The day the laughter died: Juan Joya Borja, who found worldwide fame as the ‘Spanish Laughing Guy’ meme, dies aged 65 following a ‘long illness’
- Nicknamed ‘El Ristas’ or ‘The Giggles’, Juan Joya Borja shot to fame in 2007
- Became an internet sensation for laughing his head off while telling his stories
- Original video was made into parodies, including mocking the 2015 Macbook
The man who found worldwide fame as the ‘Spanish Laughing Guy’ has died aged 65 after a ‘long illness’.
Juan Joya Borja shot to fame in 2007 when he appeared on a variety show and struggled to tell an anecdote because he was laughing so much.
Nicknamed ‘El Ristas’ or ‘The Giggles’, Borja’s interview with Jesus Quintero on Ratones Coloraos became an international sensation.
The video of the interview has since been rehashed into several memes in which, most often, Borja mocks the stupidity of a customer or client.
In one parody, Borja mocks the specifications of the 2015 Macbook by telling a story of his friend ‘Jony’ who manages to get hold of a prototype.
Juan Joya Borja, who found worldwide fame as the ‘Spanish Laughing Guy’, has died aged 65 after a ‘long illness’
He shot to fame in 2007 when he appeared on a variety show and struggled to tell an anecdote because he was laughing so much
‘No USB ports!’, Borja appears to cackle in the footage, ‘No extra USB ports, a mobile processor, £1,299. That’s all our customers need!’
The original video came from when Borja was invited on Quintero’s show as part of a series of genuine characters invited on the show to tell their unscripted stories.
Taken directly from the street, Quintero offered ordinary Spaniards ten minutes of fame – though Borja’s moment in the limelight lasted much longer.
Borja also appeared alongside the host in several other shows, including El Vagamundo and Los Mice Coloraos.
Nicknamed ‘El Ristas’ or ‘The Giggles’, Borja’s interview with Jesus Quintero on Ratones Coloraos became an international sensation
The original video came from when Borja was invited on Quintero’s show as part of a series of genuine characters invited on the show to tell their unscripted stories
Taken directly from the street, Quintero offered ordinary Spaniards ten minutes of fame – though Borja’s moment in the limelight lasted much longer.
Before appearing on the show the giggly Spaniard had spent most of his life working odd jobs such as cooking and unloading cement.
Borja passed away peacefully in the Hospital de la Caridad in Seville on Wednesday after spending months there recuperating from a leg amputation.
Tributes flooded in for Borja.
‘You’re iconic laugh brought many laughs to me and my friends’, one user said.
Another wrote: ‘Thank you for the years of laughter, Rest In Peace’.