Carolina Ardohain

Born on January 17th, 1981 in Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina (home of models like Valeria Mazza and Ines Rivero), Ana Carolina Ardohain Dos Santos grew up with lofty aspirations. Despite being surrounded by an environment beset with social problems and unrest, little Carolina held fast to her dream of becoming a star, in any capacity. She completed primary and secondary school, and became well established in a local ballet school, where she practiced for nine years. Her passion for dancing has remained with her until today, and helped her gain composure in her now public life.

When she was in her late teens, Ardohain became interested in a local clothing brand that was publicly requesting non-models to be part of an upcoming ad campaign. As she already worked as a saleswoman at one of the brand's stores, she already had the inside track and landed a spot in the advertisements. When they hit the stores in late 1999, legendary South American modeling agent Pancho Dotto was struck with Ardohain's killer look and subsequently exhausted all resources to find her.

When Dotto finally got a hold of Ardohain via telephone, a deal was struck in a matter of minutes. She signed on with the Dotto Models agency and that same day, attended and booked a contract with an international company. Five days later, she was flown to Mexico to film the subsequent commercial. Just like that, a star was born.

From there, her celebrity escalated just as quickly. Local magazines asked for her to appear in their pages, and soon even Argentinean Cosmopolitan had picked up on "Pampita" -- as she is nicknamed -- and her willingness to pose practically nude. When all was said and done, Ardohain graced over 40 different magazines covers in one year. Her features spanned much of Latin America: Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Brazil could all see her on their newsstands.

Keeping up a frenetic work schedule, Ardohain finally broke through into the international scene after traveling to South Korea to conduct interviews for her new Argentinean TV programs: El Rayo and El Sitio. As host, Ardohain attracted a huge following in these variety-type shows, further expanding her popularity.

In 2002, Ardohain cemented her status as an Argentinean legend after being voted -- with an overwhelming majority -- to be the national soccer team's "godmother" (a representative) during that year's World Cup in South Korea and Japan. She also appeared in an Argentinean TV series called Rebelde Way, which was very well received.

This international exposure fueled some North American success as well. She was featured in campaigns for our favorite lingerie companies, Victoria's Secret (along with fellow South American babes like Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima, and Isabeli Fontana) and Wonderbra. Magazines like Stuff and Maxim UK did small pieces on this rising star as well. With more than 60 individual websites devoted to her and millions in Latin America already worshipping the ground she walks on, it is only a matter of time before this smokin' model emerges as a standout in the North.

Her still photography work includes the likes of Victoria's Secret and Wonderbra. She has also been featured in ad campaigns for Honda and Coca-Cola. At times she is seen posing practically nude and has many racy photos to her name.

Ardohain also has hosted her own TV variety shows, "El Rayo" and "El Sitio", which were ratings winners.

She was invited by Televisión Española to the TV program El Show de Flo in September 2002

Ardohain married model and photographer Martín Barrantes in November 2002.

She entered as actress in the Argentinian TV series "Rebelde Way" (2003) and "Doble Vida" (2005)

In February 2004 she was jury and Queen of the International Music Festival of Viña del Mar, in Chile, and became a personality very popular in Latin America and the United States

In September 2005 she separated from Barrantes in the midst of a tumultuous media-hyped rumor that she was having an affair (which she denied). She rather quickly began dating and living with Benjamín Vicuña, a famous actor from Chile. Santiago newspapers published photos of Ardohain walking her beagle, clearly showing that the model was pregnant.

Ardohain and Vicuña had a girl, named Blanca after Benjamin's grandmother. Ardohain has been quoted as saying, "This is a child that we have been waiting for and have loved since the first moment. I'm so proud, having done things without hurting anyone." The birth also bought about a reconciliation between Ardohain and her mother.

Ardohain has generated some jealous comments from other Argentine models. Gossip columns frequently cited how models Nicole Neumann and Julieta Prandi called Pampita a "mucamita" (servant girl or maid) and "muqui" (short for mucamita), essentially labeling her as coming from short peasant stock and not worthy of the high-class world of fashion modeling.

Not only naturally beautiful, Ardohain also has a bubbly personality and is renowned for her passion and skill in dancing. She is considered the top model of Argentina and had a reputation for partying. But she now shies away from the glamours of the model's life, instead opting for quiet nights with Vicuña. Her down-to-earth manner may be in part due to her humble beginnings. She is also known for her various charity works.