
Iva Zanicchi (born January 18, 1940) is an Italian pop singer and politician. Zanicchi has a mezzo-soprano voice and replaced the late Gigi Sabani as the first female host of the Italian version of The Price is Right under the name OK, Il Prezzo è Giusto! (OK, The Price is Right!) from 1987 until 2000. Her substitute was Emanuela Folliero from May to June 1999 who was then later replaced by Maria Teresa Ruta from 2000 until 2001.
Zanicchi was born in Ligonchio, in the province of Reggio Emilia. Her career began in 1962 at the Castrocaro Music Festival where she earned third place. She won the Sanremo song festival in 1967 with Non pensare a me ("Don't think of me"), in 1969 with Zingara and again in 1974 with Ciao cara, come stai? ("Hi dear, how are you?"). Zanicchi remains the only woman singer to have won that festival's prize three times. In 1969, she represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in Madrid with Due grandi lacrime bianche ("Two big white tears") finishing 13th. She represented Italy in the V International Festival of Cancao in Rio with Non sei piu innamorato di me ("You are no longer in love with me") in 1970. A concert at the Paris Olympia and a tour (United States, Canada, South America and the Soviet Union) followed. Zanicchi later also toured Australia and Japan. Has worked with Mikis Theodorkis, Charles Aznavouran Luigi Tenco and has made numerous recordings. Has performed at Madison Square Gardens, New York (1974) and the Teatro Regio (Parma). In total, Zanicchi released 14 albums during the 1970s, including a Christmas-themed, Neapolitan and Spanish language recording.
From 1987 until 2000, she hosted the Italian version of The Price is Right as OK, Il Prezzo è Giusto! (OK, The Price is Right!) replacing (the late) Gigi Sabani (who originally hosted the show from 1983 until 1986) as the most longest-running female game show host for 13 years. She was later "briefly" substituted by Emanuela Folliero from May to June 1999 and much later re-replaced by Maria Teresa Ruta from 2000 until 2001.
In 2004, she was one of Forza Italia's candidates for the European Parliament elections, polling nearly 35,000 but not enough to be elected. However, as the highest-polling among the candidates failing to be elected. Zanicchi took her seat in Strasburg in May 2008. representing Forza Italia, when EuroMP Mario Mantovani left to become PDL senator. She was confirmed in her post at the European elections in June 2009.