INTERVIEW – The French people’s favourite presenter is arriving this fall on the station with the logo to present “Héros”, a one-hour show broadcast every evening.
Since August 26, Faustine Bollaert is at the head of “Héros”, a show broadcast from Monday to Friday on RTL, between 8 and 9 p.m. A few days after her return, during the press conference of the station with the red logo organized in Le Mans, we met her. The favorite presenter of the French according to our survey, who remains at the head of “Ça commence aujourd’hui” on France 2, gives us her first impressions.
LE FIGARO. – You are arriving at RTL this fall for a daily show. How did this arrival play out behind the scenes?
Faustine BOLLAERT. – It wasn’t really a surprise. I had been talking to management for years. We had spotted each other out of the corner of our eyes. The seats are very expensive and there’s a story about the planets being aligned. And everything accelerated in the spring to lead to “Heroes”. I’m really happy.
Are you satisfied with the result?
For the moment, these are shows that we recorded before the summer that are being broadcast on air. I can’t wait for last week’s to be offered. I’ve found my radio automatisms that I no longer had. I stopped in 2012 after eight years on Europe 1. I’m having a blast. Radio runs through my veins.
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Were you hazed when you arrived?
Not at all. I was rather touched. Whether it was Alex Vizorek, Florian Gazan… I received welcome messages. There are some personalities that I met for the first time today in Le Mans and I was a little panicked. I thought I was going to find myself in the canteen with my tray all alone like the first days at school but in fact, not at all. I am proud to be in the family photo. The presenter is a solitary animal. We don’t see each other much. At France Télévisions, we are all in our respective studios. RTL is a very family station, I was told that and it was confirmed. My office is next to Julien’s (Courbet, editor’s note). You can run into Laurent (Ruquier) at the coffee machine. It’s great fun for me. They are all within reach. It’s a nice family reunion!
What does RTL represent for you?
When I was a child, we didn’t necessarily listen to RTL at home. On the other hand, I listened to it growing up. I was attracted because this radio station suits me perfectly, a mix of information and entertainment. And the radio is not politically engaged. I love listening to Lorànt Deutsch’s stories, Laurent Ruquier’s potacherie, Éric Dussart’s media show…. I know the program schedule by heart. Which really surprised Régis Ravanas (the station’s boss, Editor’s note) when I met him.
“I don’t know if working with your spouse is the best idea”
Faustine Bollaert
Your Husband’s Next Novel Maxim Chattam is dedicated to the world of television. Are you responsible for this?
It’s the story of a news anchor who is taken hostage live and if he cuts the air, he’ll be killed. I don’t say this about all his books but honestly, I love this one. It’s incredibly effective. You won’t be able to put it down until the end. I read as he wrote and I would yell at him when he didn’t make enough progress (laughs). He covers a lot of subjects, including sexual harassment in our profession. He went behind the scenes of a news program to complete his narration. I’m very proud of him. I can’t wait for people to discover it.
Are you hiding in one of his characters?
It’s really a fiction, a thriller and a race against time. Not at all a roman à clef. I know that everyone will look for meanings in it, there aren’t any. There are only one or two scenes that we may have written together. He has shared the life of a presenter for twelve years, so of course, he is steeped in it. He knows what the stress of audiences is, a prompter, a production van, an earpiece, etc.
Could you write a series together, for example?
My husband has started producing TV series and he has an idea for me for a character. He would love to see me act. I started at Cours Florent and I have been seen in loads of B series, Un gars, une fille etc. Maybe one day but I don’t know if working with your partner is the best idea.
