Cristina Saralegui facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cristina Saralegui
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Saralegui in 2001
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| Born |
Cristina María Saralegui Santamarina
January 29, 1948 |
| Citizenship |
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| Alma mater | University of Miami |
| Occupation | Journalist, actress, talk show host, TV personality |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse(s) | Tony Menendez (divorced) Marcos Ávila
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 2 (and 1 stepdaughter) |
Cristina María Saralegui de Ávila (born Cristina María Saralegui Santamarina on January 29, 1948) is a famous journalist, TV personality, and talk show host from Cuba and the United States. She is best known for her popular Spanish-language talk show, El Show de Cristina. Before becoming a TV star, she worked for ten years as the main editor for the Spanish version of Cosmopolitan magazine. This magazine was read by many people across Latin America.
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Cristina Saralegui's Early Life
Cristina María Saralegui Santamarina was born in Miramar, Havana, Cuba. Her parents were Francisco Rene Saralegui Álvarez, Jr. and María Cristina de las Nieves Santamarina Díaz. She is the oldest of five children. She has two sisters, Vicky and María Eugenia, and two brothers, Patxi and Iñaki. Cristina's family has roots in the Basque Country in Spain. All four of her grandparents came from Spain.
In 1960, after the Cuban Revolution, Cristina and her family left Cuba. They moved to Miami, Florida, in the United States. They made their new home on Key Biscayne.
Cristina's Journalism Career
After finishing school at the Academy of the Assumption in 1966, Cristina went to the University of Miami. In 1973, she started working as an intern at Vanidades magazine. This job helped her improve her written Spanish. By 1979, Cristina became the editor of the Spanish version of Cosmopolitan magazine. She worked from Miami and was welcomed by Helen Gurley Brown, the U.S. editor of Cosmopolitan.
Cristina continued as editor through most of the 1980s. She had a close relationship with Helen Gurley Brown, who was like a mentor to her. Cristina was even called "the Latin Helen Gurley Brown" for a while. As editor of Cosmopolitan, Cristina wanted to share important information with Latin American readers. She focused on topics like mental health, which she felt were not often talked about in Latin families.
El Show de Cristina
In 1989, Cristina brought her success from journalism to television. She started her own Spanish-language talk show called El Show de Cristina (The Cristina Show). The show was based in Miami and aired on Univision. At the end of each episode, she would give a double thumbs-up. She also said a famous Cuban phrase: "Pa'lante, pa'lante, pa'tras ni pa' coger impulso". This means "Forward, forward; don't step back, not even to gain momentum."
Many famous guests appeared on her show. These included Shakira, Paulina Rubio, Don Francisco, Selena, Celia Cruz, Thalía, Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez.
On October 25, 2010, Cristina looked back at her career during a special episode. She remembered many memorable moments and guests from her show. El Show de Cristina aired its last episode on November 1, 2010, after 21 years. The show was a big celebration of Cristina's career. Many of her colleagues and friends honored her.
Cristina also published her own magazine, Cristina: La Revista (Cristina: The Magazine). She also wrote several books. People often call her "the Spanish-Cuban Oprah" because of her influence. In 1992, Cristina also had an English-language talk show called Cristina. However, it was canceled after only half a season.
The song Somos El Mundo first played on Cristina's show. It was a song to help with the Haiti relief effort. Gloria Estefan translated it, and her husband Emilio Estefan produced it.
During her last show on Univision, Cristina said:
Cristina no se retira, jamas dejaría esto... aquí hay Cristina y ¡para rato!
This means: "Cristina is not retiring, I would never leave this... there is (still) Cristina and for a (good) while!" Cristina remained under contract with Univision until the end of 2010. There were talks about her continuing with special programs, but a new show did not happen.
After Univision: New Projects
After leaving Univision, Cristina was interviewed on Azteca América. This special show was called "Cristina Breaks the Silence." It was the first time she spoke on TV since her show ended. She talked about her career and the surprise news that her show was canceled.
On May 17, 2011, it was announced that Telemundo hired Cristina. She would host a weekly variety show called Pa' lante con Cristina (Forward with Cristina). The show started in the fall of 2011. It debuted with a special episode about the stars of the telenovela La Reina del Sur. However, Pa' lante con Cristina ended its run in May 2012.
In 2012, Cristina started Cristina Radio on Sirius XM. In June 2012, she supported President Barack Obama for his second term. This was her first time publicly supporting a political candidate.
Cristina's Television Roles
Cristina Saralegui has also acted in several TV shows:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Taina | Principal Rojas | Appeared in 3 episodes. |
| 2001 | Passions | (Tía) Cristina López | Appeared in 9 episodes as the aunt of Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald. |
| 2003 | George Lopez | Lydia | Appeared in 2 episodes. |
Online Presence
Currently, Cristina works with AARP to help the Latino community. She helps raise awareness about the benefits AARP offers. They created an online video called ¡Amigos Live!
Cristina's Personal Life
Cristina was married to Tony, and they had a daughter named Cristina Amelia. She later married Marcos Ávila in 1982. Marcos was a member of the Miami Sound Machine. From this marriage, Cristina has a stepdaughter named Stephanie. Together, Cristina and Marcos have one son, Jon Marcos.
See also
In Spanish: Cristina Saralegui para niños
