It’s the surprise transfer window of the new school year: while journalist Jean-Baptiste Marteau from France Info was expected to replace Thomas Sotto, who announced his departure at the end of July around RTLit is finally Julien Arnaud, Gilles Bouleau’s joker at the 8 p.m. news on TF1, who will present “Télématin” with Flavie Flament after the Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8). An announcement made officially by the director of information for France Télévisions at Parisian this Monday.
Enough to cause great disappointment in Jean-Baptiste Marteau who, in a text message sent by puremedias.com, explained that he had not yet managed “to digest it” for the moment. He explains in this same message addressed to his teams that everything nevertheless suggested “until very recently” that he would be the future presenter of the France 2 morning show. He will therefore remain on France Info for the time being.
“Julien ticked all these boxes,”
“We were looking for someone who had a lot of journalistic experience, who was able to provide news coverage, who was appreciated by the general public and who got on well with Flavie Flament.”another new face of the show who succeeds Marie Portolano, explained Alexandre Kara, the head of information for the public group to Le Parisien.
“Julien ticked all these boxes”he added about a professional according to him “extremely rigorous” et “compatible with public service”, who will also become one of the jokers of the France 2 news.
The 50-year-old journalist is leaving TF1, a group where he has spent his entire career since 1997, when he joined the news channel LCI as an editor-commentator, before presenting his first newscasts there two years later. Replacing Gilles Bouleau for 12 years during the week and co-presenter last season of the show “Un œil sur le monde” on LCI, Julien Arnaud had also been Claire Chazal’s joker in presenting the weekend news from summer 2006 to 2012.
“Télématin”, the first morning show in France
At the helm of “Télématin”, he will take over the position held since 2021 by Thomas Sotto, whose surprise departure for the RTL morning show was announced at the end of July, three weeks after that of Marie Portolano, who wished “develop professionally” after just one season, Alexandre Kara explained to Parisian.
Created in 1985 and scheduled from 6:30 to 9:30, “Télématin” attracts an average of 700,000 viewers. It has retained its position as the leading French morning show despite the arrival on TF1 in January of a direct competitor, “Bonjour!”.
Although the latter restarted on August 19, Télématin will not return until after the end of the Paralympic Games on September 8, “Julien Arnaud and Flavie Flament are not expected on air before Monday, September 9 or 16,” according to “Le Parisien.” “Until then, France 2 will rely on replacements to host” the show, the daily newspaper specifies.
Asked by AFP, TF1 said it “sincerely thanks” Julien Arnaud for his years spent within the group. Regarding his replacement, the channel stressed that it had “many solutions internally”, without a decision being made at this stage.
