Alicia Retto has earned the affection of viewers after accompanying their mornings through Latina’s morning newscast. The young woman has been able to face various challenges on television, including having starred in a controversial interview with Paolo Guerrero, in addition to maintaining a rigorous routine to be able to appear on TV from Monday to Friday and provide the news that is happening in the country.
In conversation with La República, the journalist told us details about her life, the end of her ‘television marriage’ with her former partner Fernando Díaz and about the new program ‘Quinua y emoliente’ that she has just premiered on the YouTube platform together with his special friend Adolfo Bolivar.
—Alicia, really, what time do you get up to host the Latina morning news? Your pace of life must be very different from that of others.
—I have a complicated schedule, I go to bed at 8, 8:30 at night so I can get up at 3:30 in the morning from Monday to Friday. I have chats with friends in which they talk until late and I don’t respond. For me, 10 at night is already like early morning. I miss movie nights, parties. They are sacrifices that one makes, but at least I can see my children after work.

Alicia Retto is the host of the morning newscast on Latina. Photo: Instagram / Alicia Retto
—You get up too early to give the news and now you are also going to be on YouTube with the program ‘Quinua y emoliente’. How do you manage a day with so many things?
—That’s right, we are just starting with a podcast that we have released on Latina Noticia with my friend Adolfo Bolívar. This is a conversation program, it is not a news program as some think. Here we can talk about various topics, from the news of the day, anecdotes, stories. People who get hooked live can talk to us, they can tell us their experiences.
—You are now in a very different format than television. There are podcasts that have generated controversy because the commentators fight live, there are vulgarities or there are hosts who insult their fans and say that they don’t owe them anything…
—Social networks give you all that variety. People are the ones who decide what to see and choose what they like and what they don’t. It may seem tacky, funny and that’s how it is. It gives me the option to show another way of myself, unlike how they see me on TV. For example, I make news and I am always pigeonholed as a super-serious, reserved person and that is not the case. On social media they tell me: “Oh, the news girl” and I’m not just that.

Alicia Retto and Adolfo Bolivar host the program ‘Quinua y emoliente’ together on YouTube. Photo: Instagram / Alicia Retto

—For the average Peruvian, quinoa is part of our breakfast, but it doesn’t have all of it. Recently, a television presenter was amazed to learn that quinoa was taken.
—Imagine, incredible (laughs). It is a custom to consume quinoa among Peruvians.
—Alicia, in this program you are once again paired with a man and many remember your ‘television marriage’ with Fernando Díaz, what happened, now it could be said that you got divorced?
—Yes, definitely, Fer is already my ‘ex’. I could tell you that my television marriage was already over (laughs). That beautiful period we had came to an end. Fernando is now in a new format that is entertainment. Many may not know, but Adolfo is my friend for many years, when we were both street reporters and we have a very natural chemistry. At some point we had a program Fernando, Adolfo and I, which was like the one before the morning show that was between Fernando and me at that time (on ATV).

Alicia Retto and Fernando Díaz worked together for several years at ATV. Photo: Instagram / Alicia Retto
—In the middle of the ‘Quinua y emoliente’ program you broke down because you found out live that you were going to be an aunt. Was it planned or how did it happen?
—It wasn’t planned at all. I have a friend who has lived in Spain for about 8 years and she couldn’t be a mother, that is, it was difficult for her to get pregnant. A few months ago we talked about it and she, since she had already wanted to throw in the towel… She was following the program live and wrote: “You’re going to be an aunt.” I was very surprised, my reaction was natural because I truly shared with her that sadness of not being able to be a mother, because something similar happened to me in which I believed I would never be able to be normal. That’s why she moved me so much, I never imagined she would say it to me like that.
—And has a similar situation happened to you live on television, something that you couldn’t control?
—Oh, yes, of course it happened to me. When she was a reporter too: she had to make a link and someone would pass by and make a rude comment; when there are fights also between 2 sides, and one has to stay calm.
—The public remembers a lot the controversial interview you had with Paolo Guerrero. Did you feel spoiled?
—Of course, look, that interview came out that same morning. We knew we were going to interview him because we had already been asking him for an interview several days ago. Maybe one is always prepared. That day Paolo was upset, that was evident. I am of the idea that the person who mistreats his guests is not a better journalist, I don’t see it well. One had to keep up, so we told her: “Calm down and let’s talk.” The man was a little confused. I could understand his indignation, but what Peruvian has not gone through a situation like this?, and it is not that we downplay its importance.
—Many believe that you taught him a lesson in humility.
—Perhaps he was not fully aware, but several people have been extorted, robbed. We made him understand the situation in the country, only that those people are not called Paolo Guerrero. He is lucky to, at least, be Paolo Guerrero and that the Police are going to protect him, they are going to worry about his house and they are going to provide protection to his mother, his family, who captured the criminal after a couple of weeks, I mean, thank God he has his luck, but how many other Peruvians don’t?
—Alicia, Magaly Medina recently exposed the past of Ely Yutronic, who works presenting a news program in your former television house, what do you think, do you sympathize with the journalist?
—I have not seen the images themselves because I sleep very early, but I have found out through social networks and I believe that we all have the right to evolve. Every person who is on television is not the same as they were 20 years ago, we all evolve and have the right to improve. We all make mistakes along the way and there is no one who can say no. I will always support those people who have wanted to build a career and that is worth highlighting. Well, if that generates envy, what can we do?
—Off screen you have a solid marriage and your children are already growing up. Are you planning to expand your family this year?
—This year I am super focused on my work, the morning show at Latina and this new project. We are having a very good audience, I want to continue. I would love to be a mother, but at the moment my husband is not very convinced, so I don’t think we can expand the family until I convince him. He has to dock.