Rocío Espinosa López-Cepero (18 February 1931 – 17 March 2023), known professionally as Laura Valenzuela ([ˈlawɾaβalenˈθwela]), or Laurita Valenzuela, was a Spanish television presenter, actress and model. She was one of the first television presenters in Spain appearing in the early broadcasts of
Televisión Española (TVE). In 1969, she hosted the
Eurovision Song Contest held in Madrid.
Valenzuela received the Iris Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the
Spanish Television Academy in 2012.
Biography
Born in
Seville on 18 February 1931,[1] her first job was in a store in Madrid as a haute couture model. She made her film debut in 1954 and she was one of the first television presenters in Spain when
Televisión Española (TVE) was launched in 1956. Between 1968 and 1970 she co-hosted with
Joaquín Prat the musical show Galas del Sábado. She became known in Europe for hosting the
1969 edition of the
Eurovision Song Contest held in Madrid.[2][3] In 1970, she co-hosted, also with Prat, the
second Festival de la Canción Española that was used as the Spanish national selection for Eurovision that year.[4]
Valenzuela starred in many films from the early 1950s up through the late 1960s. In 1971, when she married film director José Luis Dibildos, she retired from public life and had her daughter, presenter Lara Dibildos. She returned to television in 1990 to host Tele 5 ¿dígame? on
Telecinco.[5] She also hosted for that channel the broadcast of the New Year's
clock bell strikes live from
Puerta del Sol in Madrid to welcome 1991 and 1992.[6] Later on, in 1996, she returned to TVE with the show Mañanas de primera.[2]
Valenzuela retired again in the 2000s when she was treated for breast cancer.[7][8] She recovered but remained retired, apart from occasional collaborations and appearances, such as on 7 December 2006, when she hosted the special show Gala 50 años de TVE, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of TVE, alongside
Anne Igartiburu and
Paula Vázquez.[9]
Valenzuela died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at
La Princesa Hospital in Madrid, on 17 March 2023. She was 92.[2]
^Velasco, Concha; Soler Leal, Amparo; Valenzuela, Laura; Gómez Bur, Manolo; Landa, Alfredo; Sazatornil "Saza", José; Cottens, Margot; Morgan, Lina; Isla, Sinesio; Cofiño, Adolfo; Forqué, José María; Paniagua, Cecilio; Dibildos, José Luis; Nieva, Petra de; García Abrl, Antón; Dibildos, José Luis.
"Las que tienen que servir (data sheet)". Filmoteca de Catalunya. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
^Leblanc, Tony; Landa, Alfredo; Valenzuela, Laura; Morgan, Lina; Gómez Bur, Manolo; Silva, María; Soto, Luchy; Pascual, Erasmo; González, Marisol; Isla, Sinesio; Cofiño, Adolfo; Merino, Fernando; Montoya, Enrique; Rojas, Manuel; Dibildos, José Luis; Paso, Alfonso; Nieva, Petra de; García Abril, Antón; Dibildos, José Luis.
"Los Subdesarrollados (data sheet)". Filmoteca de Catalunya. Retrieved 17 March 2023.