Farewell to Enrica Bonaccorti, she was 76 years old

Enrica Bonaccorti has died at the age of 76. The TV presenter had been fighting a pancreatic cancer for some time. Between the 1980s and 1990s she was the face of many popular TV programmes on Rai and Mediaset such as 'Non è la Rai', 'Pronto, chi gioca?' and 'Italia Sera'.

Enrica Bonaccorti was, first and foremost, a familiar face. One of those who for years entered Italian homes naturally, crossing time slots, genres and even seasons of television without ever appearing out of place. His career chronicles the evolution of Italian generalist television, from the public service of the 1970s to the entertainment boom of the 1980s, up to the new platforms of the new millennium.

Born in Savona on 18 November 1949, Bonaccorti came to television after an articulated path that passed through theatre, cinema and radio. But it was the small screen that gave her true popular consecration. Her television debut took place in 1978, when RAI entrusted her with the conduction of 'Il sesso forte', a game show that intercepted the climate of change in the country with intelligence and irony. It is a debut that strikes for its naturalness: Bonaccorti does not imitate anyone, does not raise her voice, does not force the role. She presents herself for what she is, an educated, ironic woman, able to stand in front of the camera without artifice. After some conducting experience and participation in entertainment programmes, the real leap came in the early 1980s.

In 1983, she became one of the central faces of 'Italia sera', Rai 1's first pre-evening programme. The programme marked a turning point in the way of doing television: information, current affairs, customs and news were mixed in a new formula, more discursive, closer to the public. Bonaccorti, initially flanked by Mino Damato and later by Piero Badaloni, imposes herself as an authoritative but never rigid presence, empathetic without being complacent. Success is immediate and is certified by the Telegatto, but above all by the daily attention of millions of viewers.