Children's TV icon Robson Barros, who was a founding member of the Paquitos, the original male dance group and assistants on the iconic Brazilian kids show Xou da Xuxa in the 1980s and 1990s, died on Saturday, June 20, at the age of 57. The news was confirmed to news outlet Gshow by his fellow former "paquitas" Andrea Veiga and Ana Paula Almeida, who revealed he had been battling cancer.

They revealed that an online group had been set up for the star, in which his former colleagues left him video messages and sent their well wishes as he underwent treatment. "We are all very saddened because, even though we haven't had much contact with him for a long time, a group was created...and each of us made a recording for him with a message of faith, of optimism, that he would get through this. Everyone recorded it so he could listen, because he was no longer able to communicate, and his wife was so kind, she passed all the messages on to him. She said he was very moved by listening. In a way, we were able to say goodbye to him, being able to tell him how much we loved him," Ana revealed.

The star made his TV debut in 1989, aged just 16, as one of the male assistants on Xuxa's show, called Paquitos.

He worked alongside fellow icons Alexandre, Marcello Faustini, Gigio, Cláudio Heinrich, and Yuri. He also starred in the 1990 film Lua de Cristal.

After leaving the show in the early 1990s, he moved behind the scenes and worked with his father, who at the time was Roberto Carlos's music producer. He subsequently built a successful career in the events and entertainment production sector.

In 2024, he revisited his past in children's TV when he appeared in the documentary "Para Sempre Paquitas" (Forever Paquitas).

Tributes flooded in for the star as news of his death became public. Presenter Xuxa took to Instagram to share: "My little Robson from São Paulo... You were and are an incredible guy. May God receive you with a beautiful smile and lots of love. You deserve all the applause, my eternal Paquito. We love you."

A fan wrote: "My favourite little boy because I thought he looked a bit like Robby Rosa from Menudo, I was so sad. But now all the suffering is over, all the pain has passed, and he is with our father.

A third chimed in: "A great man, those who knew him know his giant heart. We will always be part of Xuxa's group. Fly high, Paquitao, fly high."

Meanwhile, a fourth penned: "Only those who lived through the Xuxa show generation with the Paquitos, the movies Lua de Cristal and Sonho de Verão know what he was like, with his seemingly sweet demeanour. May God place him in a good place and give rest and comfort to his family."