Interview by Francesca Navari - Photographs Annalisa Ceccotti

A sweet, sweet summer for Alice Martinelli. The long-time correspondent for Le Iene is stepping away from hard-hitting exposés and undercover scoops. In September, she’s expecting her first child and plans to spend the next months in her hometown of Viareggio. “It’ll be a bit like living in Sapore di mare,” she laughs. “I’ll have my usual umbrella at Bagno Raffaello, take bike rides, catch sunsets, and browse the market stalls in Forte dei Marmi.” Then, she confesses, “I’m not sure I can give up my scooter just yet. I still sneak around town with my baby bump.” How did the journey with Le Iene start? “Eight years ago, by pure chance. I was a professional journalist, contributing to various programs on La7,” Martinelli recalls. “Out of the blue, I got a message on Facebook from a profile with a bizarre name inviting me to Milan for an audition for Le Iene (turned out it was one of the show’s veteran writers). I thought it was a prank and ignored it for days. But the message kept bugging me, so I answered. That meeting really happened, and Davide Parenti, who created the show 26 years ago, was there.” Your first assignment? “A candid camera-style social experiment where I randomly interviewed people as they renewed their IDs and were simultaneously asked if they’d consent to organ donation. Their reactions were both hilarious and shocking,” she remembers. “Most people had never really thought about such an important issue. At the same time, we edited the testimonies of transplant survivors or patients in the hospital waiting for the surgery.” What investigation left the deepest mark? “I am very proud of the 2021 investigation where we exposed a gynecologist who convinced patients to engage in sexual acts by claiming it was a ‘cleansing’ ritual against sexually transmitted diseases. It all started with a tip from a young woman,” she recounts. “We arranged a sting operation in a hotel room with an actress. I barged in with a cameraman just as the doctor had undressed and was pressuring her into an unusual examination. Following the episode’s broadcast, we received numerous emails from women who had suffered violence at his hands. That doctor, once considered a top name, is now facing trial.” Have you come to feel like a real Iena? “In a way, I have,” she says. “I used to always see the good in people. I trusted easily. But after witnessing so many cases of scams and abuse firsthand, I’ve become much more assertive about standing up for my rights and pushing back against what’s wrong. Once you start fighting for others, you start fighting for yourself.”