Guillermo Fesser

Guillermo Fesser Pérez de Petinto (Madrid; 1960) is a Spanish journalist known for utilizing humor while reporting news on Spanish radio throughout his innovative program called Gomaespuma.

It was perceived as a breath of fresh air among the serious media of the time and it was an instant hit.

Fesser studied Journalism at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

He received a Fulbright Scholarship to study film at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Fesser met his partner Juan Luis Cano in 1977 at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

In the mid-1980s Guillermo Fesser presented the TV program La Tarde de Verano, with Pastora Vega and Toni Cantó, and for some months in 1992, the contest VIP Noche at Telecinco.

Before, Fesser was the anchor with Juan Luis Cano, Santiago Alcanda and Jaime Barella of one of the first FM late night radio talk shows in Spain (in Francoist Spain the FM radio was not allowed to broadcast after midnight. In 1981, the law was changed).

This radio show, El Flexo (the desk light), was perceived as a breath of fresh air among the up tied and serious media of the time and it was an instant hit for Radio Madrid.

El Flexo is considered the ancestor of Gomaespuma.

For 25 years (1982–2007) he was hosting with his partner Juan Luis Cano one of the most popular radio shows in Spain: Gomaespuma.

The show started as a weekly late night program in Antena 3 Radio in May 1982, and it got to its peak as a daily morning show on M-80 Radio, with over 1 Million listeners throughout the country.

During the Gomaespuma years, Cano and Fesser traveled around the world to cover the news, interviewing key people like the King of Jordan and Vice President Al Gore just to name a few.

Both, Fesser and Cano became personally involved in attempting to fight against poverty and injustice.

This was what led them into creating the foundation that bears the name of their radio program Gomaespuma.

With his partner Juan Luis Cano, Fesser created in 1984 Gomaespuma, a company that has produced shows and commercials for radio and television as well as books, music albums and cultural events.

In 1994 Fesser produced, with the advice of Kermit Love, the puppeteer that created Big Bird for Sesame Street, a puppet show for Telecinco: Gomaespuma.

Due to that experience, later he manipulated and gave his voice to the funny puppet that appeared in his brother first short film Aquel ritmillo.

He also worked as a script supervisor on El Secdleto de la Tlompeta, the multi-awarded second short film directed by Javier.

Fesser has translated and adapted several English and American films to his native language to be dubbed into Spanish.

As Gomaespuma, with Cano, he has given his voice to many cartoon characters in children features as Chicken Run, Quest For Camelot, Cats & Dogs, and Chicken Run 2, and he has adapted and dubbed into Spanish some other films as the one from Sacha Baron Cohen Ali G Indahouse.

In 1994, in collaboration with Kermit Love, creator of the puppets of Jim Henson's factory designed a puppet show for Telecinco.

Accomplished by Javier Fesser and with scripts of Juan Luis Cano and himself, the program was released in 1994 named Gomaespuma.

Both Fesser and Cano worked on it as puppeteers manipulating his foam rubber characters.

As Gomaespuma and himself he has appeared in numerous television interviews.

Gomaespuma has produced special news shows for Televisión Española (TVE).

Previously he co-wrote with his brother Javier the screenplay of two big box office movies: El Milagro de P. Tinto (1999)

Both Fesser and Cano, lead since 2000 the Gomaespuma Foundation.

This non profitable organization is mostly dedicated to facilitate an access to education to hundreds of children in Nicaragua and Sri Lanka.

But Gomaespuma Foundation has supported another kind of programs like the drilling of water wells in Southern Senegal.

To raise funds, Gomaespuma organizes cultural events as the Flamenco Festival Flamenco Pá Tós that promotes flamenco dance and music locally in Madrid (Spain), and internationally in cities like Beijing (China), Argel (Argelia) and Managua (Nicaragua).

Profits from the festival help finance the educational projects.

and La Gran Aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón (2003), both directed by his brother.

Guillermo Fesser directed in 2005 the feature film Cándida, a story based on his bestselling biography of a cleaning lady Cuando Dios Aprieta Ahoga Pero Bien (Memorias de Una Asistenta) (When God chokes, he chokes to death).

He was the director, executive producer and one of the screenwriters of the film Cándida (2006).

He is also brother of a film director Javier Fesser and the cultural promoter Alberto Fesser.

Guillermo Fesser is mostly known as a radio personality.

Pasando Olimpicamente, a daily night show broadcast live from Beijing during the 2008 Games.

Pasandolo de Cine, a daily show from San Sebastian during the International Film Festival.

GomaespumEnglish, an ESL program for pre-school children to learn the basics of the English language.

Currently he produces and presents from New York A Cien Millas de Manhattan] (A Hundred Miles from Manhattan), a series of skits, mini-documentaries on American daily life for the Spanish TVE political program 59 segundos (59 seconds).