Maxime Chattam and Faustine Bollaert form an emblematic couple in the French media landscape. Maxime Chattam, renowned author of detective novels and thrillersis known for his dark and gripping storylines, like The Evil Trilogy but also The Soul of Evilwhich were very successful. Faustine Bollaert, for her part, is enjoying the glory days of the France Télévisions group as a presenter. Very appreciated especially in It starts today, she also hosts other programs. We will find, for example, this Thursday, January 2 at 9:10 p.m. on France 2 to present the grand finale of the 11th season of Prodigies. After Marianne James, Daphné Burki and Marie-Sophie Lacarrau who each in turn presented the show until 2020, it is therefore the wife of Maxime Chattam who has taken over since then and who will therefore be hosting tonight for the fourth year in a row. The jury is made up of star dancer and choreographer Marie-Claude Pietragalla, cellist Gautier Capuçon, and mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel, who is remembered in particular for her beautiful interpretation of the Marseillaise, during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. If Faustine Bollaert is fulfilled in her professional life, this is also the case in her private life sinceshe has been in perfect love with the novelist for more than 10 years now.
The couple married in 2012 and had two children: Abbie and Peter. Their relationship, marked by great complicity and mutual support, is often highlighted and the couple does not hesitate to sometimes share secrets about their daily lives despite their busy careers. Interviewed by our colleagues from the magazine Ciné Télé Revue last December 12, Maxime Chattam also took the opportunity to say a few words about his relationship. The one who published a new novel last October, entitled Prime Time and published by Albin Michel, whose setting is on a television news set, explained that he was initially hesitant to take the plunge. The reason? The fact that Faustine Bollaert works on TV. “I was afraid that people would judge her and overinterpret what I said thinking that it was Faustine's words or how she felt as a TV woman. It took a while to get rid of that feeling and allow myself to go.” he explained to our colleagues. Did writing this work make him want to exchange his work with that of his wife? Not really. “Living next to someone who actually (Faustine Bollaert), I realize that there are many things that are not meant for me. I would have a very, very hard time experiencing the pressure of the gaze that is there without being present. You need poise, an inner solidity to be able to face the eye of the camera.” he confided.
Faustine Bollaert, a precious help
And to specify that his wife has read his book but not only! Maxime Chattam wanted to give back to César what belongs to him and demonstrated great transparency with Ciné Télé Revue. Indeed, he confided to our colleagues: “This is the first book where – beyond what she usually brings, that is to say her look at the characters, the humanity of the characters and their interaction – she had a look at words, passages, sentences. It's the first time in two or three scenes that I've had to hand him the computer and say, 'Go ahead, and if I don't like it, I'll go back.'” It focused on a sentence, a detail, subtleties. When I reread it, I found that she was right.” he concluded gratefully.
