Andrés Hurtado's biography: the rise and fall of Chibolín

For thirty years, Saturday afternoon in Peru had a name attached to it: Chibolín. Andrés Hurtado built a television career that started in 1991 and reached its longest point with a programme that stayed on air for ten years. In September 2024, that path stopped abruptly with his arrest, followed on October 2 by an order of 18 months of pre-trial detention in the framework of two investigations for money laundering and influence peddling. Here you will find his full path —the programmes, the dates, the nickname— and the verifiable state of his legal situation, without anticipating conclusions that belong to the courts.

Who is Andrés Hurtado?

Andrés Hurtado, known as “Chibolín”, is a Peruvian television host born on January 31, 1965 in Callao. He is known for Porque hoy es sábado con Andrés, which he hosted between 2014 and 2024. Arrested on September 19, 2024, since October of that year he has been in pre-trial detention in the framework of investigations for money laundering and influence peddling.

Andrés Hurtado's personal details

Andrés Hurtado's childhood and early years

Andrés Avelino Hurtado Grados was born in Callao, the port province next to Lima. His full name carries that of Andrés Avelino, a frequent combination in the Peru of the mid-twentieth century.

There is a nuance worth noting about his date of birth: although the most widespread reference is January 31, 1965, some sources give 1966. At Famosix we choose to point out the discrepancy rather than pick one without flagging it.

His entry into television happened at the start of the nineties, at a time when Peruvian screens were living the boom of comedy and variety shows. The nickname “Chibolín” —which in Peruvian slang refers to someone young— stayed with him from then on and ended up displacing his real name completely in popular use.

That detail is not minor. In Peruvian television there is a handful of figures the public identifies by nickname before surname, and he belongs to that group. A good part of the audience that watched his programme every Saturday would not have been able to say his full name.

Andrés Hurtado's professional career

His path began in 1991 with JB el Imitador, a programme that also featured Enrique Espejo, Yuca, and he continued in the field of television comedy with Risas y salsa between 1994 and 1996, one of the most remembered programmes of Peruvian television of that era.

From there he developed a career as the host of his own shows. Risas de América had him on screen between 1997 and 1999, and again between 2002 and 2003. In between, Atrévete con Andrés (1999-2000) and later A reír (2003-2004) and Sábado bravazo (2005-2006).

His longest and most recognisable period came in 2014 with Porque hoy es sábado con Andrés, a weekend magazine show that combined contests, interviews and social assistance sections, and which stayed on air for a decade, until 2024.

That format explains a good part of his bond with the public. The programme mixed entertainment with cases of people asking for financial or medical support live on air, a common formula in Latin American television that generates a strong affective relationship with the audience and, at the same time, exposes the host to greater scrutiny over the handling of those resources.

Ten years on air with a weekly programme is, moreover, an uncommon mark in Peruvian television, where weekend slots tend to rotate quickly. Adding up his whole path, Hurtado was present on screen —with interruptions— from 1991 to 2024: thirty-three years of television.

His career also illustrates a generational shift in the medium. He started as a member of comedy casts, a collective format where the limelight is shared, and ended as the sole host of a show that carried his name in the title. That step —from supporting actor to personal brand— is the one that defines the entertainers of his generation in Peru.

Main milestones of his career:

• 1991-1992: takes part in JB el Imitador
• 1994-1996: is part of Risas y salsa
• 1997-1999 y 2002-2003: hosts Risas de América
• 1999-2000: hosts Atrévete con Andrés
• 2003-2004: hosts A reír
• 2005-2006: hosts Sábado bravazo
• 2014-2024: hosts Porque hoy es sábado con Andrés, his longest-running programme

Andrés Hurtado's notable programmes

Andrés Hurtado's legal situation

The turn in his path happened in September 2024, when he was arrested on the 19th; on October 2, 2024 the judiciary imposed a measure of 18 months of pre-trial detention in the framework of prosecution investigations against him.

The charges under investigation are money laundering and influence peddling. In September 2024, the Public Prosecutor's Office declared two simultaneous investigations related to his case complex, a classification that extends the deadlines of the procedure and which at the time was estimated at some eight additional months of work.

In March 2026, when the initial deadline expired, the judiciary granted the prosecution's request to extend the pre-trial detention by 18 additional months, until September 2027, considering that the procedural risks persisted.

It is worth clarifying what each term means. Pre-trial detention is a precautionary measure a judge orders during the investigation, not a sentence; it applies when there is considered to be a risk of flight or of obstruction of the process. The declaration of “complexity” of an investigation, in turn, is a procedural device that extends the time available to gather evidence when the case involves numerous investigative acts.

At Famosix we record only what is on the procedural record: there are open investigations and a precautionary measure ordered. Pre-trial detention is a procedural measure, not a conviction, and as long as there is no final sentence the presumption of innocence applies. Any conclusion about criminal responsibility belongs exclusively to the judiciary.

Andrés Hurtado trivia

• His programme lasted a decade: Porque hoy es sábado con Andrés was on air from 2014 to 2024.
• His nickname means “young” in Peruvian slang: “chibolín” is the diminutive of “chibolo”.
• He started out impersonating: his first television show, in 1991, was JB el Imitador.
• He went through Risas y salsa: one of the most remembered comedy programmes of Peruvian television.
• He returned twice to the same format: he hosted Risas de América in two separate spells.
• His date of birth is not unanimous: some sources give 1965 and others 1966.
• His television career and his court case ended the same year: both milestones coincide in 2024.

Andrés Hurtado in 2026

In 2026, Hurtado remains off television. His programme ended in 2024 and since then he has not hosted any show on Peruvian screens.

His situation remains tied to the development of the investigations open against him for money laundering and influence peddling, started in 2024 and declared complex by the Public Prosecutor's Office. The 18 months of pre-trial detention ordered in October of that year, and extended in March 2026 by another 18 months, marked the turning point of a case that has had wide coverage in the Peruvian media.

At Famosix we follow this case sticking to the verifiable procedural facts and avoiding anticipating conclusions. His story is, so far, that of a television career of more than three decades interrupted by a court case that is still open, and its outcome will depend on what the Peruvian courts decide. You can look up other figures from the national screen in our ranking of famous Peruvians.

Conclusion

Andrés Hurtado built one of the longest careers in Peruvian television and saw it stop in 2024. His case is still in the hands of the courts and its outcome is yet to be written. At Famosix we follow it with the confirmed data and without anticipating verdicts.

Sources consulted

• Wikipedia: Andrés Hurtado Grados
• Infobae: Poder Judicial ordena 18 meses de prisión preventiva contra Andrés Hurtado ‘Chibolín’
• El Comercio: Poder Judicial confirma prisión preventiva de 18 meses contra Andrés Hurtado
• La República: Concluye la prisión preventiva de Andrés Hurtado “Chibolín”, pero no sale libre
• Infobae: PJ declara fundada ampliación de prisión preventiva contra ‘Chibolín’ por 18 meses más