Born in Montijo, the son of a railroad company employee and an elementary school teacher, Gouveia studied Romance Philology at the University of Lisbon, but dropped out for a career in radio.
The show made him instantly famous and is still considered a landmark in the history of Portuguese television.
Gouveia was also a popular host for other programs, namely game shows, working with Cruz behind the cameras, and became one of the mainstays of Portugal's RTP up to the early 1990s.
After being admitted to hospital in Coimbra, on 24 August 2004, for bacteria-induced respiratory and circulatory problems, Gouveia died from multiple organ failure.
Later, he married Beatriz, the mother of his third child, José Eduardo Fialho Gouveia, who is also a television presenter (Bairro Alto, RTP) and journalist (Sol).