It premiered on Sept. 6 and airs Mondays, 9 to 9:30 p.m.

In ?House or Not,? contestants perform challenges to win their dream house. It premieres Sept. 12 at 12 to 1 p.m.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph