Rocío Espinosa López-Cepero (born 18 February 1931, in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

), known professionally as Laura Valenzuela, or Laurita Valenzuela in her beginnings, is a retired Spanish television presenter, actress and model. She was one of the first television presenters in Spain appearing in the early broadcasts of

Televisión Española Televisión Española (acronym TVE, branded tve, "Spanish Television") is Spain's national state-owned public television broadcaster and the oldest regular television service in the country. It was also the first regular television service in ...

(TVE). In 1969, she hosted the Eurovision Song Contest held in Madrid.

Biography

Before becoming known in Europe for hosting 1969 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, she was a model and appeared in many publications around the world. She was one of the first faces that Spain saw on television when

(TVE) was launched in 1956. She starred in many films since the early 1950s up through the late 1960s. In 1971, when she married film director José Luis Dibildos and had her daughter, presenter Lara Dibildos, she retired from public life, until she returned to television in 1990 on private channel

Telecinco Telecinco is a Spanish free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The channel was previously known as Tele 5, because it had first begun its experimental transmissions on 10 March 1989, and a year later, it was officially laun ...

. Later on, she returned to TVE in 1996. She retired again in the 2000s when she was treated for

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...

. She recovered but remains retired, apart from occasional collaborations and appearances, such as on 7 December 2006, when she hosted the special show ''Gala 50 años de TVE'', which celebrated the 50th anniversary of TVE, beside

Anne Igartiburu Anne Igartiburu Verdes (born 18 February 1969 in Elorrio, Biscay, Spain) is a Spanish Basque television presenter and actress. Biography She studied Industrial Marketing. She started working in the local television of Mondragón in 1993. She ...

and

Paula Vázquez Paula Vázquez Picallo (born 26 November 1974) is a Spanish television presenter, also known for her modelling career in the fashion industry as well as her acting. She was born at Ferrol, Galicia. National career as a television presenter i ...

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

High Fashion ''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became the ...

'' (1954) * '' The Fisher of Songs'' (1954) * ''

It Happened in Seville ''It Happened in Seville'' (Spanish: ''Sucedió en Sevilla'') is a 1955 Spanish musical film directed by José Gutiérrez Maesso and starring Juanita Reina, Rubén Rojo and Alfredo Mayo.Gómez p.132 It is a remake of the 1942 film '' The White Do ...

'' (1955) * ''

The Tenant ''The Tenant'' (French: ''Le locataire'') is a 1976 psychological horror film set in France but filmed in English and directed by Roman Polanski, starring Polanski, Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas, and Shelley Winters. It is based upon the 196 ...

'' (1957) * ''

The Violet Seller ''The Violet Seller'', better known under its Spanish title ''La Violetera'', is a 1958 Spanish-Italian historical jukebox musical film produced by Benito Perojo, directed by Luis César Amadori and starring Sara Montiel, Raf Vallone, Frank Vi ...

'' (1958) * ''

Los tramposos ''Los tramposos'' ("The cheaters") is a 1959 Spanish comedy film directed by Pedro Lazaga and starring Tony Leblanc and Antonio Ozores. The movie is about two small-time con-men. Plot Two small-time con men make a living of swindling people. They ...

(1959) * ''

Three Ladies ''Three Ladies'' (Spanish: ''Trío de damas'') is a 1960 Spanish comedy film directed by Pedro Lazaga and starring Francisco Rabal, Laura Valenzuela and José Luis López Vázquez.de España p.139 Cast * Francisco Rabal as Alberto Sáinz Robled ...

'' (1960) * ''

Madame Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ...

'' (1961) * ''

The Daughters of Helena ''The Daughters of Helena'' (Spanish: ''Las hijas de Helena'') is a 1963 Spanish comedy film directed by Mariano Ozores and starring Isabel Garcés, Antonio Ozores and Laura Valenzuela.Rodríguez p.407 Cast * Isabel Garcés as Doña Helena * Anton ...

'' (1963) * '' Cyrano and d'Artagnan'' (1964) * ''

The Black Tulip ''The Black Tulip'' is a historical novel and a work of Romantic poetry written by Alexandre Dumas, père, and first published in 1850. Story It begins with a historic event of 1672, the lynching of the Dutch Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt an ...

'' (1964) * ''Hagan juego, señores'' (1965) * ''Las noches de Monsieur Max'' (1965) * '' Z7 Operation Rembrandt'' (1966) * ''Demasiadas mujeres para Layton'' (1966) * ''

Amor a la española ''Amor a la española'' ( en, Love, Spanish Style) is a 1967 Spanish romantic comedy musical directed by Fernando Merino and script written by Alfonso Paso. It is based on the story by José Luis Dibildos. Cast * José Luis López Vázquez a ...

'' (1967) * ''Las que tienen que servir'' (1967) * ''Los subdesarrollados'' (1968) * ''La dinamita está servida'' (1968) * ''De profesión, sus labores'' (1970) * ''

Growing Leg, Diminishing Skirt ''Growing Leg, Diminishing Skirt'' (Spanish:''Pierna creciente, falda menguante'') is a 1970 Spanish musical comedy film directed by Javier Aguirre and starring Laura Valenzuela, Fernando Fernán Gómez and Emma Cohen.Mira p.124 Cast * Laura V ...

'' (1970) * ''

Spaniards in Paris ''Spaniards in Paris'' ( es, Españolas en París) is a 1971 Spanish drama film directed by Roberto Bodegas. It was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival. Cast * Laura Valenzuela as Emilia * Ana Belén as Isabel * Máximo Val ...

'' (1971)

Television

* ''Galas del sábado'' (1968-1970) – TVE – Host with

Joaquín Prat Joaquín Prat Carreras (27 April 1927 – 3 June 1995) was one of the best-known Spanish radio and television presenters. Biography Joaquín Prat was born in Xàtiva on 27 April 1927. He earned a licentiate in Law, and before becoming famous, ...

* ''

Eurovision Song Contest 1969 The Eurovision Song Contest 1969 was the 14th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Madrid, Spain, following the country's victory at the with the song "La, la, la" by Massiel. Organised by the European Broadcasting U ...

'' – TVE and EBU – Host * '' Festival de la Canción Española'' (1970) – TVE – Host with Joaquín Prat * ''Tele 5 ¿dígame?'' (1990–1992) – Telecinco – Host with Javier Basilio, Paloma Lago and

Nati Abascal Natividad Abascal y Romero-Toro (born 2 April 1943, in Seville, Spain), more commonly known as Naty Abascal () formerly, the Duchess of Feria, is a Spanish socialite and former fashion model. She has been a member of the International Best Dre ...

* ''Gala 50 años de TVE'' (2006) – TVE – Host with

and

Accolades

References

External links

*
ESC 1969 Profile
eurovision-spain.com; accessed 23 October 2022 (in Spanish).
ESC 1969 Profile
eurovision.tv; accessed 23 October 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Valenzuela, Laura 1931 births Living people People from Seville Spanish film actresses Spanish television actresses Spanish television presenters Spanish female models 20th-century Spanish actresses Spanish women television presenters