Enrique Jiménez “Torito”, artist, presenter and reporter, contestant on “Masterchef Celebrity”

C.M / Ciutadella – Enrique “Quique” Jiménez Martínez, also known as ‘Torito’ (Ciutadella, 1977), plays the role of intrepid traveller and exceptional host in the episode that the film and documentary production company Lilicar Inversiones is filming these days on the island about authentic Menorca. Married to Raúl Jiménez and father of a son, he has worked for City TV, Telecinco, Cuatro, La 1, La Sexta and IB3, in programs such as Vitamina N, Sálvese quien pueda, TNT, Vuélveme loca, Todo va bien, ¡Qué tiempo tan feliz!, Viva la vida, and LaLaLa, which he currently presents on the regional television of the Balearic Islands, where he has also hosted Souvenirs and Fent Trull. Quique ‘Torito’ holds a degree in Fine Arts and a master’s in Museology and Cultural Heritage Management. He is also the author of a book, Ácido, published in 2017, where he talks about his life experiences since childhood.

Are you happy with the documentary?
Very much. Moreover, I can tell you in advance that the premiere will take place in Menorca.

How did they persuade you to take part?
They came to Menorca on holiday, and I took them to some places that tourists don’t usually visit. You know that every summer, many Menorcans end up acting as tour guides. I already have a Word document ready with information about places to visit. I showed them spots that don’t appear in any guidebook, and they were amazed. And since they were already filming a series about authentic cities, it was easy: Authentic Menorca, by Quique Torito. We’ve been filming for a week, and we still have a few shoots left. The idea is to capture the essence of Menorca’s artisans and their craft.

You recently said that MasterChef Celebrity has given you “a second chance” after eight months without work. How has that psychological leap been — from inactivity to being once again at the forefront of a major show?
I’ve been on television for twenty-five years, and I get super nervous when I don’t have work. I was unemployed for eight months, and in this profession, eight months is actually not much, considering that Alejo Saura, who is also in the program, had gone two years without doing any series. It’s very common in this line of work to have long periods without anything to do. During those eight months, I went to tons of castings, and I was rejected every time. For instance, for Tu cara me suena. Or for Masterchef, where I had already applied two years ago, and they also said no. Until luck finally struck. They were the ones who called me. I have to confess I had decided not to call them again to avoid seeming annoying. So everything just flowed naturally. It’s true that now I have many projects that are halfway in the works. In fact, this documentary we’re filming in Menorca was one of them. But everything came together at once: LaLaLa on Sundays on IB3, Masterchef Celebrity on Mondays, now this documentary… And on top of that, I’m on National Radio twice a week. After eight months of unemployment, now I feel a sense of vertigo. I just hope it doesn’t end, because I really dread going back to job-hunting!

In your debut on MasterChef, you competed with tapas as a tribute to Menorca (“Menorca Talayótica”). How did you come up with that idea?
On my first day at Masterchef, I opened a box, and inside I found Menorcan sobrasada. I had to make three different tapas using sobrasada. I ended up being the best in the challenge and won 4,000 euros, which went to an NGO. I titled one of the dishes “Menorca Talayótica,” a gesture that people from the Balearic Islands have really appreciated. The truth is, I named it that because I thought the dish had turned out as hard as a stone. Ironically, it was the dish the judges liked the most. In the second challenge, I brought a calculator and got penalized. I always try to push the limits on the show.

You’ve said that the character of ‘Torito’ helps you protect yourself from shyness and personal insecurities. In what situations on Masterchef Celebrity do you feel more like Quique the person, and in which would you like that side to appear more?
In the first few episodes, I was ‘Torito’ one hundred percent. There are sixteen very different personalities, and you try, somehow, to find your place. You have to understand that if they’ve hired you, deep down, it’s because they want the ‘Torito’ who stirs things up on the show. But as the weeks go by, a bit more of Quique Jiménez starts to emerge. Still, I try not to bring him out too much, because I don’t like doing that. Those who have known me on television for years know that I’m a very shy person. The ‘Torito’ character is a disguise, because otherwise I couldn’t do this job. I don’t think a guy with such a normal life would be interesting to television or the media. That’s why I decided to create a character.

As a collaborator on Zapeando, after leaving Mediaset, you said that you prefer to feel loved and valued even if you earn less. How do you balance priorities between financial income, professional recognition, and personal authenticity?
I don’t forget anything about my past, because, after all, Mediaset is a company that gave me twenty years of work and allowed me to pay off my mortgage. What happened is that the season ended, I no longer felt comfortable, and I decided to take another path. If I hadn’t left, I would never have been chosen for Masterchef or National Radio. Sometimes, even if you love your partner, you have to decide to move forward; knowing that starting from zero is always scary. To find something better, there’s often no other choice but to make a drastic decision. And at that moment, I did.

You’ve mentioned that many production companies “wouldn’t want someone like me.” What did you mean by that? The eccentric character, the tone, your way of expressing yourself?
People in the industry who don’t know me think I’m the same off-camera as I am on television. For production companies, it’s often important that the person they work with is easygoing and disciplined. What they might not realize is that behind the character of ‘Torito’, I’m a super professional person — I plan and script everything I say in my head. Once they realize that, they always end up hiring me. In fact, I already have future projects with Masterchef. But it’s true that not everyone takes the step to really get to know me.

What part of Quique Jiménez would you have liked to show more on the show but your shyness prevents you from sharing with people?
I’d love to make it to the final of the show. This Monday, the sixth episode airs. The final coincides with the twelfth, and those last episodes are when you reveal the most deeply rooted part of your personality. If I manage to reach the last episodes, I offer the production team to show the most authentic Quique — and to let my family come and cook with me.