“My obesity was caused by episodes of depression. “I took refuge in food”

His story is a mix of effort, overcoming and the conviction that obstacles do not determine our destiny, but how we face and overcome them. Jaime Mandros At 43 years old, Elguera remembers his path to success, marked by discrimination, depression and at the same time opportunities, fortune and fame. At the age of 8 she set foot on a television set for the first time. Since then this has been one of her most pleasant spaces. The entertainment director of América TV and host of “You are in all” is currently working on two television gastronomic projects, he also plans to produce and direct a film about Peruvian cuisine. “I’m in my best stage, he tells us.

“On screen I will only do the projects that I really want to do. Today I feel with the personality and strength to be able to choose. “I’m in all of them (laughs),” she clarifies.

Fiorella Rodríguez played a crucial role in Mandros’ career. It was she who gave him the nickname ‘Choca’ from an anecdote involving a chocolate cookie at the beginning of this century. In addition, she introduced him to the world of television by integrating him into her work team in “América Espectáculos” (2003).

“After knocking on many doors I came to Fiorella, whom I met through a school friend who had been her assistant. He took me to the radio, then to ‘Espectáculos’, where he watched her trades and literally carried her shoes. She opened the doors of television for me. Later I was a news intern, assistant and reporter. Finally, for life reasons, when ‘Flaca’ left for Panamericana TV along with almost the entire team, director Roberto Reátegui offered me the position of show producer.“, remember.

“He asked me to build the team from scratch. I had to do a casting to find the new host. A lot of people passed by: Mónica Torres, Thalía Estabridis, if I’m not mistaken, even Adolfo Aguilar. In the end there was one driver, who is very famous today. He was the one, but Federico Salazar recommended I try Johanna San Miguel. Honestly, he doubted that she could be a good option, because he didn’t see her talking about cumbia or folklore. I was completely wrong, we ‘clicked’ From the first moment. Together we did something crazy. We competed with a World Cup and we beat it. It was my debut as a producer”, he details, satisfied.

After that experience, Mandros worked as executive producer of the Chola Chabuca program and the special pre-sale spaces. Later, he became head of production for the entire channel. 21 years have passed since he arrived at América TV, which he summarizes as a journey full of challenges, achievements and great life lessons.

“It was a change that led me to a more administrative side, which allowed me to continue growing and contributing from another place. But at first it wasn’t easy. I was discriminated against due to race and social status,” he reveals after sharing an experience that affected him at the time.

“A strong and well-known character, whom I interviewed, asked my director, Roberto Reátegui, to remove me because he didn’t think someone like me would be interviewed on the channel. At the time he hurt me a lot and scared me, but thank God my work and my way of being supported me, and they didn’t take me away. While it is true, things are changing for the better, today I still perceive certain prejudices”, he clarifies.

Mandros not only faced racial discrimination, he also dealt with overweight issues that had a negative impact on his health. He claims that his unhealthy relationship with food was influenced by depression, which led him to compulsive eating as a way of coping with his emotions.

“There was a time when I put aside my personal life to dedicate myself fully to my career. I thought I wouldn’t find anyone, that I was out of luck, that I would be alone in this life. Those things made me take refuge in a plate of food. I filled that space with food because it gave me pleasure. I was looking for that arm and those people to lean on, and I didn’t realize that I had them by my side. My family and friends were always there. With time and therapies I learned to know myself, love myself, put up with myself, value myself and tolerate myself.”, he highlights.

In 2017, after reaching 123 kilos and serious health problems, Mandros Elguera underwent gastric sleeve surgery. One of the best decisions he made in his life, he says.

“People called me: ‘The charismatic chubby guy’, but I couldn’t even tie my hair clip anymore. I weighed 123 kilos. I decided to have surgery when the health problems came: high cholesterol and prediabetes. He was 38 years old. The doctor told me that if I continued like this I would not reach 50. I learned to eat and exercise, I swim and play tennis“, he highlights.” “Obesity is the fruit of a disorder. In my case it was the result of episodes of depression. I took refuge in food and not as something delicious but as something that embraced my spaces of solitude. I got that out in therapy several years later.”, he nods.

Fame

In 2013, the director of América TV ventured into hosting with “You are in all of them.” That same year he also participated in “The Great Show”, a program that – he claims – changed his life.

“Dancing on Gisela’s show changed my life completely. I became famous overnight. It was the total exposure”, he asserts and smiles mischievously.

Gastronomic program

On the other hand, Mandros, after completing a master’s degree in gastronomic tourism in Spain, will enter the world of gastronomic programs. He will be in charge of two spaces dedicated to Peruvian gastronomy. One on Canal N, which will premiere the fortnight of April. It is a space for interviews and news about Peruvian gastronomy, whose tentative name is “On the table.” ‘Choca’ will be in charge and Renato Peralta in the gastronomic direction. The other will air on América TV. It still does not have a release date. It will be a competition program.

“People who cook in their market, in their home, who sell menus, who studied gastronomy will participate. They will be the protagonists. I will be driving, but accompanied. It won’t be like ‘MasterChef,’” he explains after announcing that he will also be directing and producing a feature film about Peruvian gastronomy. “This project is not so on track because it beats me every day, but I am going to do it anyway because the world has to know more about our gastronomy, a topic that excites me extremely”, he emphasizes.