Pedro Piqueras has offered a very unexpected interview to Ricard Ustrell’s Col·lapse, the first since he retired. The emblematic Telecinco News presenter has shown that he speaks Catalan, an aspect of his life that has surprised viewers because he was not known until now. The man from Albacete has said that it was his mother who taught him, in the same way that he was able to improve the language at the time when he had a partner from Lleida: «I learned Catalan in Albacete because my mother lived in Barcelona during the Civil War when I was between 12 and 15 years old. There she learned Catalan and when she returned to Albacete, many years later, she taught it to me when I was born. She told me to close the door or to bring her the keys in Catalan and so, little by little, I began to understand it.
«Then I had a girlfriend from Lleida and that was definitive. I fondly remember his father, a lovely man, who gave me two books by Salvador Espriu in bilingual editions in the 70s. Then Nova Cançó arrived and also helped me. I have never lived in Catalonia, but I can defend myself in Catalan and I speak it whenever I have the opportunity because I like it,” the journalist continued.
Pedro Piqueras sings part of Frank Sinatra’s song My Way in Catalan
To demonstrate this, he has answered some questions in this language and has also been encouraged to sing part of the song My Way by Frank Sinatra in Catalan. Few knew that Pedro Piqueras has been part of a music group and that his songs can be found on Spotify. In this program, he has dared to play the piano and sing live in a very shocking scene.
Pedro Piqueras talks about APM? and is honest about the fame of apocalyptic
After 51 years of experience, many have imitated him because he has had his own style that has become a school. Recently, many call him the presenter who accompanied the chronicles with catastrophic adjectives. The most mythical? Apocalyptic. Has Pedro Piqueras remembered the APM gag? that viralized that scene: «Those from APM?, who are very funny, made a strip in which I said different moments were apocalyptic, terrible and Dantesque. That day, about 14 years ago, I told myself I wouldn’t say any more adjectives… but the fame was already there. When it happened, I was worried because I was very serious and made a very balanced newscast, I didn’t want to go down in history as the apocalyptic man. Young people stopped me on the street and from the other sidewalk they shouted apocalyptic at me. How awful”.
Pedro Piqueras has decided to leave work and retire. Because?
«I think it was time to go. I had been thinking about it for a couple of years, since I realized that I wanted to be able to do things that I haven’t done and have more freedom. This is a very demanding job and when you are working every day until ten at night, you come home very late and neglect many things. In the afternoon I can’t go to the movies or have a beer with my son, normal things that people do. You get older, I’m turning 69, and I told myself I had to find the time to say goodbye. The most appropriate time? “When a political cycle closes or when a president is inaugurated.”
His life as a retiree will be very different and he knows he will miss presenting the evening news
«The day after my farewell I realized that my agenda was empty! Well, it’s not empty because they have been filling it with invitations to various awards, conferences and interviews like this one at Col·lapse. It is very strong that the night arrives and I do not have to present, since this hour arrives and I know that I would have to start speaking. Of course, I’m living it quite well because I was saturated. “I also had to stop for a mental health issue, although I know I will miss it because I will always be a journalist.”
As expected, he has publicly defended Telecinco after many years on its staff.
«They have been criticized a lot, but I think it is fun television. In my case, I have experienced very curious transitions from Sálvame to the News. I remember one with Anabel Pantoja naked in the snow while she gave way for me to report on the many deaths there were due to the coronavirus. Here, however, they have given me the opportunity to have a place and I have been very comfortable, I have been able to say everything because they were more focused on entertainment.
