A desperate plea on live TV

Paqui Muñoz, known as Paqui 'La Coles', reappeared on Spanish television on Sunday, 5 July, connecting live with the Mediaset programme 'Fiesta' from the Andalusian town of Ubrique. The former 'Sálvame' regular, who first gained notoriety in 2011 by claiming an affair with bullfighter Víctor Janeiro, used the broadcast to describe a situation she called unsustainable.

“I can't take it anymore, the situation is unsustainable and I need help.”

She told host Emma García that she had reached her limit, and the programme's reporter Arabella Otero visited her at the flat where she now lives.

Living as a squatter

Muñoz is squatting in an abandoned apartment that belongs to the regional government of Andalusia. She explained that the previous owner died three months ago and left the doors open, and that she moved in out of desperation.

“I'm living in a flat that belongs to no one, no family has it, it's the Junta de Andalucía's. As I'm desperate, I got in and here I am.”

She said she had never been offered social housing, while others in the town had received it.

Health and family struggles

The 2026 appearance laid bare a cascade of personal difficulties. Muñoz suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. She told 'Fiesta' that she had recently endured a severe flare-up, was sedated for over a month, and now uses a walker. She receives a disability pension, which she attributed to a television programme that once filmed her in Ubrique. Her 14-year-old son lives with her, but his father works all day and she is left to care for him alone.

“I can't manage him without a father present, and even less with the fibromyalgia I suffer from.”

She also said she felt she only wanted to die.

A history of TV fame and decline

Muñoz first appeared on Telecinco's 'Sálvame' in 2011, alleging an affair with Víctor Janeiro while he was in a relationship with Beatriz Trapote. Her outspokenness made her a recurring guest. After a period away from the cameras, she resurfaced in 2017 as a diner on 'First Dates' and, in 2021, asked for help on 'Socialité' to avoid eviction. She recounted that a TV crew once filmed a segment called 'Un día con Paqui Coles', after which the town hall offered her a part-time cleaning job. The work paid around 400 euros a month, but her illness worsened and she eventually collapsed.

“From then on everything has been bad.”

Calls for institutional help

Muñoz said she has spoken to the mayor of Ubrique and submitted all requested medical documents, but has received no assistance.

“I've talked to the mayor, I've presented all the medical documents they asked for, and I haven't received any kind of help.”

The programme contacted the mayor, who stated that the usual procedure to assess what aid she might be eligible for had already begun. Muñoz's central demand, she said, was a dignified home.