Miriam Saavedra was born in 1989 in Callao, Peru, to parents Haydée Garamendi and José Saavedra. She grew up in a modest household with three sisters. From a young age, Saavedra helped provide for her family. She won local dance and performance competitions in Peru, earning money to support her parents and sisters.
In 2008, at age 19, Saavedra gained notoriety in Peru after beginning a romantic relationship with famed Spanish TV presenter Carlos Lozano. Lozano was visiting Peru for work when he met Saavedra and quickly became enamored.
Their dramatic public breakup after Lozano returned to Spain amplified Saavedra’s fame in Peru. She leveraged this notoriety to begin working in Peruvian television and modeling.
Rising fame in Spain and reality TV career
In 2009, Saavedra moved to Madrid to pursue opportunities in Spanish television. She booked modeling gigs and small acting roles, eventually appearing on various reality programs.
Her lively personality and inclination for drama made her a fixture on shows like ¡Mira Quién Salta! in 2014 and Supervivientes in 2016.
In 2018, she won the 6th season of Gran Hermano VIP, the Spanish version of Celebrity Big Brother. Her animated facial expressions, witty quotes, and worm-like dance moves captivated fans.
Gran Hermano VIP fame and “worm dance” craze
On Gran Hermano VIP, Saavedra became known for her worm-like dance moves during upbeat songs. Her signature “worm dance” (baile del gusano) involved undulating hip movements and rhythmic steps.
Clips of Saavedra’s enthusiastic worm dance circulated widely online. Some fans and critics accused her of vulgarity, while others found the dance humorous.
Regardless, the worm dance defined Saavedra’s persona during her rise to fame on the show. She eventually won the season, claiming the €100,000 cash prize.
Post-reality TV career and investments
After winning Gran Hermano VIP, Saavedra invested her prize money into real estate assets in Spain and Peru. She also used funds to open a small beauty boutique in Lima, run by her sister.
Saavedra continued appearing on various Spanish reality and talk shows between 2018-2022. She also enrolled in online law classes, hoping to become a lawyer someday.
In 2022, she played a small role in the Spanish thriller La Penúltima. She maintains an active social media presence with over 500,000 Instagram followers.
Recent plagiarism controversy with Shakira
In September 2022, superstar Shakira released her single “El Jefe,” featuring hip shakes similar to Saavedra’s signature worm dance.
Saavedra publicly accused Shakira of stealing and plagiarizing her worm dance moves without permission. She asserted the dance steps in El Jefe’s music video are too identical to be a coincidence.
This is not the first plagiarism allegation against Shakira, who has faced similar claims involving lyrics and melodies over her decades-long career. Still, she has not responded to Saavedra’s accusations.
Unsubstantiated claims involving Gerard Piqué
Amidst the plagiarism controversy, Saavedra also claimed that Gerard Piqué, Shakira’s ex-partner, tried seducing her at a Barcelona nightclub three years prior. However, she provided no evidence supporting this allegation.
Saavedra maintains she denied Piqué’s advances out of respect for admiring Shakira. But without proof, her claims aimed at Shakira’s ex-boyfriend appear dubious and intended to escalate the feud.
Shakira and Piqué’s split has remained acrimonious and further fueled by the singer’s public accusations against her former partner. But Saavedra’s unsubstantiated claims about Piqué compound the speculation.