The 18 Biggest Sábado Gigante Moments You'll Never Forget
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For generations (literally since 1962), we've welcomed Don Francisco, born Mario Kreutzberger, and Sábado Gigante into our homes, and we did the same this Saturday for the very last time. With 53 years worth of weekend nights, there have been so many standout moments, from celebrity appearances (some way before they were even famous) to hilarious skits to downright inspiring stories. Sábado Gigante has been a catalyst for our culture, and it's truly the end of an era!
This Saturday's Sábado Gigante ¡Hasta Siempre! show was a big farewell to Don Francisco, and Latino celebrities — including Marc Anthony, Juanes, Daddy Yankee, Prince Royce, Lili Estefan, Gloria and Emilo Estefan, Shakira and President Barack Obama with First Lady Michelle — made appearances, some live and some via video message, all with a similar message: Thank you, Don Francisco.
And though the last episode was filled with teary moments that made a big impact, the show's iconic moments through the past five decades are what will stay with all of us forever. Keep scrolling to see a roundup of some of the biggest moments ever — sigh, Saturdays will never be the same.
When 18-year-old Shakira was on the show in 1996 to promote her first hit single in Mexico
When 22-year-old Sofia Vergara talked about baby Manolo and her passion for dentistry (then gave a hilarious impression!)
When Selena was on the show in 1994, the year before her tragic death
When Becky G adorably imitated Selena at 11 years old back in 2009
When Don Francisco gave Thalía a special gift and made her cry
All the times Lili Estefan (aka La Flaca) was on the show
When Prince Royce and his friend José did a spot-on impression of Wisin y Yandel
When Paulina Rubio made her first appearance on the show to perform “Mío” in 1992
When an adorably awkward Pitbull was on the show for the first time (and still went by Armando Christian Pérez)
When Don Francisco was literally arrested while filming a segment in Miami
When things got political and Don Francisco interviewed President Obama, giving Latinos a powerful voice in the White House
When this dog danced salsa better than us
Anytime the “Hospital de la Risa” sketch series was on and we would literally LOL
When a Jenni Rivera look-alike totally nailed “La Gran Señora” and gave us all the feels
When La Cuatro dressed up like Cleopatra and made a grand entrance
When an audience member celebrated her 102nd birthday on the show — that's serious dedication!
When Don Francisco was the first TV host in the world to do an entire show live with Google Glass, and it was so cool
When Cristina Saralegui sweetly and genuinely told Don Francisco that she owes her career to him
Skip to the 0:58 mark to hear it.