Radio Personalities

"(About Mara Venier) Her way of hosting, of running a salon. You can't learn the kind of chemistry she has. You either have it or you don't. She is a great professional and a great woman. She has given so much of herself in so many battles. What's more, Renzo always speaks very highly of her. And I knew she was a wonderful person, even though I’d never met her. But standing in front of her and seeing how, even while sitting, she can fill the studio and make it a part of herself was a great lesson."

"I've learnt a few little tricks that have put me on a par with the others. It's as if I'd made my own glasses, and now I can see perfectly."

"You don't need to know if a relationship will work. It needs to start."

"[About dyslexia, a condition he suffers from] The mind of a dyslexic person is more 'artistic' and relies heavily on interpretation. So, drawing is easier for them, partly because of the colours. I'm a black belt at puzzles. When I was little, I was one of the few girls who could solve those tiny house puzzles with the coloured holes on top. [...] I block them with complete peace of mind now. I've got the fastest finger in the West."

"I just live, without that anxiety that used to take everything away from me, the anxiety of having to answer society's questions. [...] When are you going to have a child? When are you going to do a more important programme? So, when are you going to grow up? But I've realised that growing up isn't compulsory – only maturing is. Interviewer: What's the difference? Delogu: Growing up is associated with a certain idea of becoming an adult, which means being a serious, calm and predictable person. But that's not who I am, and that's not who I want to be. [...] Between the ages of 30 and 38, like many people, I had become complacent about who I was. I used to say to myself: this is who I am, this is my life, this is what I've chosen. For so many years, I wore a mask – the mask of a reassuring person, someone who would be good at starting a family. I had put myself in a position where I had to answer other people's questions. My divorce was precisely the opportunity for me to change. I looked in the mirror and said to myself: 'What do I do now?' Do I die, or do I rebuild myself?'"

"This idea that, if you're a beautiful woman, you shouldn't show it is absurd."

"Interviewer: [...] you revealed that you have dyslexia. What did this discovery mean to you?'}}"

"The strange thing? For me, as someone who is dyslexic, an 'A' can twist in a thousand different ways and become a shape, not necessarily a fixed symbol. The letters kind of fly around because my mind is processing them. This used to make me suffer a bit: the rules of writing come in forcefully, and you have to deal with them."

"Sometimes, when I'm tired, my words get mixed up: I'm fond of them, and my husband always laughs at that."

"Interviewer: What memories do you have of your time at school as a pupil? Delogu: I felt like I was in a kind of trance, as if I were in a suspended world. I couldn't understand why my classmates understood and learned concepts so quickly, while I had to struggle with them."

"Because I do so many different things, the people who appreciate me and follow me sometimes come to me from different backgrounds, from different places. Perhaps what people like about me is that I always engage on an equal footing with those who follow me and appreciate my work: I speak directly, and if something goes wrong, I'll argue [laughs, ed.] and then make up."

"Interviewer: [...] Is it true that you have rediscovered the Gospel? Delogu: Yes [...]. As a child, I received a Christian upbringing, but catechism had been somewhat imposed on me, with a harsh, not very inclusive approach. At the tender age of 38, I picked up the Gospel again – I had felt a bit put off by it before – and I rediscovered it: in some ways, I also felt a bit deceived, because what I had in my hands was a very inclusive text, one of love and understanding for others. I realise these might seem like trivial observations, but for me, a new path has opened up."

"Interviewer: She realised she wanted to do TV when she was a teenager, in Rimini... Delogu: I was 14. We were at an event where everyone was waiting for Cristina D'Avena, who was late."

"I was 19 when I registered for VAT, thanks to Gialappa's. We were a group of dancers in miniskirts and boots who made fun of the phenomenon of 'letterine' and 'veline'. Every now and then, people bring up that experience thinking they can discredit me, but it was actually thanks to Gialappa's Band and Mago Forest that, even though I was doing a job on the fringes of the industry, I came to understand TV and how it works."

"(The letters of the alphabet: a stumbling block for people with dyslexia) They're difficult because they only have meaning in that particular position."

"What pisses me off the most is that it seems like if I wear a miniskirt or a revealing dress – because maybe I like myself like that at the moment – then what I say carries less weight, as if to talk about serious things I have to dress the way people expect me to dress to talk about certain topics."

"Arbore, Frassica and Giusti are artists I work well with because they haven't imposed any rules or judgements on me. Success came three years ago, and so did professionalism. But I know that my distinctive way of presenting is down to my dyslexia: I don't follow what the writers have written; instead, I make the concept of the programme my own and internalise it."

"In my life, my revolutionary nature has shown itself in the fact that I haven't changed according to what I've been asked to do. I've never 'changed my tune' because of someone else's decision, but only when it was the right time for me, when I felt I wanted to reinvent myself. I've sometimes been asked to be less feisty or, during my first auditions, less approachable and to adopt a more detached style of presenting...I haven't given in."

"Support for people with dyslexia cannot be left to personal sensitivity and goodwill. What is needed is specific teacher training. And here in Italy, we're behind on this."

"I have no taboos about my body. That's just the way I am. I joke that I dress for your decency, not mine."

"(About the EasyReading font that helps people with dyslexia overcome reading difficulties) [...] What amazes me is that many people didn't know about the existence of a special, highly readable font. What's more, it's an Italian invention […], a way of reading that is easier for people with dyslexia, but also much more convenient for those without dyslexia. What's more, some of the letters aren't the same, so text can be read more smoothly."

"[When asked what a dyslexic person lacks] Automatism. When you learn to drive, you have to think carefully about pulling the clutch, engaging the gear, and starting the car. These are all things that you gradually learn to do in the right order, but once you've done it five, six, seven, a thousand times, it becomes automatic. That automaticity that people with dyslexia lack."

"Interviewer: What does body positivity mean to you? Delogu: It definitely means being at peace with yourself, but it also means not pissing other people off. If other people's opinions can help me develop and grow, I welcome them with open arms. On the other hand, if it's expressed solely to assert oneself at the expense of my peace of mind, then no. I'd be tempted to say: 'Who actually believes you?'"

"My secret is that I can't sit still – I always need to find something new. I have an attention deficit disorder, and it gives me so much: I have to channel all my energy into a relatively short period of time, and I try to do it as best I can. I think it's one of my strengths, and I'm happy that people like it."

"I realised that [film making] is truly a team effort, much more so than TV. When you present a programme, you're at the forefront and you have the opportunity to set the pace and provide a unifying theme for the production. A film, on the other hand, is a montage of lots of scenes, most of which you're not in. On set, everyone is on an equal footing, and you put yourself in the director's hands."

"I'm dyslexic in an Italy that doesn't even know how to pronounce the name of this disorder [...]. From a young age, I had to build a shield around myself so I wouldn't let all those people who called me stupid get to me. If I'm not intimidated by criticism today, it's only because I grew up in a very tough environment, like a minefield."

"[...] It seems that only if you become a mother are you a grown-up and have done your duty in the world."

"When I was a child, I didn't think I'd turn out like this. I'm sarcastic, I have fun, I like to smile and be with other people, but I find it hard to trust people, and I also really enjoy being on my own. And I have an immense need to create. I realised this while crying one day, and the next day in the shower, with Max Pezzali playing in the background."

"Interviewer: What aspect of "Emilia Romagna has stayed with you? Delogu: Determination. "Don't despair, there's a solution" is the phrase I heard most often."

"Interviewer: In your work, is luck more important than determination? Delogu: Luck is the variable; determination is the daily kick-start: without it, I would have given up years ago. Those who win are the ones who grit their teeth, who know their limits but still set themselves ambitious goals."

"I'm 40, not 20, when your hormones are going crazy, your head is full of dreams, and your future is in your hands. I'm 40, not 60. You've worked out who you are, you've won your battles, and you've given up on the ones that weren't right for you anymore. Your 40s are the stage of self-awareness. It's a middle-earth, like the one in The Lord of the Rings. You have to start getting to know yourself again. You look in the mirror and only see flaws, because they teach you to stop time, not to accept it, which is the biggest challenge. Accepting change […] by giving yourself centre stage."

"If I thought my apprenticeship was over, I would be the first to be done for. It's a stimulus that you need all the time, otherwise you risk feeling like you've got nothing left to learn."

"Wherever she went, Vita collected seeds and roots and s, and always travelled with a and a few potatoes into which she would put cuttings to keep them moist and fresh."

"Florists' flowers, especially s and tulips, were already popular in the , and a book on the subject, The Florist's Vade Mecum, by the Rev. , son-in-law of the great gardener and gardening writer, , was published on 1683."

"The Great Parterre at , planted by , was abolished by , a priceless piece of history lost."

"Her second marriage was to the war correspondent and broadcaster , with whom she had a son and a daughter. He liked sport and shooting, while she preferred the arts and literature. Hastings was very rightwing, she liberal in the tradition of . They had a tremendous row over , which she considered an act of barbarism, while he saw as a hero. His remark that "I've got the three things I wanted most, a Churchill gun, a and a beautiful wife" did not go down at all well. She strongly resented "being counted as a chattel with a gun and a rod". When divorce inevitably came, she said they had never shared a close relationship."

"Let’s no longer romanticize resiliency among Filipinos. It is time to launch a comprehensive campaign addressing climate change."

"Sharing things like that—again, disinformation, fake news—should not be coming from government officials. It is concerning and erodes trust even more when disinformation and fake news come from high-ranking officials themselves. So now that they’ve done it and there’s nothing we can do about it, the least they can do is acknowledge that the video they shared is false and not authentic."

"At this point, I see no walls anymore. When tragic situations stretch your emotions and mental capacity, you discover a strength you didn’t know you had. You realize that you can become bigger than your situation. I no longer live in doubt or worry—I carry a quiet knowing in my heart that I am meant for great things. That’s why I was given another day, another chance, to share my stories from behind bars and turn pain into purpose."

"There are times when we really choose the partner who is not right for us. We are exposed to guys who may be popular and good-looking. But somehow, the right one will also come."

"Ayoko nga ng sikat. Ang hirap-hirap kaya ng sikat. (I don't want to be famous. It's actually very hard to be famous)."

"Hindi naman ibibigay ni God lahat!, (God doesn't give us everything!),You can't have it all!"

"I'm sure napaka-fulfilling na trabaho na maging ina. Pero para piliting mangyari 'yun or ma-feel na hindi ako parang binigyan ng gift na ganun? It's a blessing from the Lord talaga, nakalagay naman 'yan, children are gift from God. (I'm sure being a mother is a very fulfilling job. But to force that to happen or to feel like I wasn't given such a gift? It's really a blessing from the Lord, it's written there, children are a gift from God.)"

"Girl... hindi ka niya hahabulin hangga't di ka umaalis. That's all. (Girl... he won't chase you until you leave.)"

"Nobody is your friend until they defend your name in your absence."

"Hindi naman tayo pare-parehong mga tao. Hindi tayo pare-pareho ng pinagdaanan. (We are not all the same people. We have not gone through the same experiences)."

"Well good morning everybody! Here I am back again, home again in New Zealand, which is the very easiest country in the world to live in and work in at the present time. I can assure you of that."

"Good morning everybody! Good morning everybody! I think the secret, if you want to be successful in anything, and you all do, and I think the only way is to mean it, to want to do it, to be sincere and not be mediocre. Don't - never be mediocre! Always want to do the very best and and certainly - that you couldn't care more!"

"This is where you learn how much support you have as an individual versus how much support you had because you were part of a particular media house"

"It is far too soon to say how this transition will affect followers and support of Ruvheneko"