Peruvian social media star Giacomo Benavides Ubierna is a charismatic content creator known for his witty “love advice” videos and viral fan encounters. In a few short years, he has co-founded an art school, hosted a popular streaming show (Zaca TV), and racked up 580K+ Instagram followers and 675K+ TikTok fans.
From Family to finding his Own Voice
Giacomo was born on November 18, 1996 and grew up in Lima’s Barranco district. His father is Alfredo Benavides, known as “Niño Alfredito,” a veteran Peruvian comedian. His mother, María Fernanda Ubierna, comes from an artistic lineage (she’s the daughter of TV director Guillermo “Guille” Ubierna). He is also the nephew of fellow comedian Jorge Benavides. Giacomo has four siblings, including Doménico and Rafaella, who actively co-host and produce content alongside him for Zaca TV. His tight-knit family also includes his older half-brother, actor Stefano Tosso, and a paternal half-sibling from his father’s previous relationship. Family was loving but busy; although his dad doesn’t appear in his photos or videos, Giacomo says his dad “siempre está y estuvo presente en mi vida (My dad is and always was present in my life)”. Even so, as a child Giacomo was very shy – he recalls that at age 14 he “almost didn’t speak,” taking “two and a half hours to say a sentence”. His mother often appears in his early Instagram Stories, coaxing him out of his shell. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) in Peru.
Turning points came when his mom enrolled him in improvisation classes. Giacomo says, “After that, I never stopped studying improv. I found what I truly loved… Improv helped my personality come out. I’ve been doing this for 8 years, and I never stop learning.” By late 2018, the transformed teen was ready to start his Instagram, posting dance videos and skits. He quips that he opened Instagram with a “malazo” (bad) phone and initially only got a few likes – until he began creating characters and fake personas to deliver ironic “love advice.” By 2019, those weekly “consejos amorosos” became Instagram hits. In just one year, he soared to 150,000 followers, a meteoric rise for someone who used to barely speak.
Growth as a Professional
Giacomo first caught fans’ attention with goofy dance clips (even joking about how badly he dances while enjoying it). Then he launched a “consejos amorosos” segment, fielding silly romantic problems with sarcastic, comedic takes. In his own words, “I’m not giving real solutions… I show the funny, ridiculous side of these love questions so people can laugh”. He calls it “seeing the comic side… [and] taking weight off people’s shoulders,” helping followers laugh together instead of stressing about “very important” but minor issues. Giacomo also turned his improv chops into onstage credits. He acted in “Vidas alternas” (2018) and various micro-theater shows, honing his performance skills. He graduated with a degree in Audiovisual Communication and always speaks about wanting to try new roles – “maybe do a play, act in a series, why not be on TV”. For now, he’s keeping it online.
Always entrepreneurial, Giacomo teamed up with his brother, Stefano Tosso (actor, son of TV star Ricky Tosso), to build Segundo Piso – Escuela de Arte. Launched in 2019-2020, this Lima arts school offers classes in improv, acting, dance and clown. Giacomo says the idea came from their mother’s dream and their own passion for improv. It’s a workshop space now hosting hundreds of students, some of whom found confidence – for example, a shy student wrote to him to say that after their improv class, he felt bolder at work and even got promoted. The school’s mission: combat shyness (just as improv once did for Giacomo).
Zaca TV and Radio Stardom
In recent years, Giacomo shifted toward streaming and radio. He co-hosts “Somos lo que somos,” a daily morning show on the digital channel Zaca TV, alongside Domenico Benavides, Andrea Noriega and others. (Zaca TV itself, founded by Giacomo and siblings, became one of Peru’s top youth channels.) On Instagram, he describes hosting on Zaca TV weekdays from 11am-12:30pm. The show mixes pop culture, humor and guest interviews, tapping into a young audience. Thanks in part to Somos lo que somos, Giacomo is now considered not just an influencer but a genuine radio personality and “actor” on the digital stage.
His father Alfredo proudly noted in 2025 that Giacomo “already was an influencer on Instagram before the streaming boom, and has a community that adores him”. And indeed, by early 2026, Somos lo que somos sold out a live fan event (“Zaca Fest”) in record time. Giacomo and the Zaca team even popped up as surprise guests at concerts, dancing onstage and blending seamlessly into Peru’s pop-rock scene. Zaca TV’s success illustrates how Giacomo expanded from solo videos into mainstream media.
Viral Fan Moments – K-Pop, Swift & More
Giacomo’s career was punctuated by flashy fanboy moments. In 2022, he made headlines when he attended K-pop concerts in the U.S. At a Los Angeles TWICE show, he recorded back-and-forths with members; later, at BLACKPINK’s Dallas “Born Pink” tour stop, he got a special meet-and-greet. There, the camera caught him telling member Jennie (blushingly), “Por favour, vengan a Perú. Perú las ama,” which she acknowledged with a flying kiss. His excitement—highlighted in videos and photos he shared—made him one of the most “envied” fans (BLINK) in Peru that day.
In 2024, Giacomo surprised Peru’s Taylor Swift fandom. He created a tender TikTok performance of Swift’s song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” Taylor herself spotted the clip and commented, “This is the official music video,” which blew his mind. Giacomo later wrote on Instagram (jokingly) that he was “crying for four hours” after Swift’s reply, and quipped “, The Eras Tour in Peru confirmed, I choose to believe”. Fans celebrated the shout-out as a sign Swift “knows Barranco,” cheering Giacomo’s enthusiasm for inviting the singer to Peru.
Most recently (June 2026), Giacomo made headlines again at an Ariana Grande concert. He arrived in California dressed head-to-toe as the white-and-green “petal” from her The Eternal Sunshine album art. Photographers and TikTok users captured him, and the images quickly went viral. As Infobae noted, “Giacomo Benavides…surprised digital fans with a petal costume at Ariana Grande’s concert, instantly becoming a viral phenomenon on TikTok.” It’s yet another example of how Giacomo uses playful costumes and celebrity events to charm audiences.
On social media, Giacomo mostly avoids controversy. The main controversy came in 2025 when some critics accused Zaca TV of being a nepotistic project for Alfredo’s kids. His father answered those rumors bluntly on TV: “My greatest happiness is seeing my children fulfilled. Giacomo, for example, was already an influencer on Instagram before the streaming boom, and has a community that adores him”.
