Background and career
Ariel Pagtalonia Manalo (born February 12, 1966), known professionally as Jose Manalo (Tagalog: [hoˈse mɐˈnɐlɔ]), is a Filipino comedian, actor, and director, best known as a host of the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga! (1996–present) on TV5. He is also recognized for his stand-up comedy performances.
Manalo married Anna Lyn Santos, his estranged wife, who died at age 54 in January 2022. She is survived by their children: Myki, a medical doctor; Benj Manalo, married to Lovely Abella; Sherwin Nicco, an actor; Ai, an accounts manager; and Colyn, a musician. On December 2, 2024, Manalo became engaged to EB Babe dancer Gene Maranan. They married on December 17.
At 18, Manalo left school to support his growing family. Without a college degree, he took various odd jobs, including working as an errand boy, pedicab driver, and street vendor. He began his comedic career as a member of the Boyoyong clown trio (1988–1988). In 1992, he entered the entertainment industry as part of the cast of the afternoon drama series Valiente. He also served as a substitute performer on the youth-oriented variety show That's Entertainment when dancers were unavailable. His breakthrough came when he joined Eat Bulaga! as a production assistant in 1996 and later became a host in 2002. He subsequently rose to prominence, starring in successful films and sitcoms alongside Vic Sotto. In 2023, Manalo and fellow co-hosts of Eat Bulaga! departed TAPE, Inc. following a dispute with Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon. Collectively known as the "Legit Dabarkads", they transferred to TV5, where they hosted a new program titled E.A.T., later renamed Eat Bulaga! on January 6, 2024.
In 2012, Jose Manalo's wife Annalyn lodged a complaint against the comedian for verbal and emotional abuse. In her affidavit, she claimed that the abuse started in 2011. Manalo denied the charges of abuse and also his wife's accusations of family abandonment and child neglect. In his official statement, Manalo asserted that he provided support, "financial or otherwise", to his children. In late 2013, however, Manalo's daughter filed a case of violation against her father for failure to provide financial support, which caused her to drop out of school. The following year, his daughter subsequently attempted suicide, citing her family problems and mainly blaming her father as the reason. Manalo had also refuted these allegations by his daughter. In 2022, the Court of Appeals absolved Manalo from civil liability arising from his wife Annalyn's P 50 million debt to businessman Froilan Clemente Jr. It nullified the compromise agreement since Manalo is not part thereof.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
