Giselle Fernandez
Giselle Fernandez serves as host of Cafe Olé with Giselle Fernandez, an intimate one-on-one talk show featuring celebrity guests from the world of music, film, and television.
Fernandez brings to her Si TV talk program an impressive list of media credentials, including co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment magazine series Access Hollywood, as well as anchor and correspondent credits including Today, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning News, Face The Nation, and 48 Hours. Her cutting edge reports and coverage of global events has earned her a reputation as an accomplished journalist and garnered her five Emmy Awards.
Commenting on her position with Access Hollywood and her switch from hard news to entertainment, Fernandez says, "It was a difficult decision to leave New York and the energy of network news but I was ready for a career change and having grown up in a very artistic family. I decided it would be exciting to explore another dimension of reporting that would allow me a little more creativity."
Born in Mexico, Giselle grew up in Southern California as the daughter of a Jewish mother and renowned Mexican flamenco dancer father (who appeared in many films), which has inspired her to refer to herself as the original "Kosher Burrito." She developed her passion for journalism when touring as a child through Mexico with her mother, who was researching a doctoral thesis in Mexican folklore. The experience of exploring Mexican pueblos to gather mystical stories inspired Fernandez to pursue a career that would expose her to that same quest for information and excitement every day.
As a journalism major at California's Sacramento State University, Fernandez pursued and landed her first on-air job in Pueblo, Colorado right out of college. Like many journalists, her various on-air positions have moved her across the country from Los Angeles to Chicago to Miami.
While at Miami's WCIX-TV, her coverage of events such as the Cuban immigration crisis, unrest in Haiti and the U.S. invasion of Panama garnered Fernandez recognition as a respected, hard-working journalist and ultimately brought her to the attention of Cuba's Fidel Castro. In a stunning coup, Fernandez secured an interview with Castro -- his first English language interview in two decades. Other world events she has reported on include the U.S. military effort in Somalia, the Bosnian war (for which she was based in Sarajevo), international terrorism, Hurricane Andrew in Florida and the World Trade Center bombing trial. One of the most dramatic events Fernandez reported on came with the Persian Gulf War and her live coverage of a scud missile attack, which earned her an Emmy Award.
An avid athlete, Fernandez enjoys spending her free time hiking and running. She plans to run her first marathon this year and this past summer, she explored 120 miles of Utah...on foot.
