This Tuesday, TVE held its traditional media presentation of its Christmas programming at the Teatro Real in Madrid. He did it with an important unknown: who will present the Chimes de La 1? And the celebration ended as it began, playing the game of confusion and without an official announcement, barely two weeks before one of the most important (and largest audience) events of the year. TVE already has someone to replace Andreu Buenafuente and Silvia Abril on December 31, the couple that the public company had initially announced to host the traditional tasting of 12 grapes that accompanies the change of year in Spain, but who will not officially announce it until Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on La 1.
In this Tuesday’s presentation, there were some clues. Sergio Calderón, director of TVE, highlighted the importance that public television gives to music and spoke of the importance of paying tribute to the country’s great musical careers. “It will be a big surprise. We think we will make a splash,” he said, in what appeared to be a hint at who will lead the new year on TVE.
In the public company, they were aware that the expectation was maximum among those present regarding the possible announcement of the names of the elected officials. This is why they played the game of distraction during the presentation of more than an hour during which the main protagonists of their Christmas programming paraded. At one point, Calderón and María Eizaguirre, communications director of RTVE, assured that this year they could vote on the channel’s website to see who would replace Buenafuente and Abril. But later they revealed that it was a mistake and such a vote would not take place. And that, even if we already know who will do it, we will have to wait until Thursday at 8:30 p.m. so that their names are revealed on La 1.
Substitutes for Andreu Buenafuente and Silvia Abril
Buenafuente announced last Friday that his work stoppage linked to an episode of stress, as he himself explained in a video, would prevent him from fulfilling his commitment as host of the TVE program Campanadas. His loss as presenter of Grapes also meant that of his wife, the actress Silvia Abril. And that left public television with the choice of having to choose presenters with just over two weeks until the end of one of the most watched television moments each year.
Precisely, in 2024, with David Broncano and Lalachus, La 1 took over the leadership of the Campanadas with 31.2% screen share and 4.8 million viewers on average, compared to 28.1% share and 4.3 million viewers of Antena 3. This year, Cristina Pedroche and Alberto Chicote will return to Antena 3, which will also be present on La Sexta and Atresplayer and will highlight starring Santiago. Segura as special guest. On Telecinco and Cuatro, those responsible for handing over the grapes will be Sandra Barneda and Xuso Jones.
Finding a last-minute replacement for a Campanadas presenter is not an unfamiliar task for RTVE and there is close precedent. In 2021, Ana Obregón tested positive for coronavirus on December 29, two days before New Year’s Eve. The actress and presenter was going to take charge of leading the grapes with Anne Igartiburu, as they had done in 2020. Finally, Jacob Petrus, presenter of Here the Earthtook charge of taking over and made his debut in this position.
Family programming
The rest of the faces in TVE’s Christmas line-up and the content set to air in the coming weeks held few surprises. Ruth Lorenzo and Mario Marzo, two of the presenters of Aria, visited the Teatro Real, a new program with the opera at the center which will be made up of four galas which will be broadcast in prime time on La 1. The broadcast of the Christmas Lottery will kick off the Christmas programming, with the already regulars Sandra Daviú and Blanca Benlloch.
On Christmas Eve he will return Telepassionthe musical program which brings together many faces from public television covering well-known songs. This year, it will have the subtitle my big night and as hosts the actor Lalachus and the presenter Aitor Albizua, with a record participation, up to 130 faces from public radio and television. Abraham Mateo and Dani Fernández will be the stars of the also usual musical galas that La 1 will broadcast on Christmas Eve after Telepassion. And after them, Journey to the center of televisionwith over two hours of 80s karaoke.
On New Year’s Eve, Eva Soriano and Egoitz Txurruka, Txurru —who will be in charge of presenting the competition Trivial pursuit—, they will be responsible for Happy New Year 2026! the gala of musical performances and humor that will mark the start of the new year on La 1. Before that, José Mota’s end-of-year comedy special will put politicians in a competition for a ballot box full of votes in The camel gamea parody of the series The squid game.
will also come back Innocent, innocent on December 28, with Paula Vázquez and who will also turn 30 this year. In La 2, Numbers and letters This year, three Christmas specials with celebrity guests will air on Christmas, New Year and Epiphany. The journalist Carlos del Amor will once again be responsible for summarizing the year, which will be narrated by 15 actors and actresses who will bring the year 2025 to life while reviewing the main events of the last 12 months. As part of the Christmas programming, RTVE will also broadcast Joaquín Sabina’s last big concert and a Del Amor interview with the singer-songwriter.
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