Who is the former host of ‘Despierta América’ Alejandro Chaban?

• Alejandro Chaban is a former host of Despierta América.
• Now he is CEO of Yes You Can!
• He battled an eating disorder.

He’s recognized for his time hosting the popular morning show Despierta América on Univisión as well as his entrepreneurial success and writing. Beyond that, who is Alejandro Chabán? We’ll tell you!

Originally from Venezuela, Alejandro went through many struggles from a very young age. He has revealed in various interviews that he suffered from an eating disorder caused by low self-esteem when he was just a teenager.

Who is Alejandro Chaban?

However, Chabán is recognized for «putting on a brave face» before problems and trying to be an inspirational figure for children and adults. That is why today we are telling you about this young Venezuelan and his «shocking» life story.

In a video on YouTube, which shows an interview conducted in 2014 by Univision, the former host of Despierta América revealed details of his childhood and how difficult it was to suffer from bullying due to being overweight.

«They called me a cow»

«They called me a cow,» Alejandro Chabán said tearfully to Univision. “When I realized that I couldn’t see my private parts or my feet, that’s when I said, ‘This has to end today. Fat Alejandro dies today.’ I didn’t eat breakfast and didn’t eat again until the next day to be accepted by my classmates,” said Alejandro describing the beginning of his eating disorder.

“When I saw myself looking thin, I said, well, I want to do something that has to do with acting on television. And I began to study law along with acting in secret, and my father found out on the screen,” revealed Alejandro Chabán about his beginnings. Click here to see the full interview.

He left Venezuela to try his luck in the US

After leaving his native Venezuela to try his luck in the United States, Chabán had outstanding roles in both Spanish and English productions, as well as on Telemundo series such as: Prisionera, Decisiones and the telenovela El rostro de Analía.

Although everything was going well for the actor, in 2008 he went through a crisis in the US, which led him to take desperate measures. He became a waiter and even a clown. “I remember I would go to auditions and people would say: «You smell like chicken.» And I didn’t tell anyone. I was very embarrassed to tell people my story and that I worked as a waiter,” said the actor according to La Vibra.

Alejandro Chabán: “De gordo a galán”

Later, while he was struggling financially, the actor explained in an interview for Nuestra Tele Internacional that he decided to take his father’s advice and write his life story in De gordo a galán (From Fat Man to Heartthrob) without thinking that it would become a success.

But after this experience that made him much stronger, Chabán made the most important decision of his life, and that was to create his own brand: Yes You Can! Ten years have passed since then and the Venezuelan continues to be successful.