Having left his mark on the French audiovisual landscape during his career, Charles Biétry has commented on numerous sporting events on different channels. He has notably worked for TF1, France Télévisions, Canal+, Eurosport, but also BeIN Sports. However, he is no longer able to speak at present. This is one of the terrible consequences of Charcot's disease, from which Charles Biétry has suffered for several years. Having written a work entitled The Last Wavethe former sports journalist spoke to Audrey Crespo-Mara's microphone. Their maintenance, carried out usingsoftwareartificial intelligence having generated a similar voice to that of Charles Biétry, was broadcast in the show Seven to eight Sunday January 26, 2025 on TF1.
At the start of this interview, the former sports commentator notably compared the fact that he is no longer able to speak to “a torture“. “The words are in my head and I can't get them out“, he explained. However, Charles Biétry still manages to laugh at his misfortune. Which did not fail to astonish Audrey Crespo-Mara. “Audrey, I'm alive. Alive. I only have a few weeks or months left to live. Why do you want me to waste them and the lives of my loved ones? I want to take advantage of it and do everything in my power to help research and other patients“, he said to him. “Your wife is your biggest support, what does she say to you all the time?“, the journalist then asked him. “We have loved each other for 45 years with extreme happiness. And the situation is not easy for her. However, when you have a bout of blues. It's she who puts us back on our feet with a phrase that has become legendary in the family: 'We'll laugh until the end'. And it works“, underlined Charles Biétry in particular.
Charles Biétry reveals how his entire family helps him on a daily basis to cope with the illness
“Is it with her smile and her laughter that your wife helps you the most?“, Audrey Crespo-Mara also wanted to know. “She helps me by simply existing. A look, a smile, a caress. These are moments of happiness“, he clarified. As a reminder, the former sports journalist is the head of a family made up of his wife, his two children, and his four grandchildren. He also mentioned their attitude towards him since he suffered from Charcot's disease.They are incredible. They could have cried. They could have shown me mercy. Change their behavior. And I would have constantly seen my illness in their eyes. On the contrary, everyone continues to live, laugh and playfrom the grandmother to little Élisa, aged 8 years old. From time to time, there comes a plan from the little ones or a letter from the grown-ups. And there it is a meeting with emotion“, he revealed in particular.
