Since September 25, 2023, Emilien, a young 21-year-old student, has been shining on the set of 12 shots of noon. With a jackpot exceeding 1.74 million euros and an incredible total of 425 participations as of November 25, he has become a legend of French game shows. However, his impressive career does not not just happy people.
If its exploits attract an ever-increasing audience every day, others criticize the program for having lost its suspenseevoking a certain weariness in the face of a
almost unbeatable champion. Do the rules need to change to revive interest? It's a question that comes up more and more among viewers, divided between admiration and desire for novelty.
Emilien, the rising star of 12 coups de midi who sparks debate
The longevity of champions is the salt of
12 shots of noonbut maintaining the fragile balance between exceptional performance and breathtaking suspense is a constant challenge for TF1. While some fear that the repetition of victories will tire the public, others see it as the very essence of the program, a faithful mirror of its DNA. Jean-Louis Blot, president of Endemol France, producer of the show, brushed aside any idea of strategic calculation: “He's the one who fights every day to stay, I don't have no control over thats”he confided to TV 2 weeks.
A point of view shared by Jean-Luc Reichmann, the soul of TF1 midday, who prefers to focus on the human behind the records:
“I don't look at media interest and profitability, I
really look at the fun that I have to support someone as best as possible.” A vision where performance becomes almost secondary to woven relationship every day with the champion.
Strong criticism of Emilien's career in Les 12 coups de midi
Emilien's domination over The 12 strokes of noon leaves no one indifferent, between fascination et
frustration. Some potential players admit to hesitating to face him, intimidated by his extraordinary career. “It made me
a little unmotivatedbut we still have a little hope. You never know if he's having a bad day or tired.”confided Cem, unsuccessful candidate of October 9. Faced with this overwhelming reign, voices are being raised to demand reformsuch as the establishment of a ceiling on the number of participations.
The idea made Céline, former champion, smile: “Usain Bolt was not asked to wear lead shoes because his dominance would hurt egos!”. But not everyone shares this lightness. A great player, who remained anonymous,
severely criticized the strategy of the show:
“The production play a bit of a stupid game by allowing the bar to be set so high. The hunt for records is over.” A divide which clearly illustrates the challenges of a reign that is as spectacular as it is divisive.
© TF1
Emilien, champion of the 12 coups de midi
Emilien, the champion of the 12 coups de midi which divides
Despite critical voices, the reign ofEmilien seems to captivate more and more spectators. In September, the show gathered on average 2.95 million followers every midday, an increase of 205,000 viewers compared to the previous year. In November, the phenomenon reached its peak with an impressive peak of
5 million curious peoplea score which had not been seen since January 2023. Faced with this success, production remains firm: no change in rules is envisaged for the moment, according to information from Puremédias.
This overwhelming domination could nevertheless dissuade certain candidates to try their luck. Many would prefer to wait until the end of his reign to hope to shine in their turn. Jean-Louis Blot, president of Endemol France, put things into perspective: “Those who are on the air today applied months ago thinking that Emilien would not be there.” A reality which underlines the chance of calendarsfar from calculated strategies.
“Records are logically made to be broken”for his part, affirmed Emilien, determined not to let himself
distracted by criticism. Debates around the rules or possible solutions to oust him do not interest him. “It’s not something I thought about. I’ll come back without asking myself any questions”he confided to 7 Days TV. Every day he knows that his place is at stakebut that doesn't scare him. “When I come back, I do my best. If I manage to stay, I stay because I have a lot of fun there.” For the young champion, the essential remains simple: “Everyone has the right to think what they want. In this case, me, I'm happy.”
