Italian TV news mistakenly shows imitator's photo while reporting on Sanremo contestant
TG3 broadcast wrong image during segment on singer Serena Brancale's Sanremo Festival return.
February 1, 2026
Italian public television TG3 aired an on-air error during a news segment about the Sanremo Music Festival 2026, displaying the photograph of an imitator instead of the intended performer.
During a recent TG3 broadcast, anchor Paolo Basi reported on developments related to the upcoming Sanremo festival. Basi discussed the participation of artist Achille Lauro for the festival's second evening, alongside co-hosts Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini.
Basi then turned to singer-songwriter Serena Brancale, who is set to compete at the Ariston with the song "Qui con me." "Serena Brancale is also preparing to return to the Ariston, with a more introspective song," Basi announced.
As the anchor made this statement, the broadcast displayed an image of Maryna, an imitator known for her appearances on the television program Tale e Quale Show, rather than a photograph of Brancale.