Podcast Summary

Más de uno – Radioficción, Episodio 17: "Reconciliación"

Host: Carlos Alsina
Date: December 24, 2025
Location: Teatro Luis del Olmo, Onda Cero
Special Guests: Begoña Gómez de la Fuente, Josefina La Torre, María Luisa Marciel, María Jesús Barona

Episode Overview

In this special Christmas Eve edition of "Radioficción" on "Más de uno," Carlos Alsina and his team present a live-recorded show from the Teatro Luis del Olmo. This episode blends humor, emotion, and storytelling, centering on the theme of "reconciliation" during the holiday season. The episode features audience interaction, a festive game with a high-stake prize, and the dramatized short story "Reconciliación," offering a poignant reflection on loneliness, loss, and the enduring ties of family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Festive Atmosphere and Audience Participation

• The episode opens with lively banter between Carlos Alsina and Begoña Gómez de la Fuente, who introduces Josefina La Torre, the program's "biggest fan," from the theater lobby.
• Josefina is rewarded for her dedication with the chance to participate in the program.
• The audience is engaged directly, both on stage and with promises of prizes.

Carlos Alsina: "Hoy no se van a arrepentir de haber venido al teatro Luis del Olmo en la víspera de Navidad, porque vamos a jugar a un juego que ya es un clásico dentro de Radioficción. Se llama El crimen interactivo."
[04:03]

2. Interactive Game: "El crimen interactivo"

• The show's traditional segment involves selecting a contestant (this time, chosen by superfan Josefina) to play for a major prize – a Mediterranean cruise sponsored by Sombreros Montalvo.
• Josefina selects her favorite collaborator, Carlos Rodríguez Brown, who is humorously said to be "about to catch a flight" but is summoned back urgently to participate.

Carlos Alsina: "Me comunican que el profesor está a punto de coger un vuelo. Bueno, pues que no vuele. Que no vuele el profesor..."
[04:15]

3. Dramatic Story: "Reconciliación"

A Christmas Story of Loss and Reach

• The highlight is a dramatised short story ("relato de llorar") written by the show's script team.
• Synopsis:
  • Marta, a supermarket employee, prepares to spend Christmas Eve alone due to the loss of her father and estrangement from her mother.
  • On her way home, she finds a lost mobile phone; the device repeatedly receives messages from someone identified as "Mamá."
  • After contacting the number, Marta arranges to meet the owner, expecting a typical lost-and-found exchange.
  • In a moving twist, the elderly woman (the mother) explains the phone belonged to her late son, who died in an accident two years ago; she continues sending him messages as a way to cope with her grief.

Emotional Resonance

• The narrative delicately portrays themes of loneliness, the need for connection, and how the holidays intensify feelings of absence—culminating in quiet, reluctant reconciliation.

Mother (María Jesús Barona): "El teléfono es mío. Bueno, era suyo, de mi hijo. Murió hace dos años. Un accidente de tráfico."
[11:24]

Mother (María Jesús Barona): "Siempre le escribo, aunque ya no pueda leerlos... Pensarás que estoy loca, imagino."
[12:19]

Mother: "Hay un segundo, cuando suena el mensaje, en el que mi hijo vuelve a estar vivo."
[12:43]

Subtle Transformation

• The encounter prompts Marta to consider her own estranged relationship. The story ends with Marta writing a holiday message to her mother, suggesting the beginning of her own journey toward reconciliation.

Narrator: "Hola, mamá. Qué sorpresa, ¿verdad? ... Feliz Navidad."
[14:28]

4. Acknowledgments and Closing Energy

• Alsina celebrates the talents of the performers, expressing appreciation for the actors' compelling delivery in the live reading.
• The episode ends on a hopeful tone, with a reminder that reconciliation is possible, and with an ongoing search for Carlos Rodríguez Brown to continue the prize game after the intermission.

Carlos Alsina: "Un aplauso para nuestras voces de esta mañana. Para María Luisa Marciel, como la protagonista de este relato y María Jesús Barona, que ha sido la madre doliente."
[14:28]

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• "Radioficción: Es mentira, pero está pasando."
  – Carlos Alsina, introducing the guiding spirit of the show, blurring lines between fiction and emotional reality. [01:43]
• "A veces pienso, fíjate qué tontería, que de alguna manera él está ahí... Hay un segundo, cuando suena el mensaje, en el que mi hijo vuelve a estar vivo."
  – María Jesús Barona (Mother), encapsulating the human need to hold on to memory and love. [12:43]
• "Mi buena acción navideña y todos a casa, que es Nochebuena."
  – Narrator, reflecting the desire for simple connection during a complex time. [09:59]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:33 – Carlos Alsina introduces the live show from the theater.
• 01:43 – Explanation of the episode’s theme and festive game, "El crimen interactivo."
• 05:27-14:28 – Dramatic reading of "Reconciliación," a short emotional story.
• 14:28 – Applause for the cast and lead-in to the festive game after intermission.

Tone and Style

The episode marries humor, warmth, and pathos, reflecting the Spanish tradition of emotional storytelling mixed with lightheartedness and good-natured camaraderie. Carlos Alsina's voice guides the show with wit and empathy, while the cast brings the written story to life with sensitivity. Listeners are left with a touching meditation on reconciliation and the subtle, often unexpected, ways the holidays can open doors to healing.

In Short

This Christmas Eve edition of "Más de uno" is a heartfelt blend of celebration, audience interaction, and radio theater, culminating in a moving tale that reminds all listeners of the importance of forgiveness, connection, and reaching out during the holidays.