“nothing is decided”, “it's tight”… who is Thierry Baumann, the iconic leader of the votes

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This Saturday, December 14, 2024, Miss France 2025 will be elected. And who says Miss France election said heady music, portraits of regional misses or even Jean-Pierre Foucault.

But not only that. There is also a familiar face from this particular December evening. And when he appears, serious things are about to begin: the votes.

Thierry Baumannhe has been the leader of the votes since 2011. For actu.frhe agreed to return to his role during the Miss France evening and above all, to his other activities, the remaining 364 days of the year, notably music.

Animating the votes for the Miss France election, “I can’t get tired”

Actu : You've been hosting votes during the Miss France evening for 13 years and we have the impression that you've always been there. Haven't you gotten tired of it since?

Thierry Baumann : It’s true, the mandates follow one another. I started on December 3, 2011 for the election of Miss France 2012, Delphine Wespiser. This competition is an institution and it is really very pleasant to be part of it. It’s a meeting before Christmas that brings together people from different generations.

You are therefore the leader of the votes. On paper, it's always kind of the same thing, right?

T.B. : It's true that my role is very defined: I guide viewers through the voting instructions. We must provide the information, be fair between the territories, the candidates, and all that within a defined time frame. And at the same time, every election is different.
But it's also an expected moment: when I give the signal, people are ready to vote to support their favorite miss. And I can't get tired of it, because I'm not a voting leader all year round!

“Everything can change during the show”

There is a question that perhaps many people are asking themselves: do you see the evolution of the votes live?

T.B. : During the evening, I am in contact with the voting service who give me the trends as the evening progresses, but nothing more, I am not in the know. So when I say it's close between two misses, it really is!
These trends are essential for me to convey to the people who are voting and everything can change during the evening depending on these votes.

Over the years, have you become good at predictions?

T.B. : I ask my community on the networks what their prediction is and so I have a trend before the show. But everything can change during the show: one person's speech, another's way of marching, people can change their choice and therefore their vote very quickly.
And this year, the Miss France 2025 promotion is excellent, it will surely be very close again.

“In everyday life, I don’t wear a tuxedo! »

“Nothing is decided”, “it’s tight”, these are the little phrases which characterize you for many and which sometimes amuse some on social networks, notably X (ex-twitter). How do you experience it?

T.B. : I'm not on X so I don't see what's being said there. Sometimes my community reports to me what is said there, but from what I see, it is generally benevolent.

You are one of the key faces of the Miss France election, especially since viewers only see you on this occasion (or for Lindt ads). How is contact with people going?

T.B. : In everyday life, I don't wear a tuxedo! And what's more, I have a beard every day. For my other professional activities, I have a rather average style. So at first, people will ask me if we've ever met somewhere. And in a second case, when people recognize me, they are always kind, they come to tell me that they enjoyed the show from the previous year for example. These are nice contacts that don't stop me from living.

Thierry Baumann, above all a great music enthusiast

You have just mentioned your other professional activities, little known to the general public. Can you tell us more?

T.B. : During the year, I move from shadow to light, from one activity to another and I like it. I can move from my media training coaching activity with a business manager to my acting activity. Before that, I was a radio journalist too. But this follows my internal logic: sharing, transmission. And what people don't know is that my main activity is music: I'm an author, composer, performer, even if I haven't released anything yet.

Is music really a great passion?

T.B. : Yes, I like discovering unknown artists and introducing them to them. I have a Facebook page, “D'une Oreille à l'Autre – Thierry Baumann”, where every Monday, I present a nugget that I have discovered. It's gymnastics every day, looking for new artists, without any predefined genre. For me, music speaks to you or not. It's a vibration that appeals to as many people as possible and I like to help people discover that and reach out to people who aren't too curious, because the curious don't need me to make their discoveries.

You pass on your passion to people, but when will they be able to discover your music?

T.B. : Next year I'm going to release a musical story for children. It's not what I intended, but my personal experience, the birth of my son, made me want to write it. Without saying too much, I think the world is not doing very well, but small, we all have a resource, a form of resilience that we have muted while growing up.

To see Thierry Baumann in his costume, it's in the Miss France 2025 election, this Saturday, on TF1, from 9:10 p.m.

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