“Not a day goes by without someone recognizing me in the street, greeting me or asking me questions about the show. I think it left an impression on people's minds. Is this our promo? Is this the time? But it really surprises me,” Hoda confides to 20 Minutes. In 2004, the Toulouse native was 25 years old and had reached the semi-final of “Star Academy”.
Mathieu Johann, also a semi-finalist, gives some clues to explain the phenomenon: “We experienced an extraordinary adventure in front of 9 to 11 million viewers. It was crazy. Our season means millions of records sold. People still talk to me about the anthem let me dance and they thank me. They tell me that I was lucky to meet Grégory. »
“Midlife Crisis”
Twenty years later, TF1 will celebrate, this Saturday, at 9:10 p.m., the anniversary of the fourth season of telecrochet and the victory of Grégory Lemarchal – who died of cystic fibrosis in 2007, at the age of 23. For tutor Lucie Bernardoni and co-host Karima Charni, alumni of the 2004 class, the prime promises to be full of emotion.
“I always look forward. But I have a particular affection for the young girl that I was on September 3, 2004 when I entered the set,” Karima Charni confided to us before the launch of the current season, while rejoicing that the new promotion performed a song unpublished by Grégory Lemarchal.
Sofiane, who was 23 at the time, told us that he was “always nostalgic for the purity that there was between the students”. “But maybe it’s the midlife crisis,” he suggests. Hoda prefers the terms “candor” and “naivety”: “I think that’s what struck the viewers. People who talk to me about “Star Academy” make comparisons, tell me that the new seasons are good but that it was different before. »
“A bunch of people who should never have met”
“The new generation grew up with social networks, with a camera on their phones, with this idea of sharing their lives, which we didn't necessarily have in 2004. Those were the beginnings of YouTube. Our social networks were MSN and Skyblog, she remembers. When we arrived at the castle, what could be weirder than seeing 24/7 cameras hanging from the ceiling, having to wear a microphone all the time. The new generation is like a fish to water with that. For the students in the current class, this is an element of stress that they do not have to manage. »
In the eyes of Mathieu Johann, season 4, “it is above all the story of a group of people who should never have met and who evolved together against the backdrop of an extraordinary castle and international artists every week. Joe Cocker, Phil Collins, Beyoncé, Zucchero… it never stopped! » The Norman especially remembers his duet with Maurane, “one of the greatest moments of [sa] life “. Sofiane, for his part, was marked by “the sex appeal of Lenny Kravitz”: “You understand why certain artists have that extra something, the aura… He told us about his obstacle course. It taught me that singer, musician, it's a real profession. » Hoda will never forget that she shared the stage with Tina Turner. When she watches the videos again today, she feels “the pride of having taken on this challenge”.
“After two weeks, we wanted Grégory to be the winner”
What makes season 4 special is above all the fact that, for all the students, it was obvious that victory could not escape Grégory Lemarchal. “During the first prime, without knowing him on a human level, his voice, his being, his look, his charisma immediately struck me,” assures Hoda. After two weeks of working with him, we all wanted him to be the winner. The goal was to see who was going to accompany him in the final and get our ticket for the tour, to continue the fun. »
Our “Star Academy” file
“With Grégory, we said things to each other, there was no filter, I was quite hard with him. It was a very fraternal relationship. I told him 'If you have to win, you will have me fair, your illness, I don't care',” says Sofiane. And added: “With Grégory, we could only learn on a human level. He was an example of many things. » “When we started to get tired or complain, the first person to kick us in the butt was him,” says Hoda. He would tell us: “Hey oh, you pull yourself together, you have no right to flinch!” It was a real life lesson. »
“The end of an era”
“Having shared the story of Grégory Lemarchal is no small thing in a man’s life. It will remain eternal for our entire promotion,” slips Mathieu Johann. Now press officer and collection director at a publishing house, in 2020 he brought together his former comrades around a tribute album to their deceased friend. “I don't know if 'Star Academy' allowed us to become a family. Twenty years later, I don't think so, but it will have made it possible to advance the Lemarchal family's fight, the fight that was Grégory's daily fight and God knows it was difficult. For that alone, I'm happy that we continue to talk about this season 4. “
This Saturday, Mathieu Johann will be at a book fair in Toulon and will therefore not be on the telecrochet set. “For me, it’s the end of an era. I think I have definitely turned the page on this show that I love, that I admire. I remained close to Nikos Aliagas and the producer Mathieu Vergne. I can only thank “Star Ac” for making my dreams come true that I thought were impossible. But it is time to give way to the new generation and I believe that this nostalgia I will keep for myself now. »
