{{Short description|Spanish TV host}} {{family name hatnote|Cuesta|Ramos|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Frank Cuesta | image = Frank Cuesta-may 2017.jpg | caption = Cuesta in 2017 | birth_name = Francisco Javier Cuesta Ramos | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1971|10|16}} | birth_place = León, Spain | occupation = {{hlist|Animal rights activist, tennis coach, adventurer, television presenter, Youtuber}} | spouse = {{marriage|{{ill|Yuyee Alissa Intusmith|es}}|2012|2012|end=divorced}} | youtube_handle = santuariolibertad | youtube_display_name = Frank Cuesta - En Directo | youtube_years_active = 2019–present | youtube_genre = Wildlife | youtube_subscribers = 4 million | youtube_views = 565 million | twitch_handle = frank_cuesta | twitch_display_name = | twitch_years_active = 2021–2024 | twitch_genre = | twitch_game = | twitch_followers = 422 thousand<ref>{{cite web |title=Frank_Cuesta |url=https://www.twitch.tv/frank_cuesta |website=Twitch.com |access-date=13 October 2024}}</ref> | kick_handle = frankcuesta | kick_display_name = | kick_years_active = 2024–present | kick_genre = | kick_game = | kick_followers = 128 thousand<ref>{{cite web |title=frankcuesta Stream - Watch Live on Kick |url=https://kick.com/frankcuesta |website=Kick.com |access-date=13 October 2024}}</ref> (October 13, 2024) }} '''Francisco Javier Cuesta Ramos''' (born 16 October 1971),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marrón |first1=Mireya |title=Frank Cuesta, un luchador contra el cáncer: "Se cae todo el pelo por la medicina que me han dado" |url=https://www.niusdiario.es/vida/visto-oido/frank-cuesta-recaida-cancer-se-me-ha-caido-pelo-video_18_2867820214.html |access-date=25 January 2022 |work=Nius Diario |date=16 December 2019 |language=es-ES}}</ref> also known as '''Frank Cuesta''' ({{IPA|es|fɾaŋk ˈkwesta}}), is a Spanish adventurer, television presenter, tennis coach, and YouTuber.
Born in León, Cuesta devoted his early years to tennis, learning from figures such as Nick Bollettieri, Guillermo Vilas, Pete Sampras, and Jim Courier.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Amela |first1=Víctor |title='Soy hiperactivo, sólo duermo tres horas al día' |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/lacontra/20130619/54376103003/soy-hiperactivo-solo-duermo-tres-horas-al-dia.html |access-date=25 January 2022 |work=La Vanguardia |date=18 June 2013 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pascual |first1=Alfredo |last2=Villarreal |first2=Antonio |title=La verdadera historia de Frank de la Jungla donde lo menos salvaje son las serpientes |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/ciencia/2019-02-24/frank-jungla-verdadera-historia_1836966/ |access-date=25 January 2022 |work=El Confidencial |date=24 February 2019 |language=es}}</ref> At a very young age, an injury marred his tennis career, but he kept training with Bollettieri until he asked Cuesta to move to Thailand to open an academy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cazón |first1=Patricia |title='Frank de la Jungla': de las pistas de tenis a la selva |url=https://as.com/tenis/2011/10/06/mas_tenis/1317927458_850215.html |access-date=25 January 2022 |work=Diario AS |date=6 October 2011 |language=es}}</ref> Once in Bangkok, Cuesta became growingly interested in wildlife.
His interest in animals brought him to fame with the TV show {{ill|Frank de la Jungla|es|italic=y}}, for which he won a Premio Ondas in 2011 for the category of Innovation or Television Quality.<ref>{{cite web |title=Premios Ondas |url=https://www.premiosondas.com/historia_2019-2010-11.php |website=www.premiosondas.com |access-date=25 January 2022 |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920042718/https://www.premiosondas.com/historia_2019-2010-11.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> The show spawned two spin-offs: {{ill|La Selva en Casa|es|italics=y}} and {{ill|Natural Frank|es|italics=y}}. All three shows were broadcast by Cuatro. A fourth show, {{ill|Wild Frank|es|italics=y}}, was broadcast by Discovery International.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wild Frank: Discovery Max |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3733108/ |publisher=IMDb |access-date=25 January 2022 |date=11 May 2014}}</ref>
==Devotion to wildlife== Cuesta describes himself as uninterested in interaction with humans, rather preferring to interact with animals. After his training sessions with Nick Bollettieri, he used to sit by a lake to interact with the animals.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carrillo |first1=Jordi |title="Vivimos en un mundo de subnormales": Frank Cuesta explica a Jordi Wild por qué es tan antisocial |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coIdKYZCR-Y |via=YouTube |publisher=The Wild Project |access-date=29 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, Cuesta purchased a {{cvt|37|ha|adj=on}} land to set a sanctuary, dedicated to animals that he cannot release to the wild.<ref>{{cite news |title=Así es el gigantesco santuario al que se ha retirado Frank Cuesta lejos de las personas |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/4847513/0/asi-es-el-gigantesco-santuario-al-que-se-ha-retirado-frank-cuesta-lejos-de-las-personas/ |access-date=29 January 2022 |work=20 Minutos |date=7 October 2021 |language=es}}</ref> On 27 February 2025 he was arrested for illegal possession of wild animals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.larazon.es/television/policia-tailandesa-detiene-frank-cuesta-posesion-ilegal-animales-salvajes_2025022767c0e667cbf1400001b2dcaf.html |title=La Policía tailandesa detiene a Frank Cuesta por posesión ilegal de animales salvajes |first=Enrique |last=Castilla |date=27 February 2025 |access-date=28 February 2025 |newspaper=La Razón |language=es}}</ref>
==Controversies== ===Frank Cuesta vs Asturias=== In 2012, the {{ill|Spanish Herpetological Association|es|Asociación Herpetológica Española}} criticized the TV show ''La Selva en Casa'', presented by Cuesta. The association denounced that the program "ignores any educational purpose" and "does not present a specific theme", also expressing concerns over the treatment of reptiles and amphibians in the program.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Internet |first1=Unidad Editorial |title=Críticas al 'sensacionalismo' del programa 'La selva en casa' |url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/01/12/television/1326371897.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=El Mundo |date=12 January 2012 |language=es}}</ref> Later that year, the association notified the government of the Principality of Asturias, who then imposed three fines, worth {{currency|11501|EUR}}, to Cuesta, as well as to the director and producer of the show, Sonia López and Molinos de Viento, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frank Cuesta no estresa a los animales |url=https://www.diariosur.es/gente-estilo/201410/16/frank-cuesta-estresa-animales-20141016185328.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=Diario Sur |date=16 October 2014 |language=es-ES}}</ref> The reason is that Cuesta allegedly stressed the animals while recording the show. In October 2014, a judge in Oviedo declared that Cuesta did not stress any animal during the recordings, thus nullifying the fine.<ref>{{cite news |title=La justicia asturiana retira a Frank Cuesta una multa por estresar presuntamente a animales |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2268877/0/frank-cuesta/justicia-asturiana/no-estresaba-animales/ |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=20 minutos |date=17 October 2014 |language=es}}</ref>
During a podcast with fellow YouTuber Jordi Wild in late 2020, Cuesta revealed more details about this incident: He was holding a viper with the intention to urge people not to attack them, and the Spanish Herpetological Association claimed he had stressed the snake.<ref name="Jordi">{{cite web |last1=Carillo |first1=Jordi |title=Frank Cuesta y su mala relación con algunos biólogos que le menosprecian {{!}} The Wild Project |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOWvV5rYoAw |via=YouTube |access-date=26 January 2022 |language=es |format=Video |date=8 November 2020}}</ref> Cuesta later complained about the treatment he received from biologists in his native country, saying, "that is Spain... If you triumph, you are [considered] a douchebag."<ref name="Jordi" />
===Yuyee's imprisonment=== Cuesta was married to a Thai singer and model known as Yuyee, who was arrested on 9 November 2012 after being caught with five milligrams of cocaine upon her arrival to Thailand from Vietnam.<ref>{{cite news |title=ฝากขัง ยู่ยี่ อลิสา หลังพบโคเคน 5 มิลลิกรัม เจ้าตัวรับเสพเอง |url=https://women.kapook.com/view50635.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=kapook.com |date=12 November 2012}}</ref> In 2014, she was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and imposed a {{currency|1.5 million|THB|passthrough=yes}} fine for drug smuggling.<ref>{{cite news |title=Yuyee, exmujer de Frank de la Jungla, condenada en firme a 15 años por narcotráfico |url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/03/15/estilo/1489583491_831679.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=El País |date=15 March 2017 |language=es}}</ref> No individual in Thailand had previously been sentenced for amounts under 250 milligrams of cocaine, and sentences usually spanned three or four years.<ref name="YuyeeLibre">{{cite news |last1=Migelez |first1=Xabier |title=Yuyee, la exmujer de Frank Cuesta, sale de la cárcel tras seis años y medio de calvario: "¡Yuyee está libre!" |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/television/programas-tv/2020-11-13/frank-cuesta-yuyee-libre-carcel-hijos_2830455/ |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=elconfidencial.com |date=13 November 2020 |language=es}}</ref> Cuesta claimed that the arrest was actually a retaliation against his activism against wildlife smuggling.<ref name="YuyeeLibre" /> In an interview with Pablo Motos in ''El Hormiguero'', Cuesta explained that he and Yuyee had taken a leopard from traffickers who planned to smuggle the animal to Dubai, causing one of them to threaten Cuesta, who recalled the incident by saying, {{Blockquote |text=After some days, this person [the smuggler], who is no longer in Thailand as he fled after the coup d'état, showed up in front of me and told me, "I want you to know that we will destroy your life and break your heart," and a month later, this [the arrest] happened.<ref name="Hormiguero">{{cite web |last1=Motos |first1=Pablo |title=Frank Cuesta: "La única persona que puede ayudar a Yuyee es el rey de España" - El Hormiguero 3.0 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNfKsJwzc8o |publisher=Antena 3 |access-date=26 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> }}
He later expressed his desire to contact either the King of Spain Felipe VI or his father, King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, as they were "the only people" able to contact Thailand's royal house to grant a pardon to Yuyee.<ref name="Hormiguero" />
Cuesta proposed that Yuyee was arrested in his stead due to the Spanish government's lack of authority over a Thai citizen:
{{Blockquote |text=They would have had to let me go, and in two months, I would have been in Spain, but it happens that she is Thai... What is the best way of messing with me? By messing with my children. How do you mess with my children? By taking their mother. |author=Frank Cuesta |source=Jordi Wild's ''The Wild Project''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carrillo |first1=Jordi |title=Frank Cuesta confirma que la liberación de Yuyee está cerca y cuenta la historia de todo |via=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7QUi5_TS6s |access-date=26 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> }}
While Yuyee is a Thai citizen for whom the Spanish royalty had no reason to intercede, he asked them to do so "to solve this problem for three Spanish children."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Motos |first1=Pablo |title=Frank Cuesta: "Mis hijos llevan once meses sin abrazar a su madre" - El Hormiguero 3.0 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAOCx86qwhc |via=YouTube |publisher=Antena 3 |access-date=26 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
Frank Cuesta has expressed his anger towards the individual whom he believes is responsible of Yuyee's arrest by threatening to kill his son. He said, "if one day I have the opportunity, I will eat the liver of that guy's son. But I will not have the chance, obviously."<ref>{{cite news |title=Frank Cuesta amenaza de muerte al supuesto culpable del caso Yuyee: "Me comeré el hígado del hijo" |url=https://www.cope.es/actualidad/television/noticias/frank-cuesta-amenaza-muerte-supuesto-culpable-del-caso-yuyee-comere-higado-del-hijo-20201110_988603 |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=Cadena COPE |date=10 November 2020 |language=es}}</ref>
Yuyee was released from prison on 12 November 2020, after a long battle during which Cuesta says they had to endure numerous humiliations.<ref name="YuyeeLibre" /> She reappeared to the public eye through a video on Frank Cuesta's YouTube channel in December 2020, helping Cuesta with a snake.<ref>{{cite news |title=Yuyee reaparece tras pasar seis años en prisión en un vídeo de Frank Cuesta |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/gente/20201202/49848144146/yuyee-reaparece-pasar-seis-anos-prision-video-frank-cuesta.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=La Vanguardia |date=2 December 2020 |language=es}}</ref>
===Views on activism=== Frank Cuesta has caused controversy because of his views on modern activism.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frank Cuesta monta polémica tras sus declaraciones sobre la caza y Vox |url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/fuera-de-juego/frank-cuesta-monta-polemica-tras-sus-declaraciones-sobre-caza-vox-7402943 |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=sport |date=11 April 2019 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Migelez |first1=Xabier |title=Frank Cuesta, contra el animalismo: "Es radical y una fuente de paletos" |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/television/2018-04-03/polemica-frank-cuesta-antianimalista-dmax-wild-frank_1544249/ |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=elconfidencial.com |date=3 April 2018 |language=es}}</ref>
Despite being considered an animal-rights activist,<ref>{{cite news |title=Los vecinos de Frank Cuesta matan algunos de sus animales protegidos |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/television/20210427/7353323/frank-cuesta-vecinos-matar-animales-protegidos.html |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=La Vanguardia |date=27 April 2021 |language=es}}</ref> Cuesta declares himself an "anti-animal-rights-activist" (in Spanish: ''antianimalista''), saying that "the animal rights movement should be called 'subsidyism', the art of making money from anywhere."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zamora |first1=Inma |title=Frank Cuesta: "Al animalismo habría que llamarlo subvencionismo, el arte de sacar pasta de donde sea" |url=https://www.abc.es/play/television/noticias/abci-frank-cuesta-animalismo-habria-llamarlo-subvencionismo-arte-sacar-pasta-donde-201911250047_noticia.html |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=abc |date=24 November 2019 |language=es}}</ref> During his first appearance on Jordi Wild's podcast ''The Wild Project'', he criticized the radicalization of both veganism and the animal rights movement, stating that social media has led people to believe they are animal-rights advocates without an actual understanding of animal life.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carrillo |first1=Jordi |title=Frank Cuesta explica porque es ANTI-ANIMALISTA y los conflictos que tiene por eso {{!}} The Wild Project |website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cam32J93xrI |access-date=4 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> As an example, he cites American YouTuber Hofit Kim Cohen, who considers herself an animal-rights advocate, but visited a Japanese owl cafe,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Migelez |first1=Xabier |title="Muchos no se merecen ni respirar": Frank Cuesta carga contra una 'youtuber' |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/television/programas-tv/2020-08-10/frank-cuesta-ataque-youtube-cafes-con-animales-maltrato-animal_2709423/ |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=elconfidencial.com |date=10 August 2020 |language=es}}</ref> a practice that Cuesta has largely criticized because of the extensive smuggling of owls that such businesses demand.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Cuesta sobre la enorme cantidad de dinero que mueve el tráfico de animales - El Hormiguero 3.0 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeHwJZMADPI |via=YouTube |publisher=Antena 3 |access-date=4 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Cuesta: "Una foto es una cadena perpetua para un animal" - El Hormiguero 3.0 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OunP_k0j4E |via=YouTube |publisher=Antena 3 |access-date=4 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Noticias |first1=C. H. V. |title=Maltraron a un búho para que los turistas se sacaran selfies: El animal quedó ciego |url=https://www.chvnoticias.cl/viral/maltraron-a-un-buho-para-que-los-turistas-se-sacaran-selfies-el-animal-quedo-ciego_20190215/ |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=CHV Noticias |date=15 February 2019 |language=es}}</ref>
==Personal life== In early 2015, Cuesta revealed that he struggled with cancer in the past.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frank de la Jungla confiesa que padeció un cáncer |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/television/personajes/20150113/54423303582/frank-cuesta-cancer-jungla-confiesa.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=La Vanguardia |date=13 January 2015 |language=es}}</ref> In late 2019, he announced through social-media video that his cancer had returned; in the video, he refers to himself as an animal whose scientific name is ''Crocus guarrus pelatus''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frank Cuesta da a entender que vuelve a estar enfermo de cáncer |url=https://www.marca.com/tiramillas/cine-tv/2019/12/15/5df65fcd22601de5258b4583.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=Marca |date=15 December 2019 |language=es}}</ref> Months later, he revealed that he was specifically suffering leukemia, which he was struggled with for over sixteen years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frank Cuesta se sincera sobre su cáncer: "No me quiero morir" |url=https://www.elmundo.es/f5/mira/2020/03/11/5e68bbfdfdddffe2308b4671.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=El Mundo |date=11 March 2020 |language=es}}</ref> In July, Cuesta published a video announcing that the ailment "will likely finish me off in the future" and "for seventeen years, I've been saying that life is a marvelous shit."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Escobar |first1=Ana |title=Frank Cuesta habla abiertamente de la leucemia que padece: "Me dieron un tiempo de vida" |url=https://los40.com/los40/2020/07/08/bigbang/1594230001_144313.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=Los 40 |date=8 July 2020 |language=es}}</ref>
With Yuyee, he had four children: three boys (Zipi, Zape, and Zorro) and one girl, known as Zen. A fifth child, Pepsi, was adopted by the couple in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |title=La reaparición de Yuyee, ex mujer de Frank Cuesta, tras seis años y medio en prisión |url=https://www.elmundo.es/loc/celebrities/2020/12/01/5fc63085fdddff18a88b4600.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=El Mundo |date=1 December 2020 |language=es}}</ref> One of his oldest sons, Zipi, died shortly after birth.<ref name="Zape">{{cite news |last1=Rodríguez |first1=Felipe |title=Así es Zape, el hijo futbolista de Frank Cuesta que vive en Madrid lejos de su familia - Informalia.es |url=https://informalia.eleconomista.es/informalia/actualidad/noticias/11403747/09/21/Asi-es-Zape-el-hijo-futbolista-de-Frank-Cuesta-que-vive-en-Madrid-lejos-de-su-familia.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=El Economista |date=23 September 2021 |language=es}}</ref> Zipi's twin brother, Zape, is a goalkeeper who has played for the youth teams of Fuenlabrada and Alcorcón.<ref name="Zape" />
Cuesta is of Cuban descent through one of his grandfathers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Méndez |first1=Daniel |title=Los animales que más miedo le dan a Frank de la Jungla |url=https://www.xlsemanal.com/personajes/20171017/los-animales-mas-miedo-me-dan-frank-la-jungla.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=XLSemanal |date=17 October 2017 |language=es-ES}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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== External links == {{Commons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuesta, Frank}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People from León, Spain Category:Spanish explorers Category:Spanish people of Cuban descent Category:Spanish television presenters Category:Spanish Twitch (service) streamers Category:Spanish YouTubers