Who is Koldo Royo, contestant of ‘Survivors 2025’: his age, his wife and previous profession

The new edition of ‘Survivors’ He has brought some of the most television faces in recent years to the fore. Terelu Campos, Álvaro Muñoz EscassiPelayo Díaz or the famous Montoya have been just some of those who have joined the experience in Coyo Cochinosalthough they have not been the only ones. However, Telecinco reality has also opted for new profiles, somewhat more unknown to the general public, with the intention of continuing to generate expectation.

One of the most anonymous contestants is Koldo Royo (San Sebastián, 1958), A Basque cook of 66 years who has managed to become a social networks star, where they already nickname ‘Tiktok abuelete’. The chef has made a name in recent years thanks to the impressive recipes that he shares in his profile of the Chinese application, where he has more than 900,000 faithful who enjoy his humor and his art for the kitchen.

Although his passage through ‘Survivors 2025’ is his first experience in a television reality show, it is not the first time that Koldo appears on the small screen. In fact, he came to present several programs in The kitchen channelas is the case of ‘Basque cuisine’and also participated in the program ‘The King of the skewer T2’, where he presented his favorite cover as an expert in the hospitality sector. In addition, he was a regular of Channel 4 of the Balearic Islandswhere he became a figure by his work at the head of the recipe program ‘Over low heat’.

But who really is Koldo Royo and what we should know about his unknown past before joining the adventure of ‘Survivors? We review the life of Tiktok chef that points to Honduras ways.

Of being an apprentice of Juan Mari Arzak to open his own restaurant

Koldo Royo He was born on September 12, 1958 in San Sebastián and, from a very young age, he had the kitchen bug in his blood. As he was not a good student, his father took him to Work at the Family Restaurant of Tapas In San Sebastián, Antonio Bar, where he realized that this was his true vocation in life.

After this first work experience, he began to train with great professionals in the hospitality sector, becoming Apprentice of the mythical Juan Mari Arzak and Luis Irizarin addition to working in other parts of the foreigner, such as Mexico and France. However, his great success came in 1985 when he moved to Mallorca to put in charge of the stoves of the PORTO PÍ RESTAURANTwhere he got a star in the Michelin guide.

In 1989 he opened Your first restaurant On the Paseo Marítimo de Palma, Koldo Royowhere he also obtained a Michelin star and became Aquiara Tapas & Cateringa place with which he sought to maintain the style of the mythical local tapas of San Sebastián.

The reason why Koldo Royo closed his restaurant

His work at the head of his restaurant combined him with his passage through television programs such as ‘Know how to live’, ‘Pass life’ or ‘La Palmera’in addition to others on the kitchen channel. Also launching one of the first gastronomic websites of our country, which he called outside.com and with which he got an almost worldwide success.

It was then that Koldo Royo’s ambitions changed and, despite the success of their premises, decided to break with everything in 2008 and close their establishments. «Then nobody understood it, but when I had my house paid, in 2008, I made the most important decision of my life. I closed my restaurant to dedicate myself to gastronomybut from another prism: the digital. Online, giving courses, conferences, recording videos, recipes … », he argued in an interview for the Gipuzkoa news portal.

In addition to the time that began to devote to this FACETA ON THE INTERNETthe chef also began to expand its business in a new more unknown area in the early 2000s: fast food vans, better known as ‘Food Trucks’. «At that time, if a cook opened a second restaurant, everyone applauded him. But if one made their way to other paths, they criticized him. I wanted to do different things. I am like a tree, I have many branches that cover different fields of the kitchen, ”he explained then to justify his decision.

Despite the criticisms he received at the time, time has only proved him. Social networks have given Koldo true success, which has now become an internet celebrity thanks to the recipes that it shares almost daily. This is certified by your More than 200,000 followers on Instagram and his Almost million followers in Tiktokthat accredit him as one of the great gastronomic influencers of our country.

The relationship with his wife, Joana, and his previous couple

Regarding his most personal life, the details that are known about Koldo Royo are more unknown. It is known that he is married to His wife, Joana, with whom he has been almost 17 years of relationship and the one that has become its great defender for the debates and galas of ‘survivors’.

With Joana has not had childrenalthough it has been his great support in the most important decisions of his life: «I have a wonderful partnerand it was a certain moment in my life that I wanted to stop and do something else, ”he explained after closing his restaurants.

Before, the Basque cook had already been married to Another woman, Mercedeswith which he founded his great restaurant in the 80s, and with which he still maintains a good relationship.