Penélope Menchaca facts for kids
Penélope Menchaca, born on September 6, 1968, is a famous Mexican television host, singer, and actress. She is known for her energetic personality and for hosting popular shows like 12 Corazones.
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Early Life and Career
Penélope Menchaca was born in Mexico City, Mexico. Her mother, Dolores Menchaca, is the director of The Mexican National Ballet Folklorico. Penélope studied law at University La Salle in Mexico City.
When she was 15 years old, Penélope joined the National Ballet of Mexico. She traveled around the world as a main ballerina. At 19, she became the lead singer of the music group Las Nenas. She sang with them for almost 15 years.
Penélope was married for 11 years and has two daughters.
Television Career
Starting in Los Angeles
In 1999, while her group Las Nenas was touring the United States, Penélope caught the attention of KRCA Channel 62 in Los Angeles. The channel was starting a new afternoon show called "Los Angeles al día." They wanted Penélope to be the host.
After much convincing, she decided to leave her singing group. She moved to Los Angeles with her two daughters to host the show Los Angeles en Vivo. For five years, she hosted this live show. She interviewed many famous people. These included singers like Chayanne and Lupillo Rivera.
Hosting 12 Corazones
In 2004, a company called Promofilm asked Penélope to host a new show. This show was called 12 Corazones (which means 12 Hearts). It was a dating game show that mixed astrology with fun games. The show first appeared in December 2004 on Telemundo's local Channel 22.
By January 2006, 12 Corazones became very popular. Televisa Mexico started airing three shows a day. The show also began to be shown in many other countries. These included Colombia, Panama, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
Other Shows and Specials
Penélope Menchaca has also hosted many other special shows. These include Noche de Poker and 100 Mexicanos Dijeron. She also hosted the Miss Universe 2006 pageant. Other events she hosted were the Billboard Latin Music Awards and El Grito.
In August 2009, a new version of the show started. It was called 12 Corazones: Rumbo al Altar. This was a one-hour show that aired on weekends. It featured six engaged couples competing for prizes. They hoped to win a dream wedding.
In August 2011, Televisa chose Penélope to host their version of Minute To Win It. This show aired on Sundays starting in April 2012. 12 Corazones began its eighth season in March 2012.
In 2018, Penélope joined the morning show Venga la Alegría on TV Azteca. She hosted a discussion part of the show called Las cosas como son.
In 2021, Penélope left TV Azteca and moved to Milan, Italy, to be closer to her family. She then started filming El Poder del Amor 2 in Istanbul, Turkey, for Latin America. In December 2022, Penélope returned from Europe. She moved to Miami to host Telemundo's morning show Hoy Dia.
Personal Life
Penélope Menchaca has two daughters. Her older daughter, Yania, worked for a year in the casting department of 12 Corazones before going to college.
Penélope stays fit by exercising often. She enjoys boot camp, boxing, salsa dancing, and lifting weights.
She has a collection of unique dolls. Her favorite football team is Club América, which is from her hometown of Mexico City.
See also
In Spanish: Penélope Menchaca para niños
