After the premiere of the second part of Yo soy Betty la fea, on the Prime Video platform, little by little unknown details have been emerging about this successful production that paralyzed Colombians more than two decades ago.

It turns out that shortly before he died, in January 2019, the writer Fernando Gaitán, creator of the successful story of an unattractive woman who conquers the world of fashion, revealed that the character that Celmira Luzardo finally played was originally intended for a music star who at that time was making her way in leaps and bounds in the world of pop: none other than Shakira.

He is one of the most special characters in the story and crucial in Betty’s transformation, as he is the one who empowers her so that, scorned by Don Armando, she finds the inner strength necessary to stop being an ugly duckling. In addition, he is the one who introduces her to Michel Doinel (played by Patrick Delmas), the French heartthrob who almost steals her heart.

Gaitán said that the conversations with the Barranquilla native were going well, as her manager agreed with Shakira’s participation in the successful soap opera, but at the last moment the singer considered it was better to decline the offer to concentrate on her musical career.

The King’s delicate health

King Charles III. | Photo: ap
These days there is concern in the United Kingdom about the delicate health of King Charles III. The royal expert Concha Calleja revealed that the health of the son of Elizabeth II has not improved since he was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of this year and, on the contrary, recent medical tests show that “the cancer has not disappeared, it is one of the worst news for the royal family.”

Therefore, according to Calleja, the treatment that the monarch is receiving “will have to be extended.”

According to the Spanish journalist, doctors have asked the king to “try to be less active,” especially on his trips. “He travels by helicopter. When he gets home, he collapses on a sofa, he loses his strength,” said Calleja. She added that the king, 75 years old, has tried to transmit optimism to his closest circle. “He doesn’t let himself be, he has said that he will give his remaining time to the Crown,” said the writer.

A life like a movie

Lina Marulanda, model and presenter. | Photo: Penny Álvarez Salgar
On April 22, 2010, the entertainment world in Colombia was shaken by the news of the tragic death of presenter Lina Marulanda, only 29 years old, suffering from deep depression.

The departure of the model and businesswoman filled her family and television colleagues with pain, and her memory is still very present almost 14 years later. For this reason, the actor and producer Lucho Velasco said that he will take Lina’s story to the big screen. “Four years ago, while we were working on La reina del flow, Carlos Torres and I came up with the idea of ​​telling the life of Lina Marulanda. We developed a fairly important teaser (small preview of a film), and we sought to take the project to the platforms,” Velasco narrated on the program Lo sé todo, on Canal Uno.

It is known that the one chosen to play Marulanda will be the former Miss Universe from Barranquilla, Paulina Vega.

End of an era?

Yamid Amat. | Photo: Alfonso Reina
In 1990, Yamid Amat left Caracol Radio, where he had consolidated the 6 AM-9 AM space as the most listened to radio slot in the country. The prestigious journalist, born in Boyacá, wanted to move from the dial to television, and together with his rival for the radio audience at RCN, Juan Gossain, founded the news program CM& to compete with news programs such as QAP, TV hoy, Noticiero 24 horas and Noticiero de las 7.

One of the great innovations was to incorporate Viena Ruiz and her attacking legs to host the closing section of the news program, ‘Los secretos de Viena’, a popular format that is replicated to this day by all national news programs.

Yamid, considered one of the greats of the trade, was at CM& until 1998, when he went on to direct Noticias Caracol with the appearance of the private channels. His journey lasted four years.