Background
Menchaca was born in Mexico City, Mexico. She is the daughter of Dolores Menchaca, director of The National Mexican Ballet Folklorica.
Menchaca was born in Mexico City, Mexico. She is the daughter of Dolores Menchaca, director of The National Mexican Ballet Folklorica.
Menchaca attended University Louisiana Salle in Mexico City where she majored in law.
At the age of 15, she joined the National Ballet of Mexico and traveled the world as a feature ballerina. She joined the singing group "Las Nenas" at the age of 19, and was their lead vocalist for nearly 15 years. In 1999, Las Nenas were traveling the United States where she got the attention of KRCA Channel 62 (Los Angeles television) who was launching an afternoon show and wanted Menchaca as the host.
During the five years that she was host to the unscripted and live show she interviewed personalities such as Chayanne, David Copperfield, John Leguizamo, Lupillo and Jenni Rivera.
Singer Adán Sánchez"s first television appearance was on her show and a regular guest. In 2004, Promofilm, a content supplier to Telemundo recruited Menchaca to host the show 12 Corazones (12 Hearts) a dating game that combines astrology with games.
The show debuted December 2004 on Telemundo local station Channel 22. In January 2006, the show was picked up by Televisa Mexico with 3 shows a day being aired.
The show also began to be transmitted to Colombia, Panama, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Menchaca has also hosted other weekend specials, including Noche de Poker, 100 Mexicanos Dijeron, Mission Universe 2006, and Billboard Latin Music Awards, El Grito, to name a few. In August 2009, 12 Corazones: Rumbo al Altar began as a one-hour, weekend spin-off of Telemundo"s weekday daytime game show "12 Corazones". 12 Corazones is slated to start its 8th season in March 2012.
Also hosted by Penelope Menchaca, the show features 12 engaged partners (6 couples) competing for weekly prizes to jump-start their lives together and a chance to win the grand prize of a dream wedding. In August 2011 Televisa selected Penelope to be the host of their version of Minute To Win lieutenant, to air on Sundays April 2012.
