Nazarena Di Serio has become a constant presence on the screens of TN and El Trece for almost a decade. Announcer, journalist and host, thanks to her ease and personality, she knew how to grow and expand her horizons on a professional level. Popularly known as “Naza”, she started out as the girl who was an expert in weather predictions, appeared in various news programs and diversified her interests towards current events, music and social networks. Now it has also joined the streaming universe and is also part of the iconic television program Moria Casan.
Nazarena meets NOTICIAS in a location that requires an infallible compass. Sherlock Holmes would have only discovered it with the invaluable help of his good friend Watson.
News: “Arriba argentinos” and the program you did on Sundays with Edgardo Antoñana are two images closely linked to your beginnings in TN. How do you remember Antoñana and Débora Pérez Volpin?
Nazarena Di Serio: I remember that the first day I was very afraid of Edgardo because everyone said he was grumpy (laughs). He arrived at the makeup room; It was my first Sunday and he came in angry, insulting me… I was scared again! But he stood next to me and told me: “They told me that you are afraid of me,” and we both laughed. It made me gain confidence. We had a super nice relationship. Edgardo was a sweetheart. Not only was he an enormous professional, but he also had quality people. The program was a family; Going to work was like being with your dad. I have the best memories, just like with Débora.
News: Was Débora very loved on the channel?
Say Seriously: No way! He was and is everything that is good in journalism: his advice, his warmth, the type of person he was. I think that, for this reason, we all, the public and his colleagues, suffered so much from what happened. Maybe the media or some people wanted to make us compete with each other and she said something that stuck with me: “You don’t have to outshine anyone to shine. On the contrary, you have to give everything to whoever accompanies you so that they shine and there you will shine too.” She was very delicate when it came to working, she never left you exposed to the air, she was a giant professional.
News: You started out as “the weather girl”, was that something you were interested in or did you see it as an opportunity?
Say Seriously: What I really wanted was to go to work at Trece, that opportunity just arose and I didn’t want to waste it. My real dream was to interview, a bit of what I’m doing today. Mind you, I still took it seriously because I didn’t want it to stop at just giving the weather data, so I started studying a lot. Matías Bertolotti was my support, he taught me a lot, I took the Meteorological Observer course, I trained myself and I didn’t leave it there, I also started talking about news that was happening in the world, such as big typhoons and hurricanes. I got to cover forest fires in Córdoba; I was given very cool opportunities and I tried to make the most of them.
News: Let’s go from those beginnings to today. What does it mean to you to work with an iconic figure like Moria Casán?
Say Seriously: It is a school; I learn a lot. For me there are three greats in the world of entertainment: Mirtha. Moria and Susana, being with one of them is incredible. I love Moria. I’ve seen her since I was a girl. I like all the struggles that he carries on his shoulder. She is a reference, an icon. He has a unique life and an impressive experience. I’ll try to absorb all of that!
News: On the midday news program hosted by Luis Otero, did you finally fulfill your dream of doing interviews and covering topics related to music?
Say Seriously: Yes, there I deal mostly with music and artists, that allowed me to have a talk show on TN and get to know other countries, like when I had to interview Alejandro Sanz in Miami. It’s beautiful, I love interviewing and I love music, so I’m very happy.
News: Today it’s your turn to be the interviewee, but why do you like interviewing so much?
Say Seriously: I am very curious and am very interested in people who have a story of resilience. I feel like they give me the chance to be the middle between what they experienced and other people who are going through something similar. It’s good to know that you can get ahead. It happened to me with Marina Charpentier, Chano’s mother. She has a tremendous story, a very important fight with the Mental Health Law, and there are so many who need to listen and learn from that! I liked being the link for it to happen, asking the necessary questions and taking the time to answer them within a signal that gives me the space and allows me to do those things.
News: Speaking of strong stories, you experienced a harassment situation similar to that suffered by journalist Agustina Peñalva. Did you feel the need to tell it to support her?
Say Seriously: Yes, I felt the need to tell it because of what happened to Agus. We have a microphone and we must say it because there are other women who lack that possibility. At first I received many gifts from this harasser, I sent them to the channel, until one day I received a collage with photos of all my friends, I showed it to my boss and she told me: “We have to file a complaint now.” We went, we reported it and they gave me an anti-panic button that, in my case, malfunctioned. It drove me crazy. If for some reason my signal was cut off, they sent me a cell phone. In the end it was a nightmare. My harasser was anonymous, but other girls who were able to identify theirs told me that instead of putting an electronic anklet on the guy, they chose to give the button to them, so maybe he calms down with those who reported him, but surely he is going to harass others. You have to raise your voice even if there are people who tell you “fuck you for being a public person”, I take it from me and speak for everyone. If the harasser is identified, they must put an ankle bracelet on him and monitor him, it cannot be that the victim is in charge of taking all the precautions and goes out into the street in fear while the perpetrator attacks whoever he can think of.
News: Let’s move on to more pleasant topics, are you also streaming now?
Say Seriously: Yes, we are in “Resuenvivo” with Pampito and Chino Leunis in Resumido, which is a project led by Diego Leuco. When they called me, I was just half down due to a personal issue and it was a beautiful feeling. People out there think that streaming is stupid and very complex. There is a huge team working behind it. In short, he is a kind of cousin of Luzu who dedicates himself to the news from a more relaxed place and is doing very well. Some say that streaming is for young people, but I believe that nothing is generational. Many people upgrade and join; It is a new form of communication.
News: A while ago you talked about stories of overcoming and you became inferior. Did you go through difficult times with your mother until you found a way to move forward?
Say Seriously: We didn’t have a good time. My mom is a single mother; On top of that, he has hyperthyroidism. I worked cleaning other people’s houses and my grandmother took care of me. When she started with this whole thyroid problem, there were physical things that she could no longer do because she was very tired, she had to pick up the slack, she started doing odd jobs or manual labor at home, but it wasn’t enough, so I started working with her at 12. We had a lot of debts to pay, my grandmother was going through a very serious health problem and being the only two of us we had to deal with it. I started selling everything on the street, incense sticks, dolls, whatever. Then, at 14 I started working at McDonald’s. Minors with limited working hours were allowed to enter; I combined high school with that and, in addition, I sold clothes, makeup and lingerie through a catalogue. I’m a really good salesperson, I love it! (series)
News: We already talked about your mother, your grandmother and your colleagues. Are you in a relationship?
Di Serio: No, I was there until recently, that’s when Resumido fell in to help cut that bond that was horrible, but I’m not even by chance closed to having a partner and starting a family, I dream of that “Envious” type! (laughs)
News: Speaking of “Envidiosa”, you were linked at some point with Adrián Suar. Anything to say?
Say Seriously: Yes, put it, what they said is nonsense. In “Intruders” they were talking about a romance of mine, they had seen me in Italy with the player Nico González and there, as if passing by, Marcela Tauro sent: “They told me that Naza was with Suar.” It seems so stupid to say something like that on the air without evidence, they spoke as if Suar was eating a barbecue with my family without realizing that they are referring to an authority, pointing to a boss who is supposedly having a relationship with a girl from the channel. They establish that being stupid, blonde and working is synonymous with the fact that you are screwing someone to be in that place. It is very sad that this argument is used all the time to devalue honest work. Besides, if I dedicated myself to going out with people to climb, I would be doing it very badly because I have been paddling in dulce de leche for 9 years! (laughs).
