Mirtha Legrand: “When I found out my name wouldn’t be in Lunch with … I cried”

After months of back and forth and negotiations between Eltrece and the StoryLab production company to define the date and conditions, the return of Mirtha Legrand, the great TV diva, is finally ready to go. This Saturday at 9:30 pm it will be the turn of Mirta’s nightand Sunday, at 1:45 pm, have lunch with Giovannawith Juana Viale in the lead.

-Mirtha, how do you prepare for this return that has generated so much anticipation?

Mirta: With great joy, happiness, emotion. I really want. But, after two and a half years without being on the air, it’s a little hard to come back. I’m afraid too.

– At this stage of the profession?

Mirta: Yes, it always happens to me. I think, Will I remember the names? That’s a lot of responsibility. Also I want to look good, cute, young and be careful of everything. I remember she drove Daniel (Tinayre) crazy with this. And he said to me: ‘Enough, Chiquita! You will remember everything.

And in the end it is always like this.

Mirta: Yes, once the lights come on in the studio I’m on my own. It’s like riding a bike, even if you don’t train for a long time, you never forget. Also, it gives me great pleasure to do my job. Every time I got back in the car, after doing the show, I thought: ‘How well my brain responds’, because doing this makes me happy.

-In your case, Juana, how do you live this time before your return?

Giovanna: I live it with great happiness, I’m happy to see you again in the studio, that it’s my new homewith all my collaborators. As for expectations, I don’t have many because, if they are not met, it’s a negative. So I enjoy the present, which is what’s important. The present is the gift we have today.

From home (in the pandemic) to work

-There were two and a half years left on TV, a long time considering the more than 50 years he was on screen. Have you heard that a lot is missing?

Mirta: Currently yes. it was very difficult for me. I went 300 days without leaving because of Covid, it scared me. And there came a time when, with Elvira (his assistant), at home, we had no more topics for conversation. So now I also prepare myself with a speech therapist, which is excellent, makes me repeat the letters and numbers aloud. Y I read the newspaper aloud. She also tells me to sing.

-What sings?

Mirta: I sing the hymn. The neighbors will think I’m crazy to sing the Hymn aloud. but I sing Hey mortals … you have to do this because, otherwise, the vocal cords will atrophy. And he explained to me that the letter that needs to be repeated the most is not a but and. Every day you learn something new.

-After two and a half years, will there be any news in the programs?

Mirta: It will be all new to me, a great move. That’s why I want to go first, to see what the set is like, everything, I don’t know, gives me that insecurity. But I also prepared the dress, which I’m not saying what it will be like because of the cabal. Make it a surprise.

-Now the days will be distributed, in a fixed way, between the two, right?

Mirta: Yes, I’ll be there on Saturday and Juana on Sunday. So the days I’m on the program will be called Mirta’s night and on Sunday, from now on, it will be have lunch with Giovanna. When I found out my name wasn’t going to be on Lunch With … I cried.. It’s a lot of history, but it’s divine and it’s going to do very well.

Was it a joint decision?

Mirta: The channel asked us to be like that and I thought it was fine. Sundays are very long and it is exhausting. Saturday, on the other hand, is shorter and it is better this way.

-With this start in September, the whole season will be shorter this year.

Mirta: Better this way, to get back into the rhythm little by little. Nor am I going to do the season in Mar del Platabecause it involves a lot more, being with people for the photos, what happens there is very exhausting and I’m not here for that anymore. I would like to do the program from Buenos Aires in the summerbut I haven’t talked about it yet, we’ll see.

A return with the news

-This year, among the guests, there will also be people from the public, how will this dynamic be?

Mirta: I still don’t really understand what it will be like. But I think it’s very similar to what I’ve done many times before, with other guests who aren’t famous, but have interesting stories to tell. I have interviewed doctors, mothers, I suppose it will be the same dynamic if they have something to say that could be of interest to everyone.

Giovanna: I like the idea, but it’s true that it’s not new, because Mirtha has already done it, has been ahead of us for years. I find it nice the idea of ​​sharing the life stories of characters not so well known, but who have something interesting to tell.

Mirta: I like to learn about people’s lives, I study a lot on each guest, before each program. But all of this takes time to prepare. I find out everything, what he did, his family, I find out where he was born, what neighborhood he comes from. It is a mania that I have to know where people live, every time I pass somewhere I remember who lives there.

-What started as a substitute, in your case, Juana, with the guide, at this point has already become part of your career as well.

Giovanna: It’s no longer a substitute, true, it’s already a fact, that’s why have lunch with Giovanna.

-What do you like most about driving?

Giovanna: I like listening, talking, being lucky that, for example, a spectacular musician comes to the show and listens to it live, or the chance to spend time with my fellow actors. Also being able to ask politicians questions without being afraid of any answers. I think it’s a set of everything. And of course, being with Jimena (No. of R: Monteverde, the show chef) Y laugh out loud.

In the days leading up to the debut, several important events took place in Argentina and around the world and Mirtha, of course, was unaware of the information. Some have touched it more closely, like The death of Nelly Trentothe historical presenter of his program and who accompanied her for many years.