For Ricardo Morán, this year has meant a path full of achievements, not only because he got his children Emiliano and Catalina to obtain Peruvian nationality, but also because of the great reception he received 'The Great Chef: Celebrities'a program that its producer Lightning in the Bottle performs and reason why they will include cooking in their summer workshops. In addition, he talked about how this reality show has managed to captivate viewers, to the point that many are now interested in getting into cooking. In this regard, the former jury of 'Yo soy' considers that it is important that, from a young age, boys and girls have notions about this work, since it will be helpful to them throughout their lives.
—We are already in December, how do you feel to close the year with your children legally recognized as Peruvians?
—(It is) my news of the year. It's been four and a half years, almost five, fighting for that and I think we closed the year well. It is a year that started difficult, there were several difficult years in many aspects and, in this second semester, one and another good thing began to happen. Starting, of course, with the most important of all: the fact that my children are now recognized as Peruvian citizens for being children of a Peruvian father as the Constitution says. This changes our life a little, because it was marked by a constant coming and going from abroad because they did not have their rights recognized in Peru and that is over, it disappeared from our lives. They already have a physical ID in their hands, well, I have them saved. From that point on, the good news kept coming: the renewal of 'The Great Chef', the Produ Awards, the Emmy Awards and now the workshops. So, it is something that is a kind of cascade of good news that has come one after another as a result of the naturalization of my children.
—Your children are young, how did you make them understand about this achievement and that they will no longer have to constantly travel abroad?
—I don't know if they like it so much because they loved to travel (joking), but it does excite them a lot. There are some things that, in their own way and because of their age, they already see as valuable. The act of having a DNI, a document that has their photos, where they say their names, has become important to them. They obviously don't understand everything it entails, but it's like a Christmas gift. It is an identification, something that says who they are and that fills them with joy and they tell it to everyone all the time. “I have my ID because I'm Peruvian,” says Catalina wherever she goes, which is the way she understands it. That means being a citizen, and what that cost is something that will still take time and they will discover as they grow. At this moment, they are very happy because they have something that everyone tells them is very important and that is enough for them.
—A moment ago you mentioned your time at the Emmy Awards, what did your participation consist of?
—What happens is that there is a first big round of semifinals in which many people participate. There are approximately 900 members of the Academy and, from there, when they have the nominees, only a few final juries are invited per category. I was invited to be a final judge in the 'Non scripted' category, which is what we call unscripted programs, which are incorrectly called reality shows or competition programs, talent, culinary competition. Who you vote for and whether or not you have been summoned to be a jury is something that you have to keep secret until after the ceremony. (…) It is an honor, because the (Emmy) Academy has existed for nearly 50 years and I have only been a member for more than two years. So, being invited to be a final jury has been a great source of pride and responsibility for me. I hope it is repeated in the following years.
Ricardo Morán shined at the International Emmy Awards. Photo: Instagram/Ricardo Morán
—Do you think that, in the not too distant future, any Peruvian production could participate in any category of the Emmy Awards?
—I'm telling you now that we are here for next year. There are several that are being presented. Whether they are nominated or not is another matter, but we have hope, yes. And we are not the only ones. So, we're not that far away. This year I am sure that more programs will be presented. I hope some of ours do too and fingers crossed. I think they are closer than we think, we may have to wait another year.
—Speaking of Peruvian productions, 'The Great Chef' is a success, why do you think it was better received by the public than the local version of 'Masterchef', which even had Gastón Acurio?
—Well, I can't tell you about other programs because I don't know them, I haven't worked with them, but I think that 'The Great Chef' has one of the most beautiful elements, which is that it humanizes the participants a lot. The contestants are famous people, but that the public does not necessarily know completely and cooking puts you in a vulnerable situation because cooking is not your thing. We invite people and seeing a person face something so difficult is making them vulnerable, human and lovable. On that path, there is no shortage of laughter. Not necessarily (we tune into the program) to see extraordinary culinary dishes with incredible flavors, although sometimes very delicious things come out. I have to tell you most of the time they don't end up like that, but you laugh a lot. People have become very attuned to meeting real people and real celebrities, laughing and crying at their successes and triumphs. It is not a simple program for the participants. They don't come here to laugh for 70 minutes and go home: it's a day of 78 hours of daily recording from Monday to Saturday. And we are very grateful that the public has chosen to be faithful, to accompany us, to be there and tune in to this idea that cooking is for everyone.
—Ricardo, have you already confirmed that 'The Great Chef' will continue in 2024?
—I could tell you that, but then I would have to send a ninja with a dart to where you are to eliminate you (laughs). I think that is a question more for the channel than for Rayo en la Botella (its production company). We are here to serve: if they invite us to continue doing the program, of course, we will want to continue doing it; But it's something I can't answer. It has been a very happy experience this year with the program, it has been one of those many happinesses as I told you, along with (the issue of) my children. I hope the next one is at least the same.
—The cooking reality show had five seasons in a row, but you could read some comments that considered that the format should have taken a break to avoid saturating the public. What do you think about that?
—We did not make that decision, that has to do with the channel, with its interests, with the promoters; but, above all, with the interest of the public, if there are voices like the ones you claim. In reality, the voices that flood the most are the clamor of people who want to continue watching 'The Great Chef'. At some point it will have to rest, but, in this particular season, we are having some of the best contestants of all seasons. If there is some other voice that suddenly expresses that, of course, all opinions are welcome; But right now what we are feeling is that there is a lot of love for the program and there are many recognitions for the show. We appreciate it very much.
—Ricardo, how do you divide your time for work, your children and your own relaxation? Because not everything is work.
—Oh, I would love to be able to tell you that there is time to have fun, but I think that my fun, once you assume parenthood as your life path, part of your fun involves the time you spend with your family, in my case , with my children. I mean, I have fun with my children. What is true is that, being a single father who works all day, you have to be very astute and very careful to manage time. You end up tired all day and any mother, any father will tell you that, even if you work and are with your children, you are always tired. How do I split? I wish I could explain it to you because I don't think I'm very good.. I sleep very little and work a lot, I spend a lot of time with my children. Fortunately, I have found an important time so that we do not miss each other so much, especially now that we live in the same country (…) We are going to work Christmas and New Year non-stop, there are going to be special programs 'The Great Chef' and I'm going to see them with my children (…), but right now we have to do that. And if you ask me how I divide myself, I tell you, I don't know, but I'm very tired, but it's the good tiredness, it's not the 'I'm fed up' tiredness.
—On the topic of the holidays, how do you celebrate Christmas? You mentioned that you are an atheist.
—In other words, Christmas is a party or let's call it 'the holidays', because it is not the property of just one religion: on December 25 for the Afro community they celebrate Kwanzaa, the Jewish community celebrates Hanukkah. It is a universal holiday that I believe, in all different cultures and religions, reflects renewal, family unity, love. All of these are values that any person of any religion has, including those of us who do not profess any. Of course I am in favor of unity, I believe in family, I believe in my family, I love it and the joy of my relatives, my mother, my brothers and now my children. I think it has finally become a party for them. I enjoy their joy, but it is a party that I organize for them, not that there is a tree, if possible a gift, that there is a moment to be together, I think those are the pillars (…).
—What projects do you have for 2024?
—Well, we are opening the workshops. It is Lightning in the Bottle's important project. We have been dedicated to education for nine years and all this begins in 2014 because we had this team of teachers who taught the singers of 'Yo soy', they taught them performances, they taught them singing and dancing (…) We have nine years opening the workshops. They are for all ages and this year we have singing, introduction to acting, also 'experimenters' and this year we are launching the brand new minichef workshop, because the same thing that happened to us with 'The Voice' and 'Yo soy', is happening with 'The Great Chef': children and young people who want to enter a kitchen and learn the basic principles that will allow them to cook for their family. (…) It seems wonderful to me that, in a country with a gastronomic culture as important as Peru, there is a space where you can put your son or daughter so they can learn to cook. I'm almost 50 years old and I'm learning to cook because of 'The Great Chef', it's not right. Boys and girls can learn to cook if they want and they can have a great time and they will have a great time in the workshops.
—Many people have gained an interest in cooking, is there a possibility that 'The Great Chef' will not only have famous participants, but amateur cooks or even children?
—We have analyzed all, absolutely, all possible versions (…) All possibilities, with amateurs, with cooks from soup kitchens, with people who have food tracks, with influencers, with children. They are all like cards in the deck so that, in the future, so that one of them returns with 'The Great Chef'. Because I think they would all be received with love and joy because we already understand a little what we are trying to do and it is not necessarily the impeccable cooking program where nothing fails. What we are trying to do is really demonstrate how people get burned, make mistakes (…). So yes, all the possibilities you mentioned and more are in the cards for the future, it all depends on the channel. We will always be here to make dreams come true, when they become plans. Well, a dream is a goal that has no plan, so when we have a plan, we turn it into goals. We are good at making plans and meeting goals, so I'm sure there will be many 'The Great Chef' in the future.
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