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Leo Consul

Jude Cartalaba

<p>Leo Consul is a living example of Gever Tulley’s words: “Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through problems.”</p><p>Compared with local showbiz personalities, his name may not yet have the same recognition, but his achievements abroad earned him the distinction of being the only Filipino to co-host the Indonesian versions of &quot;:Eat Bulaga!&quot; (2012–2013) and &quot;It’s Showtime&quot; (2019).</p><p>These historic gigs weren’t handed to him on a silver platter. Rather, they were the result of a rare combination of opportunity, perseverance, and sheer resilience — qualities that have made him one of the most notable Filipinos to carve out such a unique niche in international entertainment.</p><p>A native of Bolinao, Pangasinan, Consul never fails to look back at his humble beginnings and the crucial role this played in forging his destiny.</p><p>Even during his formative years in school, he had to resort to odd jobs just to survive – including cleaning buses, sleeping on makeshift cartons, and feeding on leftover food from the provincial buses that stopped over at the Bolinao terminal.</p><p>“My first taste of Jollibee was actually from leftovers from the buses,&quot; he recalled. </p><p>“Sometimes, if we get lucky, leftover KFC. We’d clean buses at midnight, then gather scrap bottles and junk after school.”</p><p>Consul earned his journalism degree, with a minor in broadcasting, from the University of the Philippines in Baguio. The challenges, however, did not end with college.</p><p>With jobs scarce in the Philippines, a close friend suggested he try teaching abroad. He took the advice and began teaching Mathematics at the Singapore International School in Indonesia.</p><p>During his teaching stint in 2012, he had the chance to audition for a boy band. Unfortunately, the stint ended abruptly due to unforeseen circumstances.</p><p>Depressed, and was supposed to fly back home, but got a message from another friend, convincing him to try out his luck for a TV show, which turned out to be the Indonesian version of the Philippine long-running noontime show, &quot;Eat Bulaga!&quot;</p><p>His prior and brief work with ABS-CBN in Baguio City’s regional station as a TV host for a travel show surely came in handy.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176834889498445739a87-41b8-49a2-9025-cf038ba51e4b.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Leo Consul</span></span></span><strong>Breakthrough</strong></div><p>It was his &quot;Eat Bulaga!-Indonesia&quot; stint that honed his Bahasa skills, which soon paved the way for his equally prestigious co-hosting stint in &quot;It’s Showtime-Indonesia.&quot;</p><p>While in Indonesia, Consul was also able to showcase his acting chops in three teleseryes, &quot;Cinta yang Tertukar&quot; (2016), &quot;Love Story the Series&quot; (2021-2022), and &quot;Terpaksa Menikahi Tuan Muda&quot; (2022-2023), as well as two movies: a romantic comedy, &quot;Bukan Jodoh Biasa (Not Your Ordinary Love Story)&quot;, and a horror flick, &quot;Kamu Harus Mati (You Must Die),&quot; scheduled for release this year.</p><p>His inspiring life story was also immortalized in &quot;Magpakailanman&quot; in 2021, and his autobiography, &quot;A Thousand Miles in Broken Slippers,&quot; published in 2016.</p><p>On the local homefront, Consul counts himself lucky to have worked with some of his Pinoy acting heroes in the eight-episode 2023 Prime Video series, &quot;Fit Check: Confessions of an Ukay Queen,&quot; which starred Kim Chiu, Jake Ejercito, Christopher de Leon, Angel Aquino, and many others.</p><p>He was also able to penetrate the Singaporean market when he starred with Miss Universe Singapore 2016 in &quot;Kisses From Death&quot; (2024), his first series in Singapore under Mediacorp.</p><p>He also released a single, &quot;Kamu,&quot; an Indonesian translation of Yeng Constantino’s &quot;Ikaw,&quot; which topped Indonesian radio charts after its release in 2018.</p><p>Now happily back in the country, Consul joined the roster of Arnold Vegafria’s talent management company, ALV Talent Circuit, where he hopes to further his career as a multi-talented host, actor, singer, model, and brand endorser.</p><p>If given the chance to break into the mainstream entertainment industry, which field would he choose?</p><p>“I would choose acting,” he said. “It’s the area where I know I still have so much room to grow. Acting challenges me to explore different emotions, perspectives, and stories, and that constant learning excites me. I want to keep pushing myself, evolving as an actor, and improving with every role I take on.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17683489215067bf0eac5-4a7e-4d93-95ee-1f1fd73da9a7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Leo Consul</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Paying it forward</strong></div><p>Despite his success, he hasn’t lost his sense of charity and compassion. He revisited his hometown and delivered a speech at the commencement exercises of his alma mater last December, 21 years after his graduation.</p><p>During his visit, Consul was reunited with his family and childhood friends, revisiting the streets, landmarks, and memories that shaped him into the person he is today.</p><p>He is also looking forward to the time when he can establish a scholarship foundation for underprivileged children like him.</p><p>Of all his achievements, what Consul hopes to impart to aspiring dreamers is simple: “Never stop believing in yourself, even when others don’t see your potential yet.&quot;</p><p>“Growth takes time, and confidence is built through patience, hard work, and perseverance. Stay humble, stay hungry to learn, and trust the process because every small step you take brings you closer to where you’re meant to be,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3RR3qiChGnM?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BLficTvQKAY?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rH2I10JlySk?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>From humble beginnings in Bolinao to TV stints in Indonesia and Singapore, Leo Consul is back home, ready to take on the Philippine entertainment scene — and inspiring others to never give up along the way.</p>

From humble beginnings in Bolinao to TV stints in Indonesia and Singapore, Leo Consul is back home, ready to take on the Philippine entertainment scene — and inspiring others to never give up along the way.

After Indonesia and Singapore, Leo Consul sets his sights on home

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After Indonesia and Singapore, Leo Consul sets his sights on home

Jude Cartalaba

Published January 14, 2026 04:09 PM PHT

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Leo Consul

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