The star Imoco, host of Italia Uno’s “Le Iene”, won everyone over with jokes, dances and a monologue on rights
Mirco Cavallin / TREVISO
From the white she wore as an Olympic standard-bearer in Tokyo, to the black she was wearing in the television studios of Cologno Monzese, Paola Egonu once again pierced the screen and showed communication skills perhaps unknown to herself.
The fourth seasonal episode of “Le Iene” on Italia 1, which she hosted together with Nicola Savino and the Gialappas’ Band, attracted the attention of 1.3 million spectators, not counting the hundreds of thousands of views on social. It had been clear for some time that Egonu was not just a volleyball player and the appreciations received, the ability to look naturally at the cameras and the sincerity with which he faced the first evening have enlarged the audience of fans; those who do not chew volleyball have been able to meet the character Egonu and his way of being and thinking, those who already knew her, vice versa, and perhaps are not fond of television, spent an evening on the sofa following his performance. The teammates, the club, the fans did it; and Egonu herself, returning to Conegliano, where she resumed training with the team yesterday, shared some thoughts with her followers.
«When I accepted the invitation of those crazy hyenas, I promised myself to enjoy every moment of this totally new experience for me and to let myself go. Today I can say that I have succeeded in my intent: my work will certainly continue to be another one for a long time … but how much fun I have, guys !!! ».
By doing a survey to get some reactions on the favorite moment of the evening, the Imoco player proposed the “gimme five” with the conductor, the dance on the cube, the scene of the shoes of the previous presenter to wear; Comments and responses, however, arrived in large quantities on another moment of the evening, which lasted just a minute, but of great impact. Egonu’s short monologue on labels and prejudices, themes already addressed in other public statements, garnered thousands of appreciation and some inevitable criticism, which however remained very marginal.
“Tonight I want to talk to you about something that is very close to my heart. I am an athlete and there are a lot of expectations about me, in some moments the pressure can overwhelm you, because everyone expects a lot from you. Obviously this is part of the game and I work every day to transform pressure into courage, defense into attack. I like this. What I don’t like are the labels that people stick on me. There are those who prefer to judge me for who I love, for the color of my skin, for my passport. But if you really want to put a label on me, there is only one I can wear: free ». Precisely this condition, this state of mind and soul is what allows a girl of less than 23 years to pass naturally from the sweat of the gym and the playing field to the spotlight of a television program, followed mainly by a young audience. To them, but even more to the adults, Egonu spoke. Now he will return to talk with jumps and dunks and will do so by redoing, ironically, the road to Brianza, for the match against Monza. There will still be cameras, those of Rai, and the “hyena for an evening” will return to dress in yellow and blue and be a panther. –
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