The Mexican socialite forced to deny ‘malicious’ rumours about her friendship with King Frederick of Denmark has signed up to a hit TV game show, according to local media reports.
Genoveva Casanova went into self-imposed exile after photographs of her enjoying a night out in Madrid with the married father-of-four rocked the Danish monarchy late last year – before his accession to the throne on January 14.
The 47-year-old appeared to deactivate her Instagram in the wake of the frenzy after seeking refuge in the palace home of her ex-husband Cayetano Martinez de Irujo before jetting to Mexico to spend time with her parents.
Overnight it emerged her uncharacteristic disappearance from public view is nearing its end following reports she will star in a Spanish TV show which sees celebrities battle it out in extreme physical tests.
Filming for the fifth series of the popular programme, called El Desafio, which in English translates as The Challenge, is expected to start in the next couple of days although it will not screen until early next year.
The Mexican socialite forced to deny ‘malicious’ rumours about her friendship with King Frederick of Denmark (pictured on a night out in Madrid) has signed up to a hit TV game show, according to local media reports
Spanish media say the key to Genoveva accepting the offer from the production company was the fact she didn’t have to discuss issues relating to her private life on the show.
Showbiz website Vanitatis claimed the mother-of-two had recently turned down a lucrative opportunity to promote a luxury shoe brand because it would have involved a PR event and photo call.
Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbon, the niece of Spain’s King Felipe VI, has already been named as one of the eight famous faces due to take part in the fifth edition of El Desafio.
The fourth edition of the Friday night prime-time show on Spain’s Antena 3 channel was watched by nearly two million viewers when it debuted earlier this year with 17 per cent of the audience share.
Genoveva has yet to comment about the latest reports.
She has virtually abandoned social media since she denied ‘malicious rumours’ about her friendship with then Crown Prince Frederick following their night out together in Madrid in November.
Genoveva used her Instagram account to threaten legal action against Spanish magazine Lecturas which published pictures of her strolling through El Retiro Park in Madrid with the royal before heading to her nearby home to change clothes and head out again for dinner.
She has only published a couple of other social media posts since she was photographed with Frederik.
Genoveva Casanova (pictured) went into self-imposed exile after photographs of her enjoying a night out in Madrid with the married father-of-four rocked the Danish monarchy late last year – before his accession to the throne on January 14
King Frederik of Denmark X is putting on a united front with his wife Queen Mary of Denmark, and the pair kissed on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace following a declaration of his accession to the throne on January 14
One was a video she shared on her Instagram Live on January 16, two days after Frederick ascended the Danish throne, which was posted by Spanish singer Miguel Bose about children working in slavery in Africa.
The original post by Bose read: ‘40,000 slave children in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars’.
Before briefly deactivating her Instagram account last month and denying her near-80,000 followers a regular glimpse into her private life, Genoveva told Spanish journalist Beatriz Cortazar: ‘I’m trying to disconnect and I’m talking to absolutely no-one, although some people say otherwise.’
The Mexican socialite appeared on the eighth edition of Spain’s Celebrity Masterchef last year but became the first hopeful to be booted off after putting too much spice in a marinated fish dish she prepared.
She was married to the Duchess of Alba’s son Cayetano Martinez de Irujo in 2005. The pair divorced in 2007 but remain friends.
Filming for the new series of El Desafio is due to start on March 1. A similar show, the Challenge UK, aired on Channel 5 earlier this year and was presented by Mark Wright.
Genoveva faced intense scrutiny after she was pictured with Denmark’s then future king, 55, in Madrid without his wife, then Princess, now Queen Mary late last year.
After the photos of the friends surfaced, Spanish magazine Lecturas reported Casanova and Frederick had dined together and watched Flamenco dancing until 1am.
Queen Mary has remained tight-lipped about her husband’s dinner with the socialite, and the royal couple have put on a united display since.
After the pictures emerged in a Spanish gossip magazine, the mother-of-two (pictured) denied the ‘malicious’ rumours about her friendship with the royal
Earlier this year, a royal expert claimed Queen Margrethe of Denmark abdicated as a form of ‘damage control’ in the wake of the scandal and to avoid ‘Mary divorcing Frederik’ over the ‘affair’ rumours.
Royal reporter Kenth G. Madsen argued that Margrethe was left with ‘no other choice’ but to abdicate.
Speaking to FEMAIL, the royal reporter claimed: ‘It can be difficult to forgive alleged infidelity in a relationship unless the price for turning a blind eye is suitably high.
‘Against the background of the disclosure of Frederik’s visit to Madrid and the documentation of the meeting with Genoveva Casanova, it is reasonable to believe that Queen Margrethe found the time to throw out a lifeline, before the relationship between the Crown Prince couple completely cracked due to the scandal.
‘The Queen actually had no other choice: in a strategic move, the monarch succeeded in removing the focus from the affair rumours, and at the same time giving Mary the hyper rare status of queen.
‘A royal divorce scandal of that magnitude could break the strongest royal house forever.
‘The risk that the popularity and reputation the Queen has built up during her 52 years as monarch could be destroyed forever if she had not done damage control on the matter.’
Following the publication of the photos, Genoveva issued a furious denial that there was any romantic relationship between herself and the Danish royal.
A statement from the socialite said: ‘I categorically deny the statements that suggest a romantic relationship between Prince Frederik and me.’
She added: ‘Any statement of this type not only completely lacks the truth but also misrepresents the facts in a malicious manner.
‘This is already in the hands of my lawyers, who will take care of the pertinent steps to protect my right to honour, truth and privacy.’
