Cover From career milestones to eyebrow-raising trivia, here’s a numerical tour through the reign of Vice Ganda, the Unkabogable Superstar
From career milestones to eyebrow-raising trivia, here’s a numerical tour through the reign of Vice Ganda, the Unkabogable Superstar
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From career milestones to eyebrow-raising trivia, here’s a numerical tour through the reign of Vice Ganda, the Unkabogable Superstar
She’s the country’s highest-paid comedian, a prime-time queen, a cosmetics mogul and a cultural juggernaut. But when you strip away the wigs, the performances, what defines Vice Ganda is her wit, and most importantly, her wins.
Born Jose Marie Borja Viceral in Tondo, Manila, Vice first captured hearts in comic bars, then conquered primetime TV, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), social media, beauty shelves and even international stages. But what cements her legend is the avalanche of numbers trailing every move she makes.
In this article, we decode the digits behind the phenomenon that is Vice Ganda, the Unkabogable Superstar and the face of our June 2025 issue. Here’s a closer look at the awe-inspiring empire she’s built.
Read more: What began as a disguise became Vice Ganda’s most authentic self
15: years on ‘It’s Showtime’
If you thought noontime variety shows were dying, you haven’t been paying attention. It’s Showtime remains a rating staple, and Vice Ganda is its magnetic core.
The comedian has been a mainstay of It’s Showtime since it premiered in 2009, debuting as the show’s “unevictable hurado” (judge) on its original morning format and evolving into a lead host after its shift to noontime in 2012.
7: MMFF blockbusters over PHP 400 million
Her films have consistently dominated the MMFF. Beginning with 2013’s Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy, followed by hits The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin (2014), Beauty and the Bestie (2015), Super Parental Guardians (2016), Gandarrapiddo (2017) and Fantastica (2018), she amassed six consecutive MMFF films grossing over PHP 400 million.
In 2024, her seventh—And the Breadwinner Is…—ranked among the three top-grossing entries, earning over PHP 460 million.
Read more: When kindness becomes a burden: How ‘And the Breadwinner Is…’ explores tough family questions
2017: Vice Cosmetics’ launch
In 2017, she launched Vice Cosmetics, a beauty brand with a core tagline: “Ganda for You. Ganda for Me. Ganda for All.”
With affordable, cruelty-free and proudly local products, Vice Ganda gate-crashed the beauty industry in heels and made it her runway.
Today, Vice Cosmetics is sold in retail locations across the Philippines and is stocked by international retailers from the US to the Middle East.
PHP 590 million: ‘Super Parental Guardians’ record haul
Paired with actor Coco Martin in 2016, Super Parental Guardians opened at PHP 75 million on its first day and surpassed PHP 590.1 million total by January 2017, establishing itself as one of the highest-earning Filipino films ever.
One real love: Ion Perez
After years of dodging relationship questions with a wink and a zinger, Vice Ganda finally went public with longtime partner Ion Perez. The two were married in Las Vegas in 2021 in a quiet yet powerful ceremony that sent shockwaves through Filipino social media.
It was a landmark moment not just for Vice Ganda but for LGBTQIA+ visibility in a country where same-sex marriage remains unrecognised by law. As always, she lives her truth. She performs it proudly and publicly.
15 million: Twitter (now X) milestone
In August 2023, Vice Ganda became the first Filipino to reach 15 million followers on Twitter (now X). She acknowledged the distinction on It’s Showtime, confirming her status as the platform’s most-followed Filipino user.
Her YouTube presence—via ViceGandaOfficial—boasts 8.3 million subscribers and over 800 million views, positioning her channel among the country’s biggest.
7,000+ wigs
A running joke among It’s Showtime viewers and fans is the sheer number of looks Vice Ganda pulls off per episode, often a minimum of eight to 12 fashion changes for live shows, tapings and appearances. Across a 15-year hosting career, fan estimates suggest she has rotated through over 7,000 wigs.
While not officially confirmed, it’s not far-fetched when you factor in years of noontime TV, movie promo tours, concerts and red-carpet moments.
0 apologies for being herself ever
Beyond statistics, these figures represent something deeper. Through longevity in Philippine noontime TV, box office dominance in local cinema and digital virality across platforms, Vice Ganda represents a powerful intersection of entertainment, representation and cultural relevance.
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Syrah is Tatler Philippines’ Power & Purpose editor, where she spotlights extraordinary journeys shaping the Philippines and Asia. She covers business, innovation, impact, and culture—chasing the people, ideas and forces shaping how we live and think today.
