• Roberto Leal quotes: "I'm one of those who think that there's no reason to hide what you feel on television"
  • Love Roberto Leal and the day he met his wife at the salad buffet in the dining room of Antena 3

Roberto Leal (44) is in a good moment. Since 2020 he has been sweeping, on Antena 3, with Pasapalabra and, this Friday, he returned to prime time, with El desafio. The well-known contest in which various celebrities face extreme tests. "I'm very happy with the show, because it's the closest thing to a live show I've been doing lately. And, for me, live shows drive me crazy. If you dedicate yourself to this and you really like it, feeling that everything can explode in your face, at any moment, generates something cool in you. If you know that things can be repeated, it's not the same," he confesses, enthusiastically, to LOC.

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And, according to Roberto, a program like The Challenge brings out the best in him. The presenter says that he develops an unusual empathy, that his feelings transcend the screen and that, as a result, many of his followers classify him as "the perfect brother-in-law" or "the ideal son-in-law". "They told me that when I presented Operación Triunfo, in 2017, and they tell me here. I'm like 'the father of Spain,'" he says with a laugh. "The thing is, it's impossible to present these types of programs without being empathetic. You have to break down the barrier between the presenter and the contestant. I get excited about them, for better and for worse. There's no need to hide it!"; Manifest.

According to Roberto, after living such exciting moments on television, he and many of the participants of the programs he has presented have created an indestructible bond. "I try to keep all those links. In fact, I have four Whatsapp chats with the contestants of the four editions of The Challenge. I don't have a Whatsapp group with the OT guys... And thank goodness! Because it would be crazy. But don't worry, because I talk to many. Do you know what happens? That when you cross the barrier, beautiful things are created. And of course I want to know more about those people and I care about them. For example, on Friday the fourth season of The Challenge premiered and we watched it all together," he says.

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Leal, who was born in Alcalá de Guadaíra, in Seville, has been working in the television industry for exactly 23 years. Despite this, they have never gone to his head. The formula? Surround yourself with good people and feel genuine gratitude. "I'm not aware of how people see me. I'm in a good position right now, but I don't know what it looks like from the outside. I just know that I try to remain grateful. Seven years ago, I was a reporter for Spain Direct... And I was just as happy! Super grateful," he says.

"In the end, when you dedicate yourself to what you've wanted and opportunities come your way and those opportunities turn out well, you have to be grateful. I would never be able to go to work with a bad face, a bad gesture or with arrogance. Because, really, I can't complain. We are lucky enough to be on television, dedicating ourselves to this. Obviously, some people have fame go to their heads... But that goes with the person, it goes with something that you bring from home. If it goes to your head it's because you think you're better than everyone else... And that, at some point, is going to be cut off," he says.

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"This is not false modesty or anything. But I think we have to be more normal. You're doing TV, ole. They stop you on the street, ole. Do people know you? Ole. But the day they stop you on the street and tell you 'you're different here than on television', dedicate yourself to something else," he says, and then talks about the people who help him stay grounded: his children Lola and Leo. "The little one doesn't see The Challenge, because the real challenge is to control the child! But Lola does. Likes. But he didn't like Pasapalabra. During the pandemic, he would see me making El rosco at home and say it was too heavy. But he does like this program. He was a big fan of Jesulín de Ubrique, he liked the way he talked," she explains.

"When we filmed this season, Lola also came as an audience and fell in love with Chenoa. It was very cool. He loved it! The truth is that both of them have normalized me to work on TV. When they were younger, they would see me on screen, recognize me, and greet me from home. But then they got it. Before, when they stopped me on the street, they would ask me 'why did they ask you for a photo?' But then they stopped asking. They know it's part of my job," he says. On the other hand, Leal also refers to the next program that his children will be hooked on. It's about López and Leal against the channel.

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In the space, hosted by Eva González, Iñaki López and Roberto Leal, they will face some physical and mental tests. Something unprecedented in Spanish television. "The program is going and I'm excited. It looks like it's going to be fun. Doing new programs and challenges is lucky. If it doesn't go well, we're here to play. If it goes well, great. Well, another thing that I hope will last a long time! The difficult thing here is to get things right. That programs succeed is rare. People remember that I've presented Pasapalabra, El desafío and OT. But I've also presented other programs that absolutely no one remembers. Oh, well... At the end of the day, that's our career," he concludes.

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