Yo soy Betty la fea

Plot

Beatriz Aurora Pinzón Solano, Betty, is an unattractive but brilliant economist working as a secretary at a fictitious Colombian fashion empire, EcoModa. Betty constantly faces the scorn of EcoModa's attractive manager-owners but proves herself indispensable to EcoModa's new president, Armando Mendoza. She becomes Armando's accomplice in a clandestine scheme to save EcoModa from financial ruin and they become romantically involved.
Though she has a masters degree in finance and graduated at the top of her class, Betty has been unable to secure a job interview, because, she claims, her ugly photograph ruins her otherwise impressive résumé. After searching unsuccessfully for a job to match her education and experience, she applies for a position as the secretary to the president of EcoModa, a highly successful, trendy fashion manufacturer/retailer founded by two families, the Mendozas and the Valencias. She sends her résumé to EcoModa without a photograph, thus securing an interview.
Armando Mendoza, EcoModa's new president, is the smart, handsome, and well-educated son of company's retired co-founder Roberto Mendoza. He is engaged to Marcela Valencia, EcoModa executive and daughter of deceased co-founder, Valencia. Armando is in search of new secretary and first interviews Marcela's best friend, Patricia Fernández. He is reluctant to hire Patricia because he assumes that Marcela wants her to spy on him, given his reputation as a notorious womanizer. Armando then interviews Betty. While he is concerned about her "ugliness", but likes the idea that she could be his ally, rather than a spy. In order to please Marcela, Armando hires, as his secretaries, both Betty, the ugly but brilliant economist, and the very attractive and not so intelligent Patricia.
Since EcoModa is a fashion company primarily concerned with image and beauty, Patricia is seated in the lobby and Betty is seated in a stock room behind Armando's office. Nevertheless, Betty proves herself invaluable as she maneuvers effortlessly in the business and finance milieu, earning respect among industry insiders. Out of loyalty to Armando, she helps him launch a risky new business plan that could mean the downfall of EcoModa, but if successful, could bring the company back to firm financial standing. The business plan sets up a fake company, run in name by Betty, as a firm financial backer of EcoModa. The fake company prevents the banks from taking over EcoModa's stocks, primarily because of Betty's business savy and financial contacts. Once the summer fashion line is released, then EcoModa will be able to secure their finances and the fake company can be dissolved. However, Armando asked Betty to fake the annual budget reports in order to keep the plan a secret from his family, not wanting to disappoint his family regarding his leadership skills as the new president of EcoModa. Betty reluctantly agrees to secretly help him and convinces her best friend, Nicolas Mora, to go along with it. EcoModa's Vice President (and Armando's best friend) Mario Calderon is the only other person at EcoModa that knows about the business plan. However, because of how the plan works, EcoModa has pretty much been sold (in paper) to the fake company, setting up Betty as the President and Nicolas as the Vice President. Mario is concerned that Betty has the capability to keep EcoModa to herself and convinces Armando to romance Betty to keep her happy. Although Armando is sure that Betty could never be so devious, he decides to take Mario's advise and starts to romance Betty.
As the weeks pass by, Betty falls deeply in love with Armando. In turn, Armando starts seeing past the "uglyness" and sees the beautiful person Betty really is. He falls in love with Betty, but keeps his feelings secret from Mario, who constantly teases Armando about having to kiss the ugly duckling. A couple of days before the budget meeting, Betty discovers letters from Mario to Armando describing the details about the fake romance. Betty is devistated on how Armando could use her feelings and instead of confronting him, decides to get revenge on him by exposing the truth of the secret business plan to his family at the meeting. Armando and Mario, who are clueless that Betty knows the truth, are shocked that Betty would turn on them at the meeting. The family (who are also the stock holders) are pretty much informed that EcoModa is in financial ruin and that Betty is the new owner of the company. However, Betty states that the fake company was only set up to prevent EcoModa to file bankruptcy and that she is handing back full owenrship to the stock holders. Roberto Mendoza chastises Betty on her involvement of such a scheme knowing her to be such an honest woman and Betty is escorted out of the building. Before she leaves, Armando confronts her, only to find out how much Betty is humiliated by his disception. Armando tries to tell Betty that he truly loves her, but she refuses to listen. As she was walking out, Marcela demands to know from Betty what she carries in a large plastic bag. Betty shows her the "trash" which is all the fake letters and gifts that Armando had bestowed upon her.
Hurt and heartbroken, Betty immediately takes a job as the assistant to a fashion icon who is in charge of the Miss Columbia Pageant. She runs to the airport to catch a flight to Bogota. She asks her family not to tell anyone where she is, espcially Armando. Betty is humiliated at how she let Armando fool her and how Roberto had to fire her, and decides to confide the whole truth to her new boss, Catalina, including her so-called romance with Armando.
Armando desperately wants to find Betty and convince her that he loves and needs her but her family will not tell him how to find her. Armando must also deal with the fallout of the business situation EcoModa is now in. Armando is fired as President and his father comes out of retirement to take over the Presidential duties. The attorney realizes that Betty did not correctly turn over the business back to the stock holders, therefore Betty and her fake company are still the owners of EcoModa, which is preventing the bank from seizing control. Knowing that the only way to save the company is to continue with the "business plan" until after the summer fashion line, the stock holders have no choice but to ask Betty to stay and run the company. The only problem is that they can't find Betty.
Meanwhile, Betty is surrounded by all the beautiful pagaent ladies and has become fast friends with the gorgeous french photographer. Catalina helps Betty come out of her shell and rather slowly helps Betty shed some of her uglyness. First she convince Betty to accept some pay in advance so that she can buy clothes that compliment her figure better. Then because they were going to a premiere, she took Betty to a hair stylist and asked them to give her a more modern cut. Catalina "accidently" breaks her classes and the new pair are much more suited to her face. It seems overnight, Betty had shed her "uglyness" and looks quite beautiful. But then Betty gets a call from her father saying that she needed to return and to finish some business with EcoModa. Hesitantly, she returns home.
When she walks into EcoModa, nobody recognizes her. Everyone is quite shocked at her transformation. Roberto tells Betty about the financial situation they are in and asks Betty to help him save his company. Although hesitant about working at EcoModa again, Betty agrees feeling some responsiblity as to why they are in that situation. However, Betty didn't realize that she would actually have to be the President and run the company. Armando tries to tell Betty he loves her, but she doesn't believe him. Armando realizes that he has probably lost Betty and decides to give her some distance, he leaves EcoModa.
Months later, the new fashion line is a success thanks to Betty's ideas and business savy. Although Betty seemed to be dating the gorgeous french photographer who came to visit her, she still can't get over Armando. Once Armando returns, he still expresses his love for her and the two eventually marry. The final scene shows Armando gushing over his new-born daughter, who is as beautiful as Betty was when she was first born.
[edit]Awards

In 2001, Yo soy Betty, la fea won the New York Latin ACE Award for Best Scenic Program (Mejor programa escénico) and International Female Personality of the Year (Figura internacional femenina del año) to Ana María Orozco, and, in 2002, the TP de Oro for Best Soap Opera (Mejor telenovela), and the INTE Award for Best Soap Opera and Actress of the Year (Actriz del año) to Ana María Orozco.
[edit]Series evolution

Betty la fea was created, filmed, and produced in Colombia and originally aired on RCN. After its success it was released to air on TeleFutura in the United States. Its popularity led to the creation of several similar programs in other countries, as well as its rebroadcast in other languages around the world. The success of Yo soy Betty, la fea led to its first sequel in 2002 with Univision's release of "Ecomoda". Some scenes from the first episode were filmed in Buenos Aires and some scenes for the opening sequence were filmed in Miami, Florida.[2]
The phenomenal success of Betty la fea accounts for numerous adaptations and airings around the world. The story appeals to global audiences because it is centered around the life of an unattractive character rather than that of a typical attractive character.[3]
Spinoffs include an animated series called Betty Toons, featuring Betty as a child with her friends. In the U.S., Betty Toons previously aired Saturday mornings on most affiliates of the Telefutura network, as part of the Toonturama block.
Ugly Betty, the U.S. adaptation of Betty La Fea, aired on ABC from 2006 to 2010. The hour-long program was developed by Silvio Horta and co-produced by Salma Hayek and Ben Silverman. America Ferrera plays the title role. The show has received a Golden Globe[4] and Peabody Award.[5]