Federica Sciarelli to leave 'Chi l'ha visto?' after 22 years, Rai confirms search for successor

End of an era

Federica Sciarelli, the face of Rai 3's 'Chi l'ha visto?' since 2004, is leaving the programme. The public broadcaster confirmed the news in a statement on 24 June 2026, saying that with her contract expiring, the two sides are discussing her professional future and possible new projects. The announcement ends months of speculation about the 67-year-old journalist's intentions.

“Rai and Federica Sciarelli, in view of the expiry of the contract that binds the professional to public television, are reasoning together about the journalist's professional future and the possible projects that could see her as a protagonist in the coming seasons.”

The programme's legacy

'Chi l'ha visto?' first aired on 30 April 1989, making it one of Rai 3's longest-running shows. Modelled on a segment from Enzo Tortora's 'Portobello', it focuses on missing persons and unsolved mysteries, with viewers encouraged to phone in tips. Before Sciarelli, the programme was hosted by a series of presenters including Donatella Raffai, Paolo Guzzanti, and Daniela Poggi. Under Sciarelli's stewardship it expanded into historical crime cases and regularly draws over 1.5 million viewers with a share above 9%.

Succession speculation

Rai's statement explicitly says it is reflecting on "who could take up the legacy". The names most frequently mentioned in Italian media are Eleonora Daniele and Massimo Giletti, both well-known Rai personalities. Internal candidates have also been floated: Sciarelli herself told Vanity Fair last year that "one of my very good correspondents" would take over, and reports name Veronica Briganti and Chiara Cazzaniga as possible heirs from within the programme's own team.

“Next year I'm already confirmed, then we'll see. It will be hard to let it go, but it's right that it should be so. After me? One of my very good correspondents will take it over.”

Sciarelli's career and the emotional toll

Sciarelli began at Rai in 1987, working on Tg3 under Sandro Curzi and later on 'Samarcanda'. She took over 'Chi l'ha visto?' in September 2004 and also became an author of the programme in 2009. In recent years she has spoken openly about the psychological weight of the work. In a 2020 interview she said the pain of the families stays with her. Her current two-year contract, signed in 2024 when she had already reached retirement age, is now ending, and fatigue is cited by multiple outlets as a decisive factor.

“I've been thinking about changing for years because hosting the programme has become very tiring from a psychological point of view, the pain of the families stays inside you.”

What comes next

Rai will present its official schedules to the press on 3 July in Ancona, where the successor is expected to be named. Sciarelli may remain with the broadcaster in a different role. The transition marks one of the most significant changes in Italian public television's current season, which has already seen other veteran presenters depart.