ADVERTISEMENTThierry Ardisson, a leading French television presenter and producer, has died aged 76.
Ardisson died on Monday 14 July of liver cancer, his family told AFP.
“Thierry left as he lived. As a courageous and free man. With his children and mine, we were united around him. Until his last breath,” wrote his wife, TF1 journalist Audrey Crespo-Mara.
Known for his humorous and often controversal interviews, Ardisson had one of the longest and most colourful careers in French television, shaking up the TV landscape with formats he adored – namely ones that challenged the guests and took them out of their comfort zones.
“When I got into TV, I quickly realised that there were subjects that weren’t being talked about, a language that wasn’t being used,” he told GQ in November 2015. “There was a boulevard to revolutionise everything.”
Always dressed in black, he courted controversy with crude remarks and often polemical interviewing styles that led some of his detractors to label him “trashy”.
He created shows like Descente de police, Lunettes noires pour nuits blanches, Rive Droite / Rive Gauche and Paris Dernière. He made his biggest mark on the public service in 1998 with Tout le monde en parle, a cult Saturday night show on France 2.
His celebrity interviews quickly became the talk of the town, with one of his most infamous moments being with Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of François Mitterrand, when he asked him if sucking was cheating.
His last show, Hôtel du Temps, for France Télévisions, had a rather unique selling point: he would interview dead celebrities.
Aided by artificial intelligence, he brought back to life legendary French actor Jean Gabin, celebrated comedian Coluche and singer Dalida – 35 years after her death. The concept was both admired and criticised, with some praising its inventiveness while others saw it as disrespectful.
The show ultimately failed to secure an audience and was cancelled in 2023 – only one year after its start date.
Ardisson was married three times, was the father of three children and a grandfather since 2019.
French president Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Légion d’honneur – one of France’s most prestigious orders of merit, both military and civil – in 2024.
Through an Elysée statement, President Macron paid tribute to the memory of Ardisson, calling him the man who “helped write the history of French television.”
