When Franco Poggio finished high school in his native San Juan, he wanted to pursue several careers at once, from veterinarian to doctor and architect. He later found in psychology a field he enjoys and hopes to resume later. In the meantime, hidden homosexuality brought him tough moments and also unhealthy relationships.
But his main dream was to be free. And it was in love with Lizardo Ponce, with whom he has been for two years, and in opening up to the people around him where he found that peace and security. And that security allowed him to enter the reality show Big Brother and to discover in modeling what he now recognizes as his profession.
Today, Franco Poggio has made one of his greatest wishes come true. The influencer and former participant of Big Brother debuted as a model by joining the staff of Lo Management, the renowned agency of Lorena Ceriscioli, which represents important figures in the fashion world. A new professional challenge that marks the beginning of a stage he had dreamed of for some time.
Franco Poggio, from San Juan to conquering the world
– Who is Franco Poggio?
– What a question! I think I’m a blend of everything. From the moment I was born until now I set myself many goals in life and, honestly, I’ve managed to achieve them. So, everything I aimed for, I’ve accomplished.
– If you had to define your profession today, which one(s) would they be?
– Modeling.
– You said you joined Big Brother to expand your social networks. What else did Big Brother leave you?
– Friendships, very true friendships. I mean, inside the house you think: well, you’ve known them for a week, two weeks… but it’s all so intense inside that they’re like brothers to me.
– ¿Por Gran Hermano tuviste mucho hate?
– No. What can they tell me? A plant? They can’t say anything else.
– Fue el motivo por el que saliste de la casa…
– Of course, because it’s a very different edition where clearly they’re looking for something else than in the other editions. We’re 28 participants. A lot!
– ¿Cómo es la vida de Franco Poggio después de Big Brother?
– Very busy. Extremely busy. I wake up very early. I always take my time to have breakfast, to be alone. I also write a lot and, well, I wake up with my boyfriend; my boyfriend goes to work and from there I go to programs, to different shows where I have to go, where I have obligations. I am very structured with the content, with the things, so I like to have everything in a calendar to know what I have to do in the day. I’m a Virgo.
– You’re a Virgo, you’re very organized.
– Very organized.
– Big Brother gave you fame.
– Yes.
– How do you handle that fame?
– Very well, you know what? Much better than I thought.
– Why?
– Because I thought it would affect me a lot. Beyond the comments I may receive or not receive, they don’t affect me. It’s not something that touches me.
– Let’s move away from that topic: you left San Juan to come to Buenos Aires and be anonymous, and suddenly you became very well-known. What happened there? What was the click?
– Look, I came from San Juan… Actually I lived in Mendoza for a year, I studied law. The truth is that when I left high school my head was like: well, what should I study? I wanted to be everything, I wanted to be an architect, a doctor, a veterinarian, everything, everything. And I left San Juan for Mendoza because it was close to my province and I thought I wouldn’t miss it so much; my fear was missing out, I’m very family-oriented. So I went to Mendoza to escape what really happened to me, which was that I liked guys. Then I realized Mendoza wasn’t my place. It was after the pandemic, I didn’t feel at home, and the truth is that since I was very young I always wanted to live in big places, in cities with buildings, hustle and bustle. So overnight I woke up and asked myself, what am I doing studying law? Why am I studying law if I don’t like it? I would wake up and I remember making tea and thinking, what am I doing studying law? Studying the laws…
– ¿Padecías la abogacía?
– Yes, I didn’t like it. So, I, who always read a lot and read many self-help books, told myself: hey, why didn’t I study psychology? So I enrolled in Mendoza and from the moment I enrolled until the last year that I did it, which was before entering the reality show, I never failed a final or a midterm. Never. I have plans to resume it again.
– You live in Buenos Aires, you travel to visit your family—how does San Juan welcome you now?
– Honestly, I went for only a few days. Very warm all around, my friends were all there and at the airport too. I was surprised that quite a few prominent people watched the show
– And don’t you feel watched when you go there?
– No.
– When you go, don’t you stay at home, go out?
– And no. Since I left the reality show I’ve only been to San Juan three days, and the truth is I’ve stayed more at home because I’ve been with my friends, with my family, all in my house. Yes, I went out to buy things, but it was calm.
– Con toda esta exposición que vienes teniendo desde hace unos meses para acá ¿cómo manejas el ego?
– Re bien. I am a very humble person. I mean, I feel I will never stop being myself. My values I won’t exchange for anything.
– Pasaste del amor escondido de San Juan a salir con una persona muy mediática. ¿Cómo fue esa transición?
– I had an initial relationship that was quite toxic in San Juan; I actually had a hard time, but not because of the toxicity as it’s known now, rather because I was ignored, set aside. I was unfaithful with a girl.
– ¿Te marcó mucho eso?
– Sí, muchísimo.
– Estás de novio con Lizardo (Ponce) que es un referente de la comunidad LGBTIQ+ ¿Cómo es este momento ahora que estás expuesto a las 24 horas?
– En Lizardo encontré un refugio. O sea, lo conocí en Mendoza, fue a trabajar y nos encontramos. Y habrá pasado 1 año que no nos vimos más, no tuvimos ningún tipo de contacto, nada, nada, nada, nada. Yo seguí viviendo en Mendoza y él acá. Por ahí me mandaba mensajes, nos hablábamos por mensajes, pero nunca más nos habíamos visto. Me vine a vivir a Buenos Aires, a una residencia con un montón de chicos, o sea, que era como un gran hermano, con un montón de chicos y llegó el día de la Marcha del Orgullo. Entonces, yo estaba negado a ir.
– ¿Por qué?
– Porque nadie sabía.
– Tenías miedo.
– I was afraid, no one knew, my friends didn’t know, my family didn’t know, no one knew. So a friend I told that I wanted to go told me: let’s go, I’ll accompany you. I remember I put on some glasses, a cap and I went.
– ¿Te camuflaste?
– I blended in. I thought: if I end up appearing somewhere, in San Juan… you know that the parade images go everywhere. I went with a friend, it was very hot, extremely hot. So the big floats were on one side and a friend (who knew I had been with Lizardo) tells me: look, there’s Lizardo there! I’m not going to greet him, you’re crazy, I said. We left. From that trip, which must have been seven hours back and forth, when I was heading to the residence I thought, why do I keep thinking about this guy for so long? Those seven hours I spent thinking about him, looking for the float.
That same night, after back and forth, at a friend’s house he met Lizardo and from that moment they never separated again.
– ¿Cómo fue salir del closet con alguien? Porque no saliste solo, lo hiciste acompañado de Lizardo en este caso.
– It was a great companionship; it was much easier, much easier.
– ¿Hubieras pensado que iba a ocurrir esto?
– Honestly, no way, there was no chance I would have started to come out like this.
– ¿Te molesta que te presenten casi siempre como el novio de Lizardo Ponce?
– Zero. Zero, but absolutely zero.
– ¿Alguna vez te sentiste feo?
– Yes! I had very low self-esteem. There was a time when my self-esteem was very low. I started therapy, I criticized myself a lot, and after a lot of therapy and a lot of help, and many books as well, I managed to move forward.
– Are you vain?
– No, zero.
– Today, what place does freedom hold for you?
– Very important; I think it’s fundamental that every person should have it.
– Do you feel free?
– Very free. Now I can say I am very free.
– Are you happy?
– Very, incredibly happy.
– What do you see ahead from here?
– Many things, because everything I set out to do I accomplished, and I have many things to achieve and I know I will achieve them.
– That’s all, thank you very much.
Many thanks. To you.
@francopoggio for @lomanagement
PHOTOS @rrociobustos
STYLING @alegarcia360
MAKEUP AND HAIR @natalipomasonccomkp for @sebastiancorreaestudio
Acknowledgments to @carbone @oggizapatos @lacoste @giesso
