Elisenda Carod: "The farewell of 'La tarde de Catalunya Ràdio' was like a 'coitus interruptus'"

BarcelonaSince last September, Elisenda Carod (Barcelona, ​​1981) has been at the helm of The solutionThe Catalunya Ràdio program, which seeks answers to big questions and debates, airs every day starting at 1:00 PM. The presenter takes over the new time slot after three seasons on [the previous program]. The afternoon on Catalunya Ràdio and of becoming a mother for the first time.

You've started a new chapter in radio with The solutionIt's a classic Catalunya Ràdio program that isn't exactly a question-and-answer show as we initially thought. How would you define it?

— Yes, my theory is that The solution, Back in the day, it was fantastic... but the mandate was to take it to 2025. Clearly, in a world where we have all the information at our fingertips, we had to offer added value, which I believe is precisely putting the entire structure of public radio to work, in depth, answering questions we all ask ourselves. The value I bring is finding the best specialists and offering well-thought-out answers. The solution It aims to bring out the complexity of the nuances, and in fact, history is explained by the nuances, not the headlines.

What is your impact on the program?

— The atmosphere, basically. The second task I was given was to create a program with audience participation, and that doesn't mean it's solely structured around calls, which we always try to ensure have added value. I think what I bring to the table is that people feel comfortable calling in and listening. It's a program that never kicks you off because my tone doesn't. You can discuss things at a very in-depth level with specialists without it becoming tedious.

Some of the collaborators you had in The afternoon on Catalunya Ràdio have also moved on The solutionAre you very much a part of the tribe?

— Who isn't part of a tribe? Yes, I'm very much a tribe person, and I really enjoy bringing on board people who have worked on other projects, especially if I've discovered them myself. But something else I like is giving a voice to people who perhaps haven't had the opportunity until now and making them part of my tribe. My theory is that people listen to us on the radio because of the atmosphere, too, and you create that when you have your tribe.

You feel less pressure than when you were in The afternoon on Catalunya Ràdio?

— I feel less pressure because of my age, not because of the project. I've learned that in the end you should be satisfied with your work, but in my case the pressure is always internal, because of the threshold of excellence I've set for myself. We're women, what can I say? I like to do things well, first and foremost, because I have a lot of respect for the audience, who are very intelligent.

Has this self-imposed pressure caused you suffering?

— Yes, absolutely. Self-imposed pressure, the feeling of being in a world you don't belong to, the feeling of not being enough, imposter syndrome. I think it's something that haunts us all, especially in a cutthroat industry with so many talented people. It's a very insecure industry. Sometimes decisions have far-reaching consequences, and it's very difficult to think, "This has nothing to do with me."

More experience, less suffering?

— The more experience you have, the less you suffer because you understand that some things are beyond your control. What is within your control is your work, and you must always do it well, regardless of where it leads. I don't know if the suffering is less, but over the years you learn to manage it.

You still had things to do in The afternoon on Catalunya Ràdio?

— It's a format that allowed me to do a million things, but I'm finally able to do the things I had pending in it. The solution, how to address topics in depth.

How did you experience the goodbye of The afternoon on Catalunya Ràdio?

— It was like one coitus interruptus. I went on maternity leave saying I'd be back in September, and I have returned, but in The solutionI would have liked to be able to tell the audience myself why I feel like I've lied to them, and nothing could be further from the truth. My intention was to return to the afternoon slot in September, and the radio station is offering me the midday slot with a rather challenging position. heavy what is it like to fight against Marc Giró [who does the You first [on RAC1 at the same time]. I'm thrilled that the station is still counting on me, but I really don't want anyone to think I lied to the audience. I don't want them to think that when I left in March I already knew about it or that they had already suggested the time change.

You've started a new professional chapter, but also a new personal one, with motherhood. Is this the time in your life when you've had the most doubts, like the ones you raise on the show?

— This is the time in my life when I've had the most doubts, and unlike the show, I don't have the answers. I couldn't imagine I could doubt myself so much about how I'm doing something. I'm usually a pretty decisive person. I do a SWOT analysis, as they say, and analyze the situation to see which path I should take. I try to be objective. But even with that, even if you're absolutely sure about your SWOT analysis, the neighbor from the fourth floor comes along and says, "You mean you shouldn't give her cereal, right?" And then you start to doubt yourself. My experience is my job, not motherhood. And I think it happens to all of us.

In an interview you admitted that you're a workaholic. Has that changed?

— I thought so, and no. I mean, during my leave, I thought, "Well, that's great, you've freed yourself from workaholism." I love my job, and in fact, it defines a part of who I am. But when I came back from leave and sat down in the studio, I said, "Oh, dear, I haven't freed myself." I'm still addicted. Yes, absolutely, you have to compartmentalize: from that hour to that hour, I can't be working. I spend hours and hours trapped in bed with a small child sleeping next to me, and my mind is still racing with projects and ideas and how to transform them into a segment, a show, or a program. There are times when you're with a child and you have to disconnect, and now I do it more.

You've shared many of your questions about motherhood on social media, and in an interview with Roger Escapa, you explained that getting pregnant was a complicated process. Did this openness come about naturally?

— I was offered the option of turning my pregnancy into pills or capsules. At the time, I decided against it because I was afraid something might go wrong. But once it went well, I felt liberated. The focus isn't on me, but on others: if you're going through this, know that there's a way out. Or if you're going through this, know that the person who suffered the most in the world has been through it and survived. On my social media, I do whatever comes to mind, whatever feels right, and if I find a good children's book, I share it. I really let myself go, because I don't commercialize my social media. In the case of the interview with Roger Escapa, I wasn't pregnant yet, and we were having fertility problems. Although it's very personal, I decided to talk about it because I think it's not discussed enough. In my journey, which has taken years, I always felt, "Oh, I got pregnant on the first try." Everyone thinks it's all about the first time, but then you see that 40% of women have miscarriages. I don't think it's fair that someone who's been through what I went through doesn't know that there are many of us going through the same thing. I decided to talk about it, and it was hard because I wasn't pregnant at the time, and I was having a terrible time.

In that same interview you said that if you didn't end up becoming a mother, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Do you still feel the same way?

— No! Now that I have him, I think, "How could I not have gotten pregnant at 23?" But, of course, I don't know if it's me talking or my hormones. It's like engaging in political fiction, talking about a parallel reality. I suppose if I had never met him [the son], nothing would have happened, but now that I know him, I'm dying just thinking about him not having existed.

You mentioned earlier that your brain is always working. In the future, do you see yourself doing more television?

— I've never told this story before, but my father always told me, "You have to do TV, you have to do TV." I've always been a non-conventional person, understanding "conventional" to mean a size 6 or 8, and I always said, "I don't want to do TV, I don't want to do TV." Then the opportunity to do TV came up in the best place for me, which is...It's happeningAnd I've found a space where I feel very comfortable. I want radio to be my husband forever, but I'm really keen to do more TV. I feel very comfortable, and I see that it's not so common for someone like me to feel comfortable.

What would you like to do?

— One late show Magazine type. I think my thing is talking to people. One late that allows me to travel the world of interviews and talk to ordinary people, which I still really enjoy. And that it has a sense of humor.

You always say you really like ordinary people, and it seems like she likes you. Do you get a lot of affection?

— I feel very loved and very respected. I'm kind of the young woman of Catalonia... Toni Cruanyes is the son-in-law, and I'm the young woman.

When you were twenty-five, you worked in England. How did you end up there, and what did you do?

— I was studying for a master's degree in photography, and when I finished, I felt a bit orphaned. A friend's mother died, and I had an existential crisis. I got in the car and in twenty-six hours, I was in Wales, where I had a cousin. I went with another cousin, and we had a great time driving. I started working at a Burger King. resort like the one from Dirty dancing. When they saw I was reasonably quick-witted and spoke good English, they moved me to the restaurant, and later put me in charge of the bar. It opened at 2:00 PM and closed at 2:00 AM. I was there, talking to lots of English people, who give very generous tips. I'd serve a £2.35 comb and get a £2.35 tip. 100%. I was very friendly, and I put up with a lot of nonsense...

Has what you learned there helped you in your experience in the media?

— Absolutely. I learned to listen and that everyone has a story. Sometimes we underestimate the people we interact with, and some people have much more to say. bricks to explain. I also took the hard work, The hard work. I used to work twelve hours straight, which is a normal workday in the media [laughs]. No, no, I don't have anything like those workdays now.