"I Enjoy Interviews with Silences"

Presenter Risto Mejide (Barcelona, 50 years old) says he greatly enjoys interviews with "silences." "Pedro Ruiz and Jesús Quintero were people who knew exactly when not to intervene in the conversation. And I think that's the most important thing when you're conducting an interview," emphasizes the publicist, who premieres a new season of 'Viajando con Chester' this Monday on Cuatro (10:50 PM). In its debut, the format will return with a sincere and intimate conversation with the President of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, from the ground zero of Letur (Albacete), one of the areas hardest hit by the storm on October 29, 2024.

The program, which will also give voice to some affected residents, claims that the most critical PSOE baron of Pedro Sánchez offers one of his most candid interviews, answering personal and political questions without evasion, such as the state of his relationship with the Prime Minister. As a novelty, the new season of 'Chester' includes the unexpected appearance of key people in the lives of the guests, who will provide new perspectives, stir memories, and enrich the conversation. However, the locations continue to have a fundamental symbolic weight and actively form part of the narrative, placing the Chester in spaces directly linked to the biography or imagination of each guest.

Risto is clear on how to achieve, or at least attempt, to get the interviewee to open up. For him, it's also important to see the "face" with which he poses the question. "That's why I like doing it on television. Sometimes I've been told, this is radio, but you would miss many questions that are asked with a gesture. And you don't need to speak," notes the presenter, who from this season also takes charge of the format's production with his company Vodevil TV, which also handles 'Todo es mentira', the other show he hosts on Cuatro.

Because with 'Viajando con Chester', the audience also got to know another Risto Mejide who was being prejudged for his assessments, as sharp as they were ironic, on shows like 'Operación Triunfo'. "And besides, over the years I'm more cushioned," he jokes in his meeting with the media, where he confesses that 'Chester' is the reason he continues to do television. "It's my most beloved, most cared-for show. Conversation has revealed many things to me. I am immensely grateful," he comments.

He says he always tries to fall in love with the character invited to the program when studying their life. "It's impossible not to. Everyone has something you can fall in love with. And I try to go for that because something about the character appeals to you," he asserts. Of the interviewees in the upcoming episodes, he hints that more than one will surprise. "With Los Morancos, and considering how much they've been on TV, it's a very entertaining 'Chester', but not at all jokey. And that's the charm, because you see an emotional side, but also ironic and critical of some societal issues. I've never seen them like this," he reveals.

Another guest will be singer Paloma San Basilio, who arrived at 'Chester', according to Risto, with an "honesty" that has led her "into all possible puddles." "This bravery, as an interviewer, is greatly appreciated. The guest being generous is the foundation of everything," he defends. His channel colleague, presenter Iker Jiménez, one of the faces who rarely gives interviews, will also sit on the sofa. "He says in the interview that he doesn't go to any because they might cause trouble or create a montage that makes him look bad. He defends going to 'Chester' because he says it's honest. That what will be broadcast is real," he points out.

For Risto, it's important to leave people's prejudices aside in interviews. "Moreover, I argue that prejudices are an opportunity for updating. I had them with some characters and after 'Chester', I've either confirmed or disproved them," he reveals. Actor Luis Zahera, another name of the season, however, claims he was "terrified" to go on the program because his surroundings had told him not to. "But on 'Chester' I'm not going to judge anyone. I'm going to understand and listen," reiterates the presenter, who also emphasizes that singer Julio Iglesias is one of the interviewees who remains elusive on the show. Actor Víctor Elías, singer Antonio Orozco, influencer Marina Rivers, psychic Rappel, writer Elvira Lindo, astronaut Pablo Álvarez, and Raquel Orantes, daughter of Ana Orantes, will be the guests completing the new season.