Virginia Fonseca debuted as queen of the battery for Grande Rio at the technical rehearsal in Sapucaí, but faced heavy rain, public shouts, and a complicated journey. Despite the setbacks, she reached the concentration area and denied any rivalry with former queen Paolla Oliveira in an exclusive interview.
On Sunday, February 1, Virginia Fonseca held her first technical rehearsal as queen of the battery for the samba school Grande Rio at Marquês de Sapucaí in Rio de Janeiro. What should have been a smooth debut turned into a test of endurance due to heavy rain that surprised the influencer. Before entering the avenue, Virginia prepared in a box seat, where she gave interviews, but the journey to the concentration area was challenging.
The Grande Rio security team used umbrellas to protect her, but the rain showed no mercy, leaving the path muddy and slippery. As she left the box, the public repeatedly shouted 'Paolla, Paolla', referring to actress Paolla Oliveira, who previously held the position. Despite this, Virginia reached the concentration on time, and the rain stopped in the final minutes before the parade.
In an exclusive interview with columnist Lucas Pasin of Metrópoles, backstage at Sapucaí, Virginia addressed rumors of rivalry with Paolla, which arose after the actress appeared at the school's last quadra rehearsal. 'The atmosphere during the quadra rehearsal was quite different from the narrative that took over social media', she said, noting that she only noticed the repercussion when checking her phone later. Virginia dismissed any competition: 'The idea of rivalry is not part of how I view the position'.
The day before, on Saturday, January 31, Virginia made a surprise visit to box seats to watch rehearsals of schools like Vila Isabel, Salgueiro, Paraíso do Tuiuti, and Portela, honoring her samba teacher, Carlinhos do Salgueiro. She arrived around 9 p.m. at the Arpoador Box, where she was received by the Grande Rio team, including honorary president Jayder Soares, but did not speak to the press.
