News from Italy
Pippo Baudo has died: farewell to the TV legend.
The foremost television presenter in Italy, Pippo Baudo, died Saturday evening at the age of 89.
Rai News hailed Baudo as the ‘lord of Italian television presenters’, a title he earned through a remarkable 60-year career. His shows, his discoveries, and his anchoring of the country’s most-watched and memorable programmes have left an indelible mark on Italian television.
The “face” of the Italian public broadcaster, Pippo, as he was affectionately known, was considered “the first, the greatest”.
Born in Catania, he is best remembered at the helm of TV shows such as Canzonissima, Domenica In, Fantastico, Varietà, Luna Park, and Novecento.
He presented a record 13 editions of the Sanremo music festival.
Except for a brief one-year stint at Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset between 1987 and 1988, Baudo’s entire career was dedicated to Rai. His unwavering commitment to the public broadcaster is a testament to his loyalty and the impact he had on Italian television.
He was last seen “on screen” in September 2023 in a video link-up to Domenica In, presented by Mara Venier.