Facundo Gómez knows there is some irony in what he is about to do. There is also the possibility that fate is playing with him. The Mexican television provocateur, who has publicly questioned why audiences can become more outraged over what happens on a reality show than events affecting their countries and communities, is preparing to host one of Telemundo's most unapologetically conflict-driven reality experiments yet. And he isn't backing away from the contradiction.
"My point isn't that people should stop entertaining themselves," Facundo said in an interview with this reporter ahead of Juego de Villanos, Telemundo's new Spanish-language adaptation of NBC's House of Villains. "My point is that suddenly people get so invested in a reality show and show so much interest in what someone says, but while they're changing a law in some country that is changing their rights, they're not mobilizing on social media the way they do when somebody says something that bothers them."
For Facundo, the problem isn't reality television. It is the disproportionate importance audiences sometimes give it. "Sometimes they're destroying a rainforest and it doesn't go viral the way destroying someone inside a house does," he said.
He is right, but he is also part of the situation he questions and is ready to increase the drama to drive attention, as he is stepping directly into that world as host of Juego de Villanos, premiering Oct. 20 on Telemundo, where 18 personalities (some of his previous victims) will compete for $200,000 in a game in which manipulation, alliances, and betrayal are not scandals surrounding the competition. This time they are at the center.
That makes Facundo an intriguing choice. Born Esteban Facundo Gómez Bruera, the Mexico City-born entertainer built a career by refusing to behave like a traditional television host. Programs such as Toma Libre, Incógnito and Turnocturno established his irreverent style through street comedy, pranks, unconventional celebrity interviews and stunts that sometimes made him as much a part of the story as his guests.
He also knows reality television from inside the house. Facundo finished second on Mexico's first Big Brother VIP in 2002, later competed on La Isla and returned to the format decades later on La Casa de los Famosos México.
Along the way, his humor and confrontational television style have produced controversies and very public friction with other celebrities.
Facundo is now turning that history into a running joke about why Telemundo picked him. Asked how he got the Juego de Villanos job, he described an imaginary audition process in which potential hosts were secretly tested to determine whether they were sufficiently evil. Help stray dogs? Eliminated. Support children trying to change the world? Definitely not villain material.
Then, he said, came the ultimate qualification.
"They asked several villains who they had personal problems with, and I was the one selected for having personal problems with several villains," Facundo joked. The list came quickly, and included Laura Bozzo, Galilea Montijo, Sergio Sendel, Sergio Goyri, Alicia Machado... Facundo even invoked Diego Maradona.
"He is one of the biggest villains in soccer, and Maradona ended up hating me in an interview because of a joke I made," he recalled. "All those things add points."
It was vintage Facundo: part joke, part self-deprecation and part acknowledgment that his own television history has occasionally made him a villain in somebody else's story. That reputation now places him in the unusual position of trying to control an entire house full of them. "I'm like the tamer of the villains," he said.
The first list of villains came out this week and is headlined by Machado herself, and includes Plutarco Haza and Italian reality TV talent Luca Onestini, who was part of Telemundo's La Casa de los Famosos All Stars in 2025.
Facundo, however, offered an important clue about what viewers should expect: Juego de Villanos will define "villain" broadly.
The cast, he said, can come from "television, movies, realities, and novelas." That distinction opens an intriguing possibility. The villa, located in Colombia, doesn't necessarily have to be populated exclusively by people audiences have loved to hate for their behavior on reality television. It could also include actors identified with some of Spanish-language television's most memorable fictional villains.
"There are people who were born to be the protagonist, who spend their lives crying and being the victim of an entire story," Facundo said. "And there are those who were born to torture the victims." Some, he joked, "even have the face" for it. Once they enter the villa, however, the difference between fictional and reality villainy may become considerably less important.
Unlike reality competitions, where accusations of cheating, secret deals, or sabotage can become controversies, Juego de Villanos is being structured to make those behaviors strategically useful. "Here, conspiring is allowed. Betraying is allowed," Facundo said. "It's okay to say one thing and do another. Anything to win $200,000."
He offered examples of how far that concept could go. A contestant might have an opportunity to sabotage his own team because another team's victory would improve his individual position. In another challenge, a player could be blindfolded and forced to select another contestant to provide directions.
The trusted guide could help. Or not. "Left, left, left. Cliff. You're out," Facundo joked.
The larger idea is to constantly confront contestants with the realization that cooperation may be useful only until betrayal becomes more useful. "You didn't come here to make friends," Facundo said of the mentality. "You came to make $200,000."
And they will have plenty of time to turn on each other. Facundo said the competition will last approximately two months, with contestants living together in what he described as an extremely luxurious villa.
The surroundings shown in promotional material, including the enormous pool overlooking the mountains, are real, he confirmed. But unlike reality formats that create tension through hunger, physical discomfort, or scarce resources, Facundo said Juego de Villanos is taking almost the opposite approach.
"This isn't The Hunger Games," he said. Contestants will have food, service and even beauty treatments. The idea is to make the villa so comfortable that nobody wants to leave. "The enemy is themselves and their companions," Facundo said.
The first personalities entering Juego de Villanos are:
- Yina Calderón – Explosive, outspoken and unfiltered, Calderón has built a career in which she never goes unnoticed. Her willingness to confront others and say exactly what she thinks has made her one of the most controversial figures on television and social media.
- Alicia Machado – Her appearances on various reality shows have showcased her strong, competitive and authentic personality, as well as her ability to stand firmly behind her ideas and convictions. With a career marked by high-profile moments, from Miss Universe® to La Casa de los Famosos , Machado arrives with leadership, confidence and determination.
- Nahomi Mejía – Determined, authentic and resilient, Mejía has built her story by breaking barriers and proving what she is made of. Self-assured and firm in her convictions, she knows how to adapt to high-pressure situations without losing her essence, bringing a strong personality and competitive energy to the game.
- Plutarco Haza – Known for portraying complex characters in series such as Telemundo's El Señor de los Cielos , Plutarco brings an analytical, outspoken and steadfast personality. His intelligence, experience and ability to read people make him the kind of player who observes before making his move.
- Luca Onestini – An international reality TV star whose credits include the fifth season of La Casa de los Famosos , Onestini is a strategic, confident competitor with a strong ability to adapt. He knows that forming alliances can be just as important as reading his rivals, and he rarely leaves anything to chance.
- Arleth Terán – Successful, outspoken and no stranger to controversy, Terán is not one to stay silent. Accustomed to standing her ground regardless of the consequences, she has the character to face any confrontation head-on. Intense, elegant and unpredictable, she arrives ready to shake things up from the very first conflict.
- David Ponce – With a solid career in television and high-profile productions such as El Señor de los Cielos , where he portrayed Skinny, Ponce has brought intense, strong-willed characters to life. Off camera, he projects confidence, competitiveness, and a presence that is hard to ignore.
- Awilda Herrera – With character, experience and a presence that naturally commands attention, Herrera knows how to navigate environments where living together puts tempers to the test. Direct and determined, she is not one to change her position simply to avoid an argument and firmly stands behind her beliefs.
- Miguelito – An actor, comedian and performer, Miguelito has built a career defined by discipline, resilience and talent, going from the traditional circus to the prestigious Cirque du Soleil , where he is part of the cast of KURIOS . Behind his charisma and sense of humor is a clever competitor who knows how to surprise.
