TVI launches Roda da Sorte hosted by Cristina Ferreira

TV station TVI launched the game show Roda da Sorte, hosted by Cristina Ferreira, on Sept. 21 to capture late-afternoon audiences.

The Late-Afternoon Ratings Battle

Roda da Sorte only topped the ratings on its premiere day. Audience data from CAEM/GfK places the show in third place for the time slot. RTP’s O Preço Certo remains in first place, while SIC’s Casados à Primeira Vista holds the second spot.

The Origins of Roda da Sorte

The current broadcast follows an iconic 1990s run. The original Portuguese adaptation of Wheel of Fortune aired on RTP between 1990 and 1993. Host Herman José drove the show’s success alongside assistant Ruth Rita, who became a household name through the program.

Carlos Cruz’s company, CCA, discovered Rita during a casting call when she worked as a fashion model. She was born Ruth Carla Revez Rita Campos in 1972. Herman José hired her again in early 1994 for the RTP quiz show Com a Verdade M’Enganas.

Life After Television

Rita left television when her second show ended and entered the business world. She ran a clothing boutique in Telheiras, Lisbon, for many years and operated a resale business in the outskirts of the city.

Public details about her life remained scarce until October 2022. At that time, Herman José announced that his former television partner had died at age 50 following a battle with cancer.

Soube agora mesmo pelo meu querido colega José Pedro Pais da partida da minha companheira de viagem da ‘Roda da Sorte’ Ruth Rita. Fica um beijo de sentimentos à sua família e uma sentida homenagem à sua imensa gentileza e irrepreensível profissionalismo.

Herman José

Tributes From Colleagues

Television presenter Tânia Ribas de Oliveira also paid tribute to Rita. The two had been close since childhood, growing up in the same neighborhood and attending Sporting’s gymnastics club together.

A Ruth era um amor de pessoa. Doce, com um sorriso sempre aberto, genuinamente querida. Foi muito feliz a trabalhar com o nosso Herman José, divertimo-nos todos muito com a icónica ‘Roda da Sorte’! Deixo um abraço ao marido, filhos e restante família. Tinha 50 anos, a Ruth.

Tânia Ribas de Oliveira