'Pasapalabra' is the most watched and followed game show on Antena 3. Likewise, it is the leading program in its time slot, with an average share of more than 20%, managing to leave 'Sálvame' in the shadows. Since he left Mediaset, the format has not stopped giving Atresmedia joy, thanks to the fact that it has achieved great audience data. For this reason, given that it gives way to the news, it has also made Vicente Vallés beat Pedro Piqueras on the nightly news. In this way, Atresmedia maintains its leadership after snatching first place from Mediaset.
Since its second stage on Antena 3, given that it was originally broadcast on this channel for six years, the contest has been a great success. However, many of its viewers come from its 12 years of broadcasting on Telecinco. For this reason, taking into account its more than two decades on the television grid, many contestants have passed and lucky ones who have managed to win the jackpot.
Many of these participants remembered last week in the contest, given that they carried out the special 'Masters Cup', a delivery in which eight mythical contestants, who have already seen each other's faces in the past, competed among themselves to become with the jackpot of 50,000 euros. It was a very close competition, since all of them had great experience and had already been winners in their last stage in the program. Finally, Antonio Ruiz took the victory.
The eight masters selected were Carlos Adán, winner in 2017 of a jackpot of 318,000 euros; María Herranz, winner of 180,000 euros in 2010; Eduardo Benito, winner in 2006 of the largest jackpot in history in Pasapalabra, estimated at 2,190,000 euros; Antonio Ruiz, winner in 2017 with 1,164,000 euros; Susana García, who won €450,000 in 2015; Marta Sierra, with 96,000 euros in 2007; Fran González, the most recent with 1,542,000 euros in 2019, and Juanpe Gómez, with 1,674,000 euros in 2013.
To these exorbitant money figures must be added those of the rest of the winners and of the last ones who have managed to solve the Rosco in the space presented by Roberto Leal. After more than 300 programs and several records, Pablo Díaz was the first to win the jackpot in the new stage of the contest. After facing other legendary contestants such as Luis de Lama or Javier Dávila, he won 1,828,000 euros. In the same way, the last one to manage to solve the Rosco completely was Sofía Álvarez. With 62 programs behind her, she managed to solve the 25 words of the Rosco and take with her the jackpot of 466,000 euros.
As a consequence, there is the same question that goes through the minds of the millions of viewers who have accompanied the contestants since their inception: How does the life of the contestants change after winning the jackpot?
sofia alvarez
Sofía was the last contestant on 'Pasapalabra' who managed to solve the Rosco completely. The amount of money that she took from her has not helped her live without worries, but it has helped her improve her day-to-day life and allow herself some whim. As the contestant assured, her only intention was to be able to live in peace with her 462,000 euros. However, the only thing that was clear to her was that she wanted to organize a trip to New York to go with her children.
“Yes, it is true that I have already started preparing the trip to New York. I have already asked and I think we are going to go on Easter”, she said in an interview for COPE. "I'm also looking at little things to find out what I want to do, what I could contribute to the kids...", she added, referring to the fact that she was thinking of spending it on her children or some personal project that she wanted to carry out. .
Likewise, without taking economics into account, the participant assured that life has changed for the better: “What has changed the most is that I don't have to go down to Madrid, I can read in another way, without pressure. Also, I can read whatever I want and that is a tremendous happiness. It is true that, in the afternoons, I don't work because I don't need to. I sleep differently, like I've already done my homework. What I notice most is that I have peace because I have already finished the task. And just knowing that the money is there gives me peace of mind… I've also loved getting back into a routine. Going back to work without all the added pressure of having to do more things,” she recounted, acknowledging that she works fewer hours than before.
Pablo Diaz
Pablo Díaz made history in the contest stage on Antena 3. In addition to winning 1,828,000 euros, he became the youngest winner in the program's history. After fulfilling his promise to dye his hair blue if he won the pot, he invested the prize in what he had in mind. His main objective was to become independent, which he has achieved. Although a large part was allocated to the Treasury, the participant has had no problem choosing a home. In addition, he continues the facet of him as a television character as a streamer on Twitch.
Likewise, as he confessed to Susanna Griso in 'Public Mirror', he also spent money on some whims: "The first thing I spent it on was a Nintendo 64 and a Nintendo Switch." However, his first idea I had it clear: "I want to use it to help my parents, if they lack anything in the economic field that they do not have a problem and, later, also in becoming independent, something that not many people my age can say...", He confessed after acknowledging that he also wanted to take a trip with his girlfriend.
Fran Gonzalez
Fran González is remembered, in addition to the high amount of money that he managed to pocket, for being the last winner of Telecinco. According to the contestant, in addition to saving, he would invest the 1,542,000 euros in helping his family, especially his brothers and parents. “There it is in the bank for when you need it. It is an important amount with which I will be able to help my family. I haven't assimilated everything yet, I have to see how I do things with a little peace of mind”, he recounted in an interview for 'El Confidencial'.
“I want to help my brothers so that they can buy a house and that my parents live in peace. We have never been up to our necks in water, but this money gives us more room. Already thinking of myself, I would like to continue expanding my studies, do a doctorate, maybe another master's degree. I would also like to travel, starting with Europe, we have incredible places”, he added.
Initially, the contestant had another idea in mind. As he told the program, he wanted to create a project together with his father dedicated to researching savings thanks to LED technology, but, finally, they were unable to move the project forward.
However, he still has his dream of opening a laboratory in mind, but he believes that this is not the time: “It is my dream, but when one lands he does not know how to tackle it. It is something very difficult and with the prize that I have it is unfeasible, much more money is needed. And more experience. In the end, I'm just starting out in this and I can't be so pretentious as to get involved in such a big project... We'll see in the future”.
Edward Benedict
Eduardo Benito is a mythical contestant for managing to win the highest jackpot on the program. In 2006, he made history by completing the Rosco on his first day as a contestant, thus becoming the biggest winner by pocketing €2.19 million. Despite the high amount of the prize, the participant wanted to remain calm and use the money to live well.
The first thing he did was finish paying off his mortgage after deciding to live in the same house. Unlike other colleagues, he wanted to continue working and invest part of the prize in improving the family business that continues to operate today, dedicated to meat and gourmet products.
Charles Adam
Carlos Adán is one of the historical contestants of 'Pasapalabra', since he was able to face the tests on two occasions. He first participated in 2011, but after 39 programs, he was eliminated. Despite this, he managed to pocket 45,600 euros. Since then, he has been on various television contests such as 'Figures and letters' (2008) or 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' Until in 2017 he managed to return to the Antena 3 contest and get rid of the thorn by solving the Rosco.
The engineer took home the 318,000 from the boat and did not hesitate to spend it on whims for both himself and his family. “Fortunately, as I have a good economic situation and a stable job with a good salary, in my case it did not mean a big change for me. It was above all the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge. Obviously money always comes in handy, in fact, I gave my brother, my sister-in-law and my nephews a very cool trip they did through Italy and part of Spain, and also a trip to my parents through the Black Forest in Germany”, told in an interview for 'El Confidencial'.
“I didn't win an amount like David Leo's (1,866,000 euros), which does change your life, but it is true that any award of this type leaves you with a larger savings cushion. We must not forget either that there is always a part that stays with the Treasury”, he clarified, making it clear that he had also saved a part.
Miguel Rodriguez
In the case of Miguel Rodríguez, the reason why he decided to participate in 'Pasapalabra' was very different from the rest. In 2009, he managed to crack the jackpot and walk away with €240,000. His objective was to win the prize to recover the money that he had defrauded dozens of people with ruinous investments in the stock market. However, the award was not enough to pay off his debts and he was reported again. As a consequence, in 2015, he was sentenced to prison for two years and four months.
Rodríguez has been sentenced to prison twice for fraud, passing through the Teixeiro prison. The accused was designated as a "continued" swindler for defrauding at least two million euros from a hundred people, among whom were both clients from a working-class neighborhood and his own family. In his pyramid scheme, he offered impossible interest of 10% per year.
He convinced one of his victims with his computers where, on each screen, all the stocks in which he was supposed to invest went up and up. "Everything was green. He told us that it was safe. That it was going to the German stock market. And now I think they were just screensavers placed to deceive us," said the source for 'El Mundo'. "Having found out from his wife's cousins about the possibility of investment offered by Asfin Coruña [Miguel Rodríguez's cover], he himself went to the defendant's office twice in September 2005," he added. The affected person had to be paid 19,200 euros by court order. "At least it comforts me that he is going to continue in prison," he said in the aforementioned medium.
Anthony Ruiz
The contestant took the 1,164,000 euros from the pot. His joy was such that he celebrated by shaving his hair live. From the beginning, Ruiz assured that the prize would go to his daughter: "I want to manage it well so that she, who is very small, can take advantage of it in the future." "They have been very erratic years professionally. The money is going to help my The daughter of an adult is freely what she wants, ”he insisted, spreading his emotion to Christian Gálvez.
To this pot, he was able to add the 50,000 euros that he won this 2022 by winning the 'Copa de Maestros', the special organized by 'Pasapalabra' and in which he faced Susana García in the Rosco.
Susana Garcia
Susana García was one of the contestants selected for 'Copa de Maestros' and she reached the final, which she lost to Antonio Ruiz. Despite this, she is a mythical face of the contest, since she has participated in three editions of the program. García not only pocketed a "tiny jackpot" of 45,000 euros in 2002, he also won 450,000 euros in mid-2015 and, a year and a half later, he also won another 30,000 euros after proclaiming himself the winner of the second edition of the 'Bote Masters', the particular league in which the best contestants of recent years compete against each other.
However, the award did not allow her to make a living from it and she continues to dedicate herself to translation and interpretation. Despite this, part of the prize was invested in her business and in traveling. “I work on it, in fact, I set up a small agency in 2015 with Isabel, my partner and fellow student. We have been working as freelancers all our lives because it gives you the freedom to raise children and to work. We are very happy and luckily we are doing very well. The truth is that I like to translate, so why change?”, she told in an interview for 'El Confidencial'.
Likewise, she also invested it in traveling: “We made a trip. I took the children, who were small at the time, to Italy. We have allocated part of it to our vacations, but much remains for their education. We saved it in case tomorrow they wanted to study for a degree. You have to be proactive because, sometimes, life is not bad at all and 200,000 euros do not allow you to stop working. The 'Pasapalabra' boat has given me great peace of mind”.
Martha Sierra
Marta Sierra is a television contestant who began her career in 'Pasapalabra'. After participating in 'Know and win' and 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' She returned to the program that saw her born on the screen by being part of the 'Masters Cup'. This time, she has not managed to win the jackpot, but she did in 2007. Sierra was the first to win the jackpot during the stage of the program on Telecinco and won 96,000 euros.
"I was very nervous and as the contest progressed I became even more nervous. Christian tried to calm me down while reminding me that I had two words left to get the 96,000 euros, but I saw it as unattainable," she said in an interview after acknowledging that she did not know had prepared for the Rosco: "I have not prepared myself in any special way. I have been doing crossword puzzles since I was little and I think this has been able to help me. In addition, my mother, who was a great fan of reading, instilled in me this hobby As a child and as I grew up I always had a book by my side".
The first thing that crossed his mind to buy after receiving the award was to buy a "car": "I had an accident three years ago and I wrecked the one I had… I want to carry out some pending reforms at home, travel to Namibia in a few days and this winter to make a trip to Australia, a country that I have always wanted to visit.
David Leo
David Leo won 1,866,000 euros, money with which he said he wanted to fulfill his dream of traveling to Japan. Years later, he assured that he had only invested a small part and that his life had not changed much since then. However, part of the award allowed him to pursue his passion: poetry. Until now, he has published 'Nine months without language', 'Urbi et orbi', 'Dime qué' and 'The youngest poetry', a work written together with Jesús Baena, Diego Medina, Cristian Alcaraz and Jorge Villalobos.
"The first thing I did was travel to Japan, but not much else. I produced a short film after studying Film Directing and Screenwriting last year, but come on, something amateurish, a trip to my parents... Not stingy, but not wasting either, , well, the money is what it is," he said. "I don't have the burden of thinking about what to do financially to earn a living. But for the rest, the same: reading, movies, studying...", he explained in an interview with 'El Español'.