He is the ‘trainee’ of ‘Mapi’, the competition that La 1 broadcasts every night starring a virtual girl
Jandro (Valencia, age 45) presented himself for a ‘casting’ test before heading to Chicago to participate in a magic show and was chosen as an ‘intern’ of ‘Mapi’, the fun competition broadcasting La 1 tonight on TVE (9:50 p.m.) starring a virtual girl who asks questions of celebrities. The humorist is responsible for the Spanish adaptation of the Japanese program ‘Chiko’s Challenge’ after years of success in ‘El Hormiguero’ by Pablo Motos.
He must have missed the beach this summer.
– It was very intense. When the news came out that he was going to be the presenter, he had signed the contract on the train coming to Madrid. The next day we did the pilot. It was very fast.
-We’ve kind of lost track of him since he left ‘El Hormiguero’.
– I did many things. A pandemic came and then I was at the theater. I’ve been to Las Vegas several times because I work with ‘Penn & Teller’, on the creative side. I’ve also made some projects for television and we’re in it.
-And returning to TV was a bit of a surprise, wasn’t it?
– I was busy with other things, they have stopped now. ‘Mapi’ was a surprise because I was in Las Vegas and I only had a week in Spain, as I was later going to Chicago to perform in a theater. So I did the casting because I had nothing to do. I’ve never tried to be a presenter and I don’t know how they work. I came to see what it was like, not to present. And I’ve already met ‘Mapi’. Chemistry was born. It’s been magical.
-Did you know the format?
-I searched the internet for the original program, although there wasn’t much information either. I really like that it’s a format about curious things. When I was a kid I loved a show called ‘This is awesome’ and was fascinated by it. He wanted to be an inventor and scientist. And “Mapi” is similar because when it asks the question, you want to know the answer. I was the one to present this.
-Did you have to prepare especially for the improvisation in ‘Mapi’?
What you’ve seen of me on other TV shows isn’t what I’ve been doing all my life. I do theater and live performances, in all kinds of situations. From bars to communions or birthdays. On stage I play the situation. In the end you put all the experience in your backpack and in ‘Mapi’ they all came out. It’s a program to listen to in order to play.
-He studied telecommunications, but he’s a magician. How did magic come into your life?
-Previously there was the EGB and then the BUP, transferred to the institute. That summer, Juan Tamariz’s songs came out. My father gave me the first one and it’s where I started in magic. I don’t know how I committed myself to this. I’ve always done the things I thought I should do and enjoyed. I did telecommunications and ended up in telecommunications.
-And at one point he meets Pablo Motos and jumps in ‘El Hormiguero’.
-He came up to me in a pub and I think he liked how I wrestled the performance because it was awful. It was a disaster. We then got to work.
-Now they are competition in the same timeslot.
-Yes, it’s curious. Looks like I’ve been looking for it (laughs). I should be in Chicago right now with another show. Really, I don’t care what slot it’s in and against whom. My goal is for it to be a good size. I never thought the programs compete. I think they complement each other, that’s how I see television. There is an audience for everyone.
Do they share the same type of audience?
-Yes and no. ‘Mapi’ is all white. We don’t talk about politics, there are no social gatherings or controversies either. They complement each other because it is entertainment. I think viewers will zap back and forth.
‘Mapi’ needs time to settle on the grill. Patience on television you know how it is.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
