Celebrities express sadness over the death of Silvio Santos, aged 93

This Saturday (17), Brazil received the sad news of the death of Silvio Santos, the iconic Brazilian TV presenter, at the age of 93. Recognized as one of the biggest names on national television, Silvio began his career as a street vendor and radio host, before becoming known as a presenter. In 1981, he founded SBT, which became one of the main TV channels in the country. Celebrities expressed their condolences on social media, paying homage to Silvio's legacy, who marked generations with his work.

_{Eliana paying tribute to Silvio Santos (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@eliana)}

Tributes to Silvio Santos

In addition to the stars of his broadcaster, Silvio Santos also received tributes from celebrities on his social networks. Angélica thanked Silvio Santos for encouraging her to become a great communicator and stated that his legacy will always be remembered. Eliana, who recently left Silvio's station, also paid tribute, calling him a master and thanking him for everything

_{Celso Portiolli, presenter of SBT's Cool Sunday, paid tribute to Silvio Santos (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@Celsoportiolli)}

Silvio Santos' health problems

In July this year, Silvio Santos was hospitalized with symptoms of the H1N1 flu, but recovered well and returned home. However, in August, he had to be admitted again to a private hospital in São Paulo.

_{Boninho paying homage to the late presenter (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@jbboninho)}

Story of Silvio Santos

Born in 1930, Senor Abravanel, real name of the “King of TV”, began working as a street vendor in the center of Rio de Janeiro, together with his brothers, when he was 14 years old.

Silvio divided his time between working as a street vendor and radio host at Rádio Guanabara. After his voice caught attention, he was invited to take an announcer test, which he immediately passed first. One of the jurors who approved Silvio was none other than Chico Anysio.

_{Tribute to Angélica by Silvio Santos (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@Angelicasky)}

From radio presenter to presenter

Some time later, Silvio began the transition from radio to TV. The founder of SBT had his first program on São Paulo television in 1960, called ” Vamos Brincar de Forca?”. In 1962, he debuted with “Programa Silvio Santos”. However, in 1965, the station underwent a reformulation after being acquired by Roberto Marinho, who changed its name to TV Globo. Even so, the program continued on the air, being broadcast only to Rio de Janeiro

_{Larissa Manuela, who was discovered by SBT, pays tribute to the presenter (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@Larissamanuela)}

Foundation of SBT

On August 19, 1981, Silvio Santos founded his own broadcaster, the “Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão” (SBT), considered by the country as the family broadcaster. To date, its programming is focused on offering content suitable for different age groups, such as cartoons for children, soap operas for teenagers and adults, and live shows for the whole family.

Featured photo: Silvio Santos on his program (Reproduction/Instagram/@SBT)