Jaime Bayly

Jaime Bayly Letts (born February 19, 1965 in Lima, Peru) is a writer, a journalist and a host. He is the third of 10 children and is also known by his nickname "Niño Terrible" (Terrible Kid).

Early life

A student of a local prestigious school, Markham College in Lima, Bayly never achieved good grades. Spending too much time in soccer games at school, his low academic performance forced his mother to send him to 'La Prensa' newspaper in order to get more responsibility with a part-time job. Every afternoon after school classes he went to the office until late at night. Since then, journalism became a passion for him.

In 1982 he was admitted to study at PUCP (Universidad Católica del Perú) with the determination to become a lawyer and then a politician, but the Soccer World Cup in Spain was taking place and got his attention and he was absent from classes because he wanted to watch every game. After four years of mediocre studies he left the college.

Career

His first TV appearance occurred in 1983 during the municipal elections nationwide, interviewing candidates and politicians. That job was boring for him, so he began a successful career as a late show host interviewing flamboyant and celebrity personalities.

Bayly's first Late Show, '1990 en America', got the attention of TV audiences and critics; the next year he hosted a copy of David Letterman's Late Show - 'Que hay de nuevo?', which was ranked as the most popular TV Show.

His novels are also popular and 'No se lo digas a Nadie' (Don't tell Anyone) inspired a screenplay in 1998 directed by Francisco Lombardi and starring Santiago Magil and Christian Meier. He wrote five more novels, all of them with smart arguments about politics criticism, sexual freedom and friendship.

Bayly made Late Shows abroad in CBS Network Latin America and Telemundo Network during six years. After the president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, ran away to Japan (after a ten-years term in government) in order to avoid an imminent trial for charges of corruption; independent news media got over their difficult situation and Bayly hosted a new TV program 'El Francotirador' as a political journalist, interviewing candidates for the new Presidential Elections. In that program, he bothered several 'respected' personalities with his political opinions and finally he had to quit from that. Inspired by that experience Jaime wrote a book with the same title.

In Peru, as of April 2007, he hosts a TV show called "El Francotirador" (The Sniper) and writes a weekly column for "CORREO", a local newspaper of right-wing leanings.

TV Host

He has been a presenter of several Latin American TV shows. He is currently the host of the interview show "BAYLY" transmitted in Mega Tv from Monday though Friday, at 10PM EST. The program is an almost exact replica of his Peruvian program "El Francotirador" ("The Sniper"), with more anti-socialist references to Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Jaime Bayly has a liberal agenda regarding social issues and a more conservative view in politics and the economy.

Books

• No Se lo Digas a Nadie (1994),film by Francisco J. Lombardi in 1998.
• Los Últimos Días de la Prensa (1996).
• Fue Ayer y no me Acuerdo (1997).
• La Noche es Virgen (1997).
• Yo Amo a mi Mami (1999).
• Los Amigos que Perdí (2000).
• Aquí no hay Poesía (2001)
• La Mujer de mi Hermano (2002),film by Ricardo de Montreuil in 2004
• El Huracán Lleva tu Nombre (2004)
• Y de Repente, un Ángel (2005), finalist of Premio Planeta