In your tense exchange with Sarah Saldmann, TPMP columnist, in C Médiatique, you say that “Giving a political show to Cyril Hanouna is like giving a machine gun to a 12-year-old kid”. Do you really find its influence negative?
“At the time when he compared the Star Academy et The Voicewe didn’t care. Where it becomes unfortunate is when he starts to explain that we must vote for the National Rally. An example: Hanouna believes that when I say “Munich”, I am talking about the capital of Bavaria, whereas, for many, it means the Munich Accords in 1938. He told me that he did not have the same references, as him, it was “Bataille et Fontaine”…“I told him: ‘That’s what I’m explaining’.”
You say that you hope that he does not find work after the end of C8…
“I hope he doesn’t find work again, indeed. Finally, if it’s to host a show about cats and dogs, why not, but not to explain politics to our children. I still don’t understand how Vincent Bolloré was able to leave this freedom to Cyril Hanouna. He has an incredible melon, he shoots everyone on sight. He created Touche pas à mon poste, yes, but in reality, this show is simply four assholes around a table. It’s not the idea of the century. What he invented and which is a good idea is “sitcomization”. He managed to transform his show into a sitecom.”
Upon discovering your words, he says that you are bitter. What do you say to that?
“I’m not bitter at all. What does “bitter” mean? I work all day, I just released a book that I worked on all summer. I have a novel in preparation for Plon and big projects with France Télévisions. Being bitter would mean that I stay at home doing nothing and say that no one recognizes my immense talent. This is not the case at all. I have other faults, but not this one.”
You were at odds with Marc-Olivier Fogiel for years before reconciling. With Hanouna, can we hope for reconciliation one day or not?
“No. We always think that Ardisson is at war with everyone. But, that’s not true. There are reasons that explain my behavior. What happened with Fogiel was very different. I was doing the show Everyone is talking about iton Saturdays, on Public Service and he managed to host a show of the same style, You can’t please everyone, the day before. He told his guests that if they went to his house, he wouldn’t bother them like I could have done. It’s terrible because it’s hard to have guests. And that pissed me off. I ended up winning. It went to France 3, then to M6 and then to BFMTV with the success we know…”
