A surprise shakeup at the Sanremo Music Festival! Following recent controversy surrounding the initially announced co-host, Andrea Pucci, the show has tapped a major celebrity to join the stage: Russian supermodel Irina Shayk.
Sanremo 2026, Irina Shayk to Co-Host
Andrea Pucci is no longer slated to co-host the third night of the festival. The comedian announced his withdrawal to Carlo Conti and the press. However, Conti has chosen top model Irina Shayk to co-host alongside him and Laura Pausini for the third evening, which is also expected to feature a performance by Eros Ramazzotti.
Giuseppe Candela first reported the latest updates regarding the Festival di Sanremo: “The list of co-hosts now includes Russian model Irina Shayk (Thursday night), according to Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, confirming Chi’s earlier report of Pilar Fogliati (Wednesday night). Eros Ramazzotti will be a guest on the third night.”
The official confirmation came from Carlo Conti himself via a video shared on social media.
The model expressed her gratitude to the host, stating that participating is “a great honor and a dream come true.”
The inclusion of female co-hosts has been a topic of discussion in recent days. Alongside Laura Pausini, announcements have largely focused on the co-hosts (currently confirmed are Lillo Petrolo, Achille Lauro, and Can Yaman, with Nino Frassica’s presence on the third night almost certain). The stage of the Festival di Sanremo 2026 is shaping up to be quite crowded: the second night alone will feature Laura Pausini, Pilar Fogliati, Lillo Petrolo, Achille Lauro, and Gianluca Gazzoli, as Candela noted. However, it’s worth noting that not all of the competing artists perform on the second night, with only fifteen taking the stage.
Interestingly, Conti reportedly considered bringing Irina Shayk to the Ariston stage as early as 2015, as reported by the weekly magazine Oggi. At the time, Irina was in a relationship with soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. However, a deal reportedly fell through due to disagreements over fees and a tight schedule.
Sanremo 2026, Who Are the Co-Hosts?
Carlo Conti is the host and artistic director of the 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival. He will be joined by Laura Pausini for all five nights. Numerous co-hosts will also appear, including Can Yaman on the first night, Achille Lauro and Lillo Petrolo on the second night, and Gianluca Gazzoli on the second and third nights. This year’s festival is entirely dedicated to Pippo Baudo, who passed away on August 16, 2025.
Some confirmations are still pending, such as the potential inclusion of Nino Frassica to replace Andrea Pucci, who withdrew from the role following the controversy sparked by Conti’s initial announcement. “The insults, threats, epithets, and everything else I and my family have received are incomprehensible and unacceptable. I have always portrayed the customs and traditions of my country on stage, offering caricatures and irony. But the climate created around my participation has transformed what would have been a celebration into an unsustainable clash.”
