There are journalists who make a name for themselves, and then there's Rubén Amón, who was born with one and has spent his life proving he earned it on his own merits. War correspondent, a talk show guest who doesn't need to raise his voice, writer of opera and bullfighting, a confessed fan of Atleti, and for the gossip press, better half of a well-known politician. Few profiles are as difficult to fit into a single box.
Who is Rubén Amón
His full name is Rubén Juan Amón Delgado, and he was born in Madrid on May 21, 1969, so he has already blown out 57 candles. He is one of those communicators who have touched on all aspects: radio, television, and print media, equally adept at analysing political current events as dissecting a season at La Scala in Milan.
What defines him, more than a specific medium, is versatility. He can be debating in a studio in the morning and writing about the bicentennial of an opera house at night. That ability to jump from the solemn to the popular without getting ruffled is precisely what has made him a fixed name in Spanish journalism.
A childhood among newsrooms
To understand Amón, one must look at his father. He is the son of Santiago Amón, one of those figures that are no longer made: art critic, writer, poet, Latin and Greek teacher, and founding member of El País in 1976. As if that weren't enough, he was a co-author of the flag and coat of arms of the Community of Madrid. In other words, every time a Madrilenian sees those seven stars, there's a little bit of Amón's father in there.
Santiago died over three decades ago in a tragic helicopter accident, when Rubén was still young. The journalist has acknowledged that he still misses him, but that the time they shared was enough for him to learn the essentials of the profession. Growing up among rehearsals, poems, and debates about art leaves a mark, and in his case, that mark was a vocation he has never let go of.
The career of a versatile journalist
Amón joined the newspaper El Mundo from its foundation, where he experienced what many consider the golden age of reporting. He served as correspondent in Rome and Paris, and just when things seemed too placid, he was sent as a war correspondent to the Balkans. Not bad for someone whom many today know only for sitting on a sofa on television.
Then came his time at El País as a columnist and reporter, from which he announced his departure on September 4, 2019. Over the years, his byline has appeared in a variety of publications, from Cambio 16 or Jot Down to El Confidencial, and even in foreign media such as the Italian Corriere della Sera, the French Libération, or the Mexican Reforma. In short, his journalistic passport has stamps from around the world.
From war correspondent to talk show guest
The general public discovered him when he made the leap to studios and airwaves. Since 2015 he has been collaborating on Más de uno, the morning show on Onda Cero alongside Carlos Alsina, where he also directs and presents La Cultureta, a weekly segment where culture is discussed rigorously but without pretension. On television, he is a regular face on Espejo Público with Susanna Griso and has also appeared on El Hormiguero.
The jump from the war front to the morning talk show might seem like a descent, but in his case, it is more of a smart reconversion: the same instinct, different stage. And it shows that he enjoys it, which is what distinguishes a good talk show guest from one who is just there to fill minutes.
Writer, bullfighting enthusiast, and a true Atleti fan
If his bibliography makes one thing clear, it is that Amón does not understand thematic boundaries. He started in the late nineties with Dejadme solo, a biography of Jesulín de Ubrique (yes, you read that right), and from there moved on to the cultural big leagues with Un coloso en el teatro del mundo, his biography of Plácido Domingo.
Along the way, he has published essays on the Teatro Real, a bestiary titled El tigre mordió a Cristo, and El fin de la fiesta, a reflection on the world of bullfighting, one of his great passions. And then there’s the most sacred: football. A die-hard fan of Atlético de Madrid and a devoted admirer of Cholo Simeone, he dedicated an entire essay to the club. Spicy detail: his partner is a Madridista, so the derbies at home must be quite a spectacle.
The relationship with Begoña Villacís
And we come to the reason many are typing his name today. Amón's private life, which he has always kept quite shielded, hit the headlines when he was linked to Begoña Villacís, former deputy mayor of Madrid, just as the politician's divorce from her husband, Antonio Suárez-Valdés, father of her three daughters, became public.
At first, Amón did what any journalist caught off guard would do: he claimed that Villacís was “a good friend”. The problem is that the paparazzi caught them kissing and holding hands during the nights in Madrid, and there was no denial that could hold up after that. Before her, the gossip press had also attributed a relationship to him with presenter Marta Fernández, although, true to his style, he has never been one to air his intimacy. He is one of those characters who prefer their headlines to come from what they write, not from who they dine with.
Awards and recognitions
Amón's career has not gone unnoticed by the industry. In 2018 he received the Francisco Cerecedo Journalism Award, awarded by the European Journalists Association, which highlighted his versatility and ability to entertain without losing rigor, which is precisely the definition that fits him best.
More recently, in 2026 he was recognised with the Salvador de Madariaga Journalism Award, a confirmation that, far from settling into the television sofa, he remains one of the most respected names in the field. Not bad for the kid who learned the trade by watching his father work.
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