Eight months after its premiere, the “Reacción en cadena” competition, which takes place Monday through Friday at 8 p.m. on Telecinco, has established itself as one of the channel’s most competitive formats. At the helm is Ion Aramendi (46, San Sebastián), who has already become one of Mediaset’s most popular professionals and presenters. In addition to the daily competition, from September he will lead the debates of the new edition of “Gran Hermano VIP”.
– To what do you attribute the fact that the competition has established itself among the viewers?
-I think it’s a very cool program. It’s complementary and there’s room for everyone, although it’s a complicated flick, the format makes it worth it. At the beginning he always demanded that “Chain Reaction”, a daily competition, had to gradually find its way. I am very grateful for the patience you have.
-Which goal is left with “Chain Reaction”?
-The audience. We want to conquer more and more. The format is becoming increasingly popular. All the messages I get from people on the street and from families who stop me tell me it’s a very familiar game. I was also told that it is a program used by speech therapists because the games are very stimulating for children who have difficulty learning and understanding language.
-Is patience important on TV?
-It’s basic. Even if we often assume that speed is the order of the day on television, slow consumption prevails: little by little you grow, tenth by tenth. This happens with most products. I had an old boss who said, “You let a monkey milk a tambourine at the same time every day, and in the end there will be an audience.” I like to think that we’re more than a monkey milking a tambourine (laughs) but it’s true that the necessary patience has been lost, especially for a daily format that has to be done gradually.
– Something similar happened with “El Cazador” where patience was the key to success.
I battled with the audience at TVE for two years and went from 10th to 10th place. In the end we were able to get three points from our original standings. That was down to the chain’s patience, and in the end, if the product is good, things will catch on and skyrocket. Chain Reaction is even faster than The Hunter.
-How is your relationship with Roberto Leal, your competitor in “Pasapalabra”?
-I go to the cinema with Roberto, he is a fantastic guy. He is an exceptional professional and a wonderful person. From the beginning he always understood that we deserve our place and that we have the same stripes. We’re partners and that’s the most important thing in the end, as is “El Cazador’s” family, who I have a fantastic relationship with. I wish that everyone is doing well and that they leave me a place.
-He has been with Mediaset for more than a year and has become an integral part. How do you take stock of your return to the chain?
– Important as it is, I feel like a worker and am happy with my job at Mediaset. This house gave me the opportunity to make a canvas for the first time and it will not be forgotten. I left with a strange feeling, as if I thought it wouldn’t be the last time I was at Telecinco. And also being the host of “Survivientes” on Sundays is a great gift, because when I looked at Jordi González or Sandra Barneda as a collaborator, I always said how cool it would be to be there. Fulfilling a dream is milk.
How do you balance so much work with your private life?
-As I always say, thanks to my wife’s generosity, it is true that she is now engrossed in another project and our reconciliation is now becoming even more complicated. Luckily I have the help of my parents and my in-laws, otherwise it would be very complicated. The help of the family is very important, but above all the generosity of María. I also try to be at home as much as possible so that she can also take time for her things and her projects.
