TV pioneer Teija Sopanen’s career began with a friend’s greedy trick

Teija Sopanen was a TV pioneer. IL archive

Teija Sopa is considered Finland’s first TV star. However, the road to the stars was not on Sopanen’s agenda.

Born in Varkaus and fleeing the war to Sweden as a child, Sopanen studied languages ​​at university, but a friend’s trick turned Sopanen’s life around.

Sopanen’s best friend Pirkko Konsala entered a friend’s beauty pageant hoping for a reward. Self-confessed shy Sopanen stepped into the spotlight already at the age of 20 after winning the Miss Suomen Neito competition in 1953.

Konsala got the money it needed, Sopane’s title.

– When I was told that you will now go and say something into the microphone, I thought that death would come. It was really terrible, Sopanen recalled his victory in Iltalehti in 1981.

She participated in the Miss Universe competition in 1953. The previous year, Armi Kuusela had won an international competition and put Finland on the world map.

The Miss Universe competition did not bring Sopase similar success in the world, but there was enough work for the brilliant Sopase in her home country.

Sopanen was articulate and international, but at the same time modest and direct. Among other things, Sopas was made a movie star. In addition, she had work as a model.

Teija of the whole nation

Television came to Finland in the 50s, and Sopanen, in his twenties, gave it his face.

In 1957, when Yle’s TV operations began, Sopanen started as an announcer for Suomen Television. Although Sopanen had been in the public eye before, it was this role that made him the Teija of the whole nation.

The reason for the great popularity is justified, among other things, by Sopanen’s approachable and friendly way of performing.

In 1962, Telvis awards began to be distributed. Sopanen won the first vertical ever. The popular announcer accumulated Telvis points year after year.

In the 70s, Sopanen moved to a career as a newspaper woman. The TV icon stopped working at Yleisradio when he became Monalisa-magazine’s editor-in-chief. However, with the acquisitions, Sopanen later became unemployed. Since then, he wrote, among other things I will follow.

Three loves

Sopanen married actor Matti Oravisto in 1954. The couple had two children. Janne and Jaana also became performers. Jana is an actor Tendon stand up comedian and engineer.

In 1970, Sopanen married boxer and club celebrity Pertti “Purtsi” Purhonen. It was a sensational alliance of its time, which was followed closely in the media.

In 1979, Sopanen married theater director Lauri Väärä. The third time he said the truth.

The couple lived apart most of the time because of their jobs. Phone bills and homesickness grew, but Sopanen commented that a long-distance relationship brings perspective.

– Being apart is healthy in a way. We like each other all the more in rare moments together, Sopanen described in 1989.

Only death separated the married couple.

In Teija’s kitchen

Sopanen made a new and significant territorial conquest in the 90s, when it started on the MTV3 channel In Teija’s kitchen – food program. In the popular program, guests were followed and inspired by food recipes.

The program was recorded in Sopanen’s own kitchen.

– All the guests have been my friends and good cooks. I also try to include a current issue. In these times, I’ve still tried to get cheap food on the screen, Sopanen told Iltalehte in 1993.

Sopanen’s last years were overshadowed by a dispute with Yleisradio’s pension fund. He never had time to receive his missing pensions. The announcer legend found the legal battle humiliating.

The beloved TV face died exhausted by the disease in 2011. He was 78 years old when he died.

Sources: Iltalehti archive, Stars and heroes – Pertti Rajala (Key) and five decades of Television – Juhani Wiio (SKS)