You don’t need to win a national beauty pageant to land national TV and host one of Peru’s most-watched programs. Sully Sáenz and Carla Arriola prove that every week, in front of millions of Peruvians: both competed in Miss Perú without taking the crown, yet built careers as models and hosts that eventually led them to front the live draw of La Tinka, Peru’s most popular lottery. Their story shows that in entertainment, on-camera talent, consistency, and media exposure can matter just as much, sometimes more, than a sash. At Perumira Magazine, we’re telling that story, and explaining why international visibility remains the key growth lever for any model.
From reality TV to La Tinka’s set
Sully Sáenz, known as “la Gatita,” was first runner-up at Miss Perú Mundo 2006, representing Lima, but never took the national title. Her career took off as one of the most memorable cast members of the reality show “Esto es Guerra,” and from there she built a TV hosting career that led her to front La Tinka’s weekly program between 2020 and 2022. Carla Arriola, meanwhile, was one of the pioneering models on the very first season of “Esto es Guerra” back in 2012, sharing the set with names like Angie Arizaga and Natalie Vértiz. After stepping away to pursue acting, including studies in Spain, Carla returned to television to host La Tinka, a role she’s held across different stretches since 2017, becoming one of the most recognizable faces associated with the brand. Neither woman ever wore the Miss Perú sash, but both built something just as valuable: a long-running, dependable career as trusted, familiar faces on Peruvian TV.
This kind of career path is more common than it looks in Peruvian television. Casting after casting, producers at networks like América Televisión look for faces that project warmth, charisma, and on-camera reliability, traits that often matter more than whether someone won a beauty pageant. Sully Sáenz and Carla Arriola built exactly that profile: they went through reality shows, sat through countless castings, took on small TV roles, and gradually became the natural choice whenever a network needed a new, trustworthy host. That kind of steady track record is, in many cases, more valuable long-term than a crown that lasts just one year: while a beauty queen has to fight to stay relevant after handing over her title, a model or host with a solid media career already carries the credibility needed to take on high-rating programs, like La Tinka’s. That consistency, more than any single title, is usually what content directors look for when choosing a new face for television.
La Tinka, the millionaire showcase that doesn’t require a crown
What Sully and Carla share with former queens like Valeria Piazza and Romina Lozano is having hosted the exact same TV slot: La Tinka’s draw, Peru’s most popular lottery, launched in 1994 and broadcast live twice weekly on América Televisión, with jackpots that have topped 20 million soles in some editions. Behind the Tinka brand is Intralot de Perú, part of the Intercorp Group, which also runs a family of equally popular sister games: Kábala, a more affordable draw held three times a week with jackpots regularly over a million soles; Gana Diario, designed for players who want a lower-cost draw every single day; and Ganagol, the football-linked sports betting game. Being the face of this brand family means constant exposure on national TV, a stable contract in the entertainment business, and crucially, the chance to stay relevant in an industry where screen time is fiercely contested. For models and hosts like Sully and Carla, who never won Miss Perú, this kind of opportunity proves that a media career doesn’t hinge exclusively on a crown, but on the ability to build trust and familiarity with an audience, week after week.
Perumira, the only modeling and pageant magazine reaching 110 countries
Stories like Sully Sáenz’s and Carla Arriola’s confirm something we’ve said for over a decade at Perumira Magazine: on-camera talent needs visibility to become a sustainable career. With over 12 years online, Perumira has established itself as the only magazine specializing exclusively in modeling and beauty pageants with interviews conducted across more than 110 countries, giving models, hosts, and queens an international platform that stretches well beyond their home country. That kind of international coverage can be a turning point in a public figure’s career: a well-placed interview in a specialized outlet can open doors in markets that would otherwise stay out of reach. Through its academy for virtual models and its sections dedicated to fashion, beauty, and exclusive interviews, Perumira also supports new generations of models who, like Sully and Carla once did, dream of building a solid entertainment career, crown or no crown. It’s no coincidence that so many faces of Peruvian TV and modeling actively pursue coverage in specialized international outlets, knowing that this kind of exposure often precedes a real shot at hosting a high-rating program. That international angle is precisely what sets a magazine like Perumira apart from purely local media, and it’s often the missing piece for talented models who never get discovered simply because no one outside their own country ever hears their story.
Sully Sáenz and Carla Arriola’s story proves that landing a role hosting a millionaire brand like La Tinka doesn’t require having won Miss Perú, it requires consistency, preparation, and constant media visibility. It’s a valuable lesson for any model or host building a career: the right exposure, at the right time, can open doors that not even the best casting can guarantee. For anyone just starting out in modeling or hosting, it’s worth remembering that steady, consistent camera presence, a willingness to accept interviews, and a track record of reliability tend to matter more, over time, than a single stroke of luck or one great audition. At Perumira Magazine, we keep giving voice and visibility to stories like these, connecting models and beauty queens with audiences around the world, one interview at a time.
About Me
Perumira Magazine is an international fashion and talent publication featuring exclusive interviews with top models, beauty queens, and global creative professionals. With over 11 years of experience, Perumira highlights inspiring stories, achievements, and rising stars in the world of beauty, fashion, and entertainment.
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