Don Francisco: For 53 years and 42 days my next guest entertained audiences everywhere, from Chile to the US, and all points in between, with his iconic show “Sabado Gigante '' and his TV personality Don Francisco. To be interviewed by him was a true sign that you had made it! And at the beginning of my radio career, I had the honor to be invited to his then “Tonight Show-like” show, Don Francisco Presenta to talk about my prank call to Fidel Castro. To sit across from him and be interviewed is like facing the Oracle of TV and life! But the man behind the “Don” and the Guinness Book World Record for the world’s longest running TV variety show, and the only one hosted by the same person in the world, is more surprising and introspective than his outspoken and larger than life TV alter ego would suggest. When the lights and the cameras are off he is still engaged in learning, innovating, growing and contributing to improving people’s lives. Mario really puts the human in humanitarian! His “Teletón” in Chile, which started 42 years ago, inspired by the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon in the US, aids children with developmental disabilities all over Latin America and has raised more than a billion dollars and built 14 rehabilitation centers throughout Chile. Each year, in fact, he has managed to raise more money than the population of his country, which makes him more influential than the country’s president! He has also exported this yearly Telethon to Mexico, the US, and 16 other countries in central and South America, making it the most watched telethon in the world. Are you noticing a pattern? This icon is all about shattering world records and preconceived notions. Now, at 81 years of age, as he prepares for his 43rd telethon, we catch up with him in Chile, in between CNN en Español tapings of his latest show “ Don Francisco: Reflexiones 2021” and discover a more introspective man, more accepting of his age and embracing personal growth with the help of a therapist for the first time in his life! Eso si es ser un gigante!
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