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 Cuban-American journalist and TV host. She is best known for her popular Spanish-language talk show, El show de Cristina. Before becoming a TV star, she worked as a top editor for the Spanish version of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Cristina Saralegui 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 Basque Country and Asturias in Spain.
In 1960, when Cristina was 12, her family left Cuba because of the Cuban Revolution. They moved to Miami, Florida, in the United States. They made their new home on Key Biscayne.
Cristina's Journalism Career
After finishing high school 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 the U.S. editor, Helen Gurley Brown.
Cristina continued as editor through most of the 1980s. She wanted to give Latin American readers important information. She focused on topics like health that were not often talked about in many Latin families.
El Show de Cristina on TV
In 1989, Cristina brought her success from magazines 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 would also say 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."
Famous Guests on the Show
Many famous people appeared on El Show de Cristina. Some of these guests included Selena, Shakira, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Celia Cruz, and Thalía. The show was very popular and ran for 21 years.
On November 1, 2010, the last episode of El Show de Cristina aired. Many of her friends and colleagues celebrated her long career. Cristina then published her own magazine, Cristina: La Revista, and several books. People often called her "the Spanish-Cuban Oprah" because of her influence.
In 1992, Cristina also had a short-lived English-language talk show called Cristina. The song Somos El Mundo also premiered on her show. This song was created to help with the Haiti relief effort.
Cristina's Career After Univision
After her show on Univision ended, Cristina continued her career. In 2011, she was interviewed on a special called "Cristina Breaks the Silence" on Azteca América. She talked about her time on Univision and the end of her show.
Later that year, Telemundo hired Cristina for a new weekly show. It was called Pa' lante con Cristina (Forward with Cristina). This program started in the fall of 2011. However, the show ended in May 2012 after one season. In 2012, Cristina also started her own radio show, Cristina Radio, on Sirius XM.
Cristina's TV Appearances
| 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 and Community Work
Cristina Saralegui has also worked with AARP. She helps to inform the Latino community about the benefits AARP offers. They created an online video called ¡Amigos Live! to share this information.
Cristina's Personal Life
Cristina was married to Tony and they have a daughter named Cristina Amelia. She later married Marcos Ávila in 1982. Marcos was a member of the Miami Sound Machine. Cristina has a stepdaughter named Stephanie from Marcos's previous marriage. Together, Cristina and Marcos have a son named Jon Marcos.
See also
In Spanish: Cristina Saralegui para niños
