Joana Cruz, the radio host who never lost her smile
Joana Cruz, Universidade Católica Portuguesa alumna, is one of the best-known voices on Portuguese Radio and her long career has inspired thousands of young people to follow their dreams. On World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, we share the story of this radio host whose life motto is: "Always look on the bright side of life".
Her outgoing and cheerful personality reaches RFM listeners every day through the WIFI program, which she presents with Rodrigo Gomes and Daniel Fontoura. Behind the microphone is where she feels the happiest, because “the public's affection is always enormous and the recognition makes everything worthwhile, with each passing day”.
It all started in 1998 when she responded to “a newspaper ad asking for voices for the new project, led by Pedro Tojal, at the time MEGA FM, now MEGA HITS”. Her time on RFM's emblematic Café da Manhã brought her the fulfilment of a "dream that began in adolescence and the greatest challenge of adult life".
A journey marked by the “discovery of enriching places and experiences”, as was the case of the interviews with “Júlio Iglesias, Hugo Chavez, Sting and so many anonymous people, who certainly take those moments with them”.
From her time in the classrooms of Católica, where she studied Social Communication in the Faculdade de Ciências Humanas (FCH), she remembers the "friends she made for life, and the more familiar way of teaching, with smaller classes and good facilities".
“I was never much for going to UCP parties – I'm sorry now – but, without a doubt, it made the biggest difference in my cultural and professional training”, says the radio host, who recently beat breast cancer.
A struggle that she shared daily on social media, always with a smile, and that ended up, as she says, “inspiring so many people”.
"It is a characteristic of mine to always see the positive side of things, and even in the most difficult times, there is always something very good in our lives," she emphasises.
"I had no idea that sharing what I experienced would inspire so many people, but I feel blessed by God to be able to be in this role in society and in that way really make a difference in people's lives", says the RFM host.