Cristina Saralegui

“Like Winston Churchill said, 'Never give up,' and I won't give up. It's a miracle that we even got on the air, and I'm very pleased with the ratings and the response.”

“I want to make sure I'm not a dilettante. Decorating has been a passion all my life. I love it.”

“People look at you and see that you've made it, but sometimes they forget that it took you years of being a human being.”

“The world is not ideal, and the only weapon we can give our children is information. Information which is not pretty, but honest.”

“On the television planet, where men make up the tribe, the law of the caveman rules. So, for a woman coming from another world, without experience or cunning, to succeed gradually in gaining control over what is to be taped, what goes out over the air, what is said without censorship, is an epic feat.”

“I'm a royal pain in the behind.”

“You can't ignore the obvious. Women after a certain age are believed to be good for nothing in the entertainment field, especially in the Latin world.”

“When you have a child who wants to take his own life and you feel powerless, nothing else in life matters.”

“If you stay on the air for 18 years, people know you.”

“I'm happy. I've had a great career. I adore my family. My closest friends from decades ago remain my closest friends.”

“I'll never retire from working; I'll keep my life interesting until I drop dead.”

“The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That's what we're all fighting for.”

“I always knew what I was worth, what I could do, what I could not do. I think that I have a genetic problem with lying. I just can't lie. I get in trouble with my husband because of that. He wishes that I wasn't so sincere, but I am.”

“I came to this country when I was 12 years old because my parents wanted to give me new opportunities to succeed. President Obama wants everyone to have the chances I had.”

“The talk show, as a genre, has been in decline for a while. It started with Jerry Springer, when the talk shows suffered a metamorphosis, going from the real and social issues to the hair-raising.”

“Latin life is rich with warmth, family values and history. I want to bring that beauty into American homes.”

“The difference between Oprah Winfrey and me is about $200 million.”

“President Obama is a principled man who has worked hard to put healthcare and a good education in the reach of millions of Americans and believes that everyone who works hard and plays by the rules, should have a fair shot at the American dream.”