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Mayra Gómez Kemp, in a recent picture in Malaga, died on Sunday. Mari Carmen Sánchez
Legendary Spanish television presenter dies just a few days after accident at her home landed her in hospital
Film and TV

Legendary Spanish television presenter dies just a few days after accident at her home landed her in hospital

The actor and singer Mayra Gómez Kemp recently pulled out of an event on the Costa del Sol following the fall which left her laying on her bedroom floor for around 20 hours until help arrived

Francisco Griñán

Malaga

Monday, 14 October 2024, 17:18

Famous Spanish TV presenter Mayra Gómez Kemp died at the age of 76 on Sunday 13 October following an accident at her home. A fall in her bedroom at her Madrid home over a fortnight ago forced the star of popular game show Un, Dos, Tres (one, two, three) to cancel an event in Mijas on 4 October. At the event, Mayra was set to share her experiences and tell anecdotes with Belinda Washington, Manuel Sarriá and José Manuel Parada.

Following her fall, she was transported to hospital. It is still not yet known if her death is related to the fall she suffered. According to what Mayra said on television a few days ago, she was admitted to hospital after falling out of bed. Living alone since the death of her husband, Alberto Bercos, in 2021, she was unable to get up on her own, so she remained stranded on the floor for up to 20 hours, until a neighbour discovered her.

Firefighters gained access to the house and rescued Mayra, who was in pain and poor health after a long night, although tests ruled out any fractures. However, she was admitted to hospital to recover and undergo tests, and was finally discharged, so her death has come as a surprise.

The presenter of La Tele que nos Parió (the TV that gave birth to us) - the event in Mijas Mayra was scheduled to speak at - was journalist Fernando Ramos, who told SUR he spoke to Mayra two weeks ago where she told him that she was still in pain. "She was unique and irreplaceable. Of course, there was no one like her, with her track record," he said.

Although it has been published that Mayra Gómez Kemp lived in Mijas, where she allegedly suffered the accident, SUR has been able to confirm through the presenter's close friends that she did not have a residence on the Costa del Sol, but lived in Madrid, where the death happened, which was announced on Sunday.

Kiko Ledgard's successor

Mayra's career will forever be linked to the golden age of television and the audiences of more than 20 million viewers of One, Two Three. Fleeing the Castro regime after the revolution, her family left her native Cuba when she was still a child to settle in Miami. She studied journalism in the United States, although her professional career took off when she arrived in Spain.

The actress, presenter and singer began in the world of singing as part of the Trío Acuario, along with María Durán and Beatriz Escudero. In 1978, she left the group to try her luck as a solo artist with an album entitled Una Dama (A Woman) and appearing in the musical film Donde manda patrón (Where the boss rules), which was filmed in Estepona and in which she played the role of the popular Manolo Escobar. That same year, she began her career as a presenter on the programme 625 líneas, winning the TP de Oro - a series of Spanish annual television awards awarded between 1972 and 2011 by Teleprograma magazine.

In 1982, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador chose her as Kiko Ledgard's successor to present the quiz show One, two, three, hosting it for six consecutive years and receiving three more TP de Oro awards for best presenter. Mayra was not only a popular face on TVE's channel one, but also a pioneer who broke glass ceilings on the small screen as she became the world's first female game show host.

Her exit from the game show was not easy and, for a time, even hindered her career. "It had a negative influence on the future of my career, as companies didn't hire me because they thought that the public would think of Un, dos, tres. In that sense, in the end it hurt me, but on the other hand, who can say that they have experienced success like this? Very few," Mayra said in an interview with SUR in 2014. With the arrival of private companies, she began to work again as a presenter on regional television programmes, such as Luna de Miel (honeymoon), El Ritmo de la Vida (the rhythm of life) and Tomates y Pimientos (tomatoes and peppers). She also participated in television programmes such as Ala Dina and El Club de Flo.

A light for other cancer sufferers

In October 2009, Mayra announced she had been diagnosed with tongue cancer in January of that year, and after undergoing surgery her speech was affected. Although at first she was unable to speak, with work and the help of speech therapists she was able to recover her speech until she fully recovered it a year later. In February 2012, the cancer attacked her again, this time in her throat, although after an operation in July, she announced she had once again overcome the disease.

The tumour brought out the most determined spirit in the presenter, who tried to make the disease and its effects known. "It is a disease that is more common than you think, although in my case it was doubly cruel because it not only threatened my life, but also the way in which I had it. And I tell it with the utmost honesty so that if anyone has gone through or is going through it, they can see that they are not the only one. It is important to know that you are not alone," Mayra said previously.

In 2013, she was awarded the Iris lifetime achievement award, the most important prize of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and a year later she presented her memoirs Y Hasta Aquí Puedo Leer (and this is as far as I can read) - the famous phrase in Spanish with which she finished reading the clues to contestants of the game show she hosted.

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surinenglish Legendary Spanish television presenter dies just a few days after accident at her home landed her in hospital