The All Saints’ Day holidays are looming with new jokers for the France 2 television news. According to our information, the public channel has asked Julien Arnaud to take the place of Anne-Sophie Lapix, at the helm of “20 Hours” on during the week, during his holidays. A mission carried out since 2020 by Karine Baste, whose services were far from unanimous in the editorial corridors.
During his surprise arrival in the public group at the end of August to succeed Thomas Sotto in “Télématin”, who left for the RTL morning show, Julien Arnaud made it known that he would also present news. The former joker of Gilles Bouleau on TF1 had neglected to specify that it would be during the week, and not on the weekend, as did Thomas Sotto, until now official joker of Laurent Delahousse.
Since the start of the school year, France 2 has been discreetly looking for a replacement for the weekend’s “20 Hours”. New, again, since Sonia Chironi will be in charge at the start of the solar holidays. The presenter of “Autre dit”, the 6 p.m./8 p.m. channel on Franceinfo, wowed the management during a full-scale test over a weekend, on August 30 and 31.
“There are still things to settle and decide”
Contacted, the information department of France Télévisions refused to confirm these changes. “There are still things to settle and decide,” says one of the group’s leaders, not very forthcoming. And for good reason, France 2 is working on a vast overhaul of its joker team which should come into effect during the 2024 end-of-year holidays.
“Everything was decided but the departure of Thomas Sotto and the arrival of Julien Arnaud reshuffled the cards. In the latter’s package: Telematin, The 4 truthsthe morning political interview, and Lapix’s replacement post. They had to review all their plans, paying attention to guaranteeing gender equality and the presence of journalists from diverse backgrounds. As a result, the new team of jokers will only be in place at Christmas,” breathes someone close to this complex equation.
According to our information, other developments are being studied. Maya Lauqué could be named joker of the “13 Hours” in place of Nathanaël de Rincquesen, who would give up his place after All Saints’ Day. Already at the head of the midday weekend edition, Leïla Kaddour-Boudadi has applied to compensate for the absences of Laurent Delahousse at “20 Heures”.
Louise Ekland and Jean-Baptiste Marteau, replacement duo for “Télématin”
On “Télématin”, it is the duo Louise Ekland/Jean-Baptiste Marteau who will be on the air during the absences of the new tandem Flavie Flament/Julien Arnaud. A game of musical chairs that is only simple on paper. Because we also need to find a base for those leaving, to find replacements for the replacements. Maya Lauqué, for example, regularly acted as “C dans l’air” on France 5. And not all of the people concerned were taken into the confidence.
Opposite, on TF1, the situation is much clearer. Jean-Baptiste Boursier begins to prepare to replace Gilles Bouleau for the first time on “20 Heures” during the week, Monday October 21. As a dress rehearsal, next week he will present unbroadcast newspapers, prepared in real conditions. Jacques Legros and Audrey Crespo-Mara remain, for their part, respectively the understudies of the “13 Heures” weekday and the weekend news.
On the France Télévisions side, we are also finalizing a vast relocation of information meetings to the United States for the American presidential election. On the night of November 5 to 6, we will know whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be the new tenant of the White House.
