This was what she wrote on her Facebook page early Wednesday afternoon:
"Dear friends, with deep sadness, I want to inform you that yesterday was my last day with
Al Rojo Vivo and on the Telemundo screen. This morning I was informed by the company that they have decided that the program should take a different direction, and that due to adjustments due to the pandemic, I will no longer be part of the show. Telemundo has been my home for almost 20 years and I am very grateful for the opportunity they have given me to have been able to cover great news events and to serve our Hispanic community for so many years. I leave behind many dear colleagues who can always count on my full support. Neither my passion for work nor my career ends here. On the contrary, my commitment to you continues as strong as ever."
What a sad day
, but what a run she had--as ARV mentioned on Tuesday afternoon in a brief tribute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWRqUG8mwSQMaria will turn 60 on September 27, so whichever company/media outlet hires her should feel very lucky and fortunate.
I wanted to share one of the last images from her final show on Monday, August 4
:
On a personal level, after taking over from the then sudden departure of loyal capper aztec in early 2017--I took this opportunity to learn from great people like Nick and the near constant encouragement from mullin and a few others to make sure that the caps you saw captured ARV the best way I could.
Unfortunately, YouTube does not have too many clips prior to this board being created in 2007.
However, as a small token of my over three years of creating and posting many hundreds of pics, I found this clip of Maria speaking in English about her 2009 book,
Make Your Life Prime Time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgH2Xu4oPKkThe lessons she gives in that book should always inspire us, as Maria said it best:
"Life is a suitcase."
Bottom line, we as fans will miss her tremendously.
As the old adage goes, life goes on and ARV goes on in Miami--so if other people wish to cap whomever is hosting, be my virtual guest.
Even with her famous defection from rival network Univision in 2002 where she spent 15 years prior to joining Telemundo, what a sad way to end things for such a quality journalist.
From what I have heard and read (kudos to those of you who can read Spanish backwards and forwards), she is the same woman (with a cool family) off screen as she was on.
In my opinion, that is the mark of a great person.
And Maria Celeste certainly will be remembered as one of the great ones in the news media in general (even with her appearances on the many various NBC News programs), but with a great eye for detail helping out within the Hispanic community.