Cachaza biography: from Esto es Guerra to motherhood in 2026

She came from Brazil at 22 to dance on a Peruvian reality show and stayed in viewers’ hearts for more than a decade. Cachaza, as Carol Reali is known throughout Peru, was a longstanding Esto es Guerra contestant and half of local television’s best-known Brazilian couple. In 2026, she became the subject of a happier entertainment story: a wedding in Brazil and a baby on the way. Here is who she is, what happened with Rafael Cardozo and what her new life with André Bankoff looks like.

Who is Cachaza?

Carol Reali, known as Cachaza, is a Brazilian model, dancer and influencer born on April 21, 1990. She became well known in Peru as an Esto es Guerra contestant from 2012 to 2018. After more than eleven years with Rafael Cardozo, she began a relationship with actor André Bankoff, whom she married on September 5, 2026, while expecting her first child.

Carol Reali: childhood and early years

Carol Reali was born in Brazil on April 21, 1990. Little is publicly known about her childhood: she has kept her family away from the cameras, although her parents have appeared occasionally, including a trip to Peru to celebrate her birthday in Cusco. What is documented is that she took up dancing and modeling when she was young, the two routes that would take her to Peruvian television.

She met Rafael Cardozo in modeling, another Brazilian seeking opportunities abroad. They arrived in Peru together in the early 2010s, during a boom in competition reality shows. The nickname “Cachaza” followed her from her television debut. No one close to her has publicly explained its origin, but she adopted it and is now better known by the nickname than by her given name.

Carol Reali’s career

Cachaza debuted on Esto es Guerra in 2012 at age 22 and quickly became one of the best-known women on América Televisión’s show. Her charisma, accent and relationship with fellow contestant Rafael Cardozo made her a regular subject of entertainment coverage.

Career milestones:

• 2012: joins Esto es Guerra in its early seasons.
• 2012-2018: competes for seven years, moving between the show’s teams. Her long run led the press to call her a “veteran warrior.”
• Combate: also appears on the ATV reality show, Esto es Guerra’s direct rival, in a widely discussed move between Peruvian television programs.
• 2018: leaves regular competition and focuses on modeling and social media.
• 2019-2026: establishes herself as an influencer with more than 2 million Instagram followers, working with fashion, beauty and wellness brands.

At Famosix, we see her story as an example of a reality star’s second career: when television stopped being central, Cachaza had already built an audience that followed her online.

Cachaza’s notable shows and projects

Carol Reali’s personal life

For more than eleven years, Cachaza and Rafael Cardozo were a familiar pair. They met through modeling in Brazil, came to Peru together and appeared on Esto es Guerra. The relationship ended in 2022 without a detailed announcement. Cardozo later said he cried a great deal and found the split very difficult.

In early 2023, Carol went on a first date with André Bankoff, a Brazilian actor and model born on September 20, 1981, in São Paulo. Bankoff made his film debut in 2000 in a Xuxa biopic; before acting, he had been a promising footballer in Italy, where he lived as a child. In September 2025, he proposed by the sea, and she celebrated her answer online.

On June 19, 2026, Cachaza announced she was five months pregnant. She said the baby was planned and that the pregnancy brought the wedding forward, something they both experienced “as a blessing.” They married in an intimate civil ceremony in Brazil on September 5, 2026. Bankoff thanked her for “the gift Jesus gave me” in a message. Rafael Cardozo responded with good wishes rather than controversy.

Interesting facts about Cachaza

• No one has publicly explained why she is called Cachaza. The nickname dates from before her television debut, and she has never given a full explanation. Cachaça is also Brazil’s best-known sugarcane spirit.
• She debuted on Esto es Guerra at 22 and stayed for seven seasons, longer than most of her fellow early contestants.
• Her husband played football before becoming an actor. André Bankoff played football from the age of six while living in Rome.
• She stopped using birth control six months before becoming pregnant, as she has said: the baby was planned.
• She chose to give birth in Brazil, close to her family and her trusted medical team, though she plans to return to Peru with the baby.
• The couple have a nine-year age difference: she was born in 1990 and he in 1981.

Cachaza in 2026

The year 2026 has been significant in Carol Reali’s personal life. She announced her pregnancy in June, confirmed the wedding in July and married in Brazil on September 5. Two weeks later, she appeared on camera showing her advanced pregnancy and said her baby boy’s name had a religious meaning. “Our prince charming is coming,” she said.

At the start of October 2026, the couple were in Brazil awaiting the birth. Cachaza has said that once the baby is born, “the three of us” will return to Peru. Famosix will update this profile when she announces the birth.

For stories of other reality-show figures of her generation, read the biographies of Rosángela Espinoza, Alejandra Baigorria and Mario Hart.

Conclusion

Carol Reali built her fame on a Peruvian reality show and began a new life in Brazil without losing the affection of the audience that first saw her arrive at 22. A wedding, pregnancy and a relationship that began after a long partnership ended brought her back into the headlines in 2026. Explore more of our biographies of reality-show contestants on Famosix.

Sources consulted

• La República: Carol Reali to become a mother for the first time: Cachaza’s age and age gap with André Bankoff
• Infobae: Carol Reali and André Bankoff are married: photos and videos of their intimate wedding in Brazil
• Infobae: Carol Reali shows her advanced pregnancy and says the baby’s name has a religious meaning
• Infobae: Carol Reali “Cachaza” says pregnancy brought forward her wedding to André Bankoff
• El Comercio: Cachaza — who is her new boyfriend, Brazilian actor André Bankoff?
• RPP: Rafael Cardozo on his split from Carol Reali “Cachaza”: “I cried a lot, alone; it was hard for me”