"In These Shows, You Either Bond with Your Colleagues or Cry Your Heart Out"

Seven years ago, fashion made its unexpected debut in the prime time of TVE. Against all odds, a format that placed the sewing needle at the heart of television captivated the audience in a country where sewing has become a staple in Spanish households. Now, celebrities will test their skills with needles and fabrics in the first edition of 'Celebrity Sewing Masters' (premiering tonight at 10:00 PM on La 1). Lorenzo Caprile, María Escoté, and Palomo Spain will return as judges, with Raquel Sánchez Silva once again hosting the show.

Actor and film director Eduardo Casanova is one of the contestants in this VIP version produced by the public broadcaster in collaboration with Shine Iberia. Casanova enters the show with great respect for fashion and sewing, as he admits. "It's a profession that requires a lot of study," he acknowledges. The actor and director reveals that before participating in the show, he spent "hours and hours sewing." "The commitment and respect for fashion have been genuine, beyond entertainment and comedy," he justifies in response to potential criticism from the audience regarding celebrities participating in another talent show, a space previously reserved for anonymous individuals.

Alongside him is La Terremoto de Alcorcón, also vying to win this new 'Sewing Masters', who supports her colleague, often the target of criticism. "Now they're going to say that if the gay guy sews too... All they do is criticize. These are ridiculous and absurd comments," she anticipates the reproaches.

"I understand it's easy to say that now celebrities are sewing and taking our jobs. But this is an entertainment show, let's not forget," defends the participant. The vedette also announces that she will present her own collection in July. "I'm already like an intruder in everything, and I don't care. Now I'm going to design because I want to, and if anyone has something to criticize, let them speak," she responds with a smile.

However, the world of fashion and sewing is not new to both contestants. Casanova is involved in designing costumes for his films and has also done so independently since he was 17 for his striking looks, for example, on the red carpets of galas and awards. "My connection with fashion is much stronger than with cooking, where I might have been a bit lost," the actor says, referring to his participation in another talent show by the same producer, the popular 'MasterChef Celebrity'.

The cast of contestants for the first 'celebrity' edition of 'Sewing Masters' includes Mónica Cruz, Pilar Rubio, Edu Soto, María Esteve, Óscar Higares, Rosa López, Laura Sánchez, Carmen Farala, Canco Rodríguez, and Silvia Superstar. All momentarily set aside their careers to spend hours among bobbins, pincushions, pins, thimbles, and scraps.

In the first episode, participants travel to the Sitges Fantastic and Horror Film Festival (Barcelona) and welcome designer Eduardo Navarrete. The celebrity seamstresses will debut with sewing machines by creating a garment that represents what fashion means to them.

When asked about the most competitive celebrity during the contest, both Casanova and La Terremoto are clear. "Pilar Rubio, although we already knew who it would be before starting," comments Pepa Charro, who also points to Carmen Farala, whom she describes as a "blessing" of a human being.

"She has distinction and a lot of imagination. She comes from a field we constantly defend and support, which is the world of drag and transformation, where you have to make things yourself. You have to constantly sharpen your wits because you can't always buy new fabrics," she explains. "I was competitive too, and that's why I won," jokes Eduardo Casanova.

Both also agree on how tough the experience is in a format like this, where your personal life even takes a back seat. "Suffering brings you together a lot. Competitiveness has existed, but it also turns into brotherhood because none of us know everything. And when one knows more than another, they've been generous," notes La Terremoto.

"In these shows, like 'MasterChef' too, you either bond with your colleagues because it's super tough, or you cry your heart out. Because we've cried a lot here, although the snot hasn't fallen," reveals the actor. "But here you completely lose your personal life. I've abandoned my cat, my partner, I've also been moving... If you take it seriously, which is what we've all done, you only have time to do this show," he concludes.