On Thursday (8), Guinness World Records highlighted Mario Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco, the “Chilean Silvio Santos”, for having the longest career as a television presenter.
According to the entity, Kreutzberger held two titles for his “unstoppable work” on television for more than 60 years:
- Longest TV (variety) show host: 82 years and 85 days.
- Longest career as a television show host (variety): 60 years and 277 days.
The organization also considered the Giant Saturday as the longest-running television (variety) program hosted by the same animator (53 years and 42 days), which was first broadcast on August 8, 1962 in Chile (by Canal 13) and ended on September 19, 2015 in the United States. United States (at Univision).
“Kreutzberger cultivated a loyal audience through his naturalness, humanity and proximity to the public. For decades, it has offered homes in Latin America and around the world an entertainment space full of joy, hope and fun,” she added.
The entity also highlighted that “the life of Dom Francisco is full of countless and unforgettable moments that marked great milestones in history”.
This dreamer and unstoppable worker settled in the United States in 1986. There he consolidated his career as a presenter and became one of the most influential Latinos in recent years.
“During his career, Kreutzberger has received important awards and honors, including the Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2001), the Papal Benemerenti Medal awarded by Pope John Paul II (2002), the Emmy Award (2005) and his name is inscribed in the United States Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame (2012)”, he added.
#EsOficial I Congratulations to Mario Kreutzberger, better known as “Don Francisco” for his unstoppable work and being a television show host for more than 60 years @DonFranciscoTV Cheers! 👏👏https://t.co/hclDJShYv6
— Guinness World Records LatAm (@gwr_es) June 8, 2023
“In 2021, he joined the network CNN en Español presenting the program Reflections with Don Francisco. At the moment, it gathered more than 160 guests among artists, prominent personalities, scientists and people who lived unique experiences”, he continued.
They also mention the decoration of Don Francisco as ambassador of Unicef, Association of Muscular Dystrophy and presenter of Teletón Chile.
In this way, Mario Kreutzberger received his certifications from the Official Adjudicator of Guinness World Records, Sarah Casson.
His legacy is also reflected in the pages of the new edition of the Guinness World Records 2024 book, which will be released in Latin America in October.
The Chilean said he felt “very honored to have three Guinness World Records titles. This is the result of many years of work, dedication and perseverance”.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
