Photo: Rai
Ivan Zazzaroni returns to Rai as a guest of Da noi… a libero and he has no doubts: if currently he is one of the most recognizable faces of Dancing with the Stars, the credit goes above all to Milly Carlucci. “When they asked me to participate in 2007 – he recalled – I answered: ‘Are you crazy? I’m a journalist!’ I myself suggested to Milly: “If you want, I will be the judge”, and she accepted. However, two years later, it was he who convinced me to actually get on the right track. He told me that on English Dancing with the Stars the journalists did a great job. He was right: it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.”
The bond with the presenter is still strong, and Zazzaroni tells the story with a mixture of gratitude and irony. And precisely when talking about his role in the program, the journalist frankly admitted: «Before Selvaggia (Lucarelli, ed.) I was a bad judge». The reputation was also fueled by one of the most talked about episodes in the show’s history: «The zero on Albertazzi, when he quit, was one of my most sensational mistakes. They flooded me with criticism: “You can’t give a myth a 0.” I’m the tough guy on the jury. Now I’ve taken a step back… and that’s OK.”
Then came a video message from Italo Cucci, one of the experts on his professional career, in the studio: «I wanted to save him from another temptation… I took him to Guerin Sportivo, I sent him to Manchester for an investigation into United. They want to keep him there! Zazzaroni was very emotional: «Italo is like a father. The greatest director I’ve ever had. He said to me: “You are the child I want to have”. It’s a bond that lasts a lifetime: we talk almost every day.”
To close the episode, a curious episode about Liliana Segre: «My wife and I recognized her and went to say hello. He looked at me and said: “I always watch Dancing!”. I got a lot of points without doing anything. A pleasant and unexpected meeting.” Between the Judge, track memories and editorial master, Zazzaroni once again confirmed his trademark: honest, direct, able to turn a free kick in the penalty area into a zero on the track with the same naturalness.
