Tributes poured in on Monday after the death of French journalist and radio host Philippe Bouvard, who died at the age of 96. Colleagues from his show "Les Grosses Têtes" paid homage on air, while broadcaster TF1 gathered reactions from public figures and members of the public.
Monday's recording of "Les Grosses Têtes" could not begin any other way. Laurent Ruquier, who took over hosting the RTL show in September 2014 after Bouvard had run it for 37 years, told listeners the programme was dedicated to Bouvard, the creator of Les Grosses Têtes. Speaking to TF1's lunchtime news programme, Ruquier described Bouvard as someone who had truly been one of the pillars of the radio and television world, calling him a master.
Colleagues remember his humour
Several of the show's regular panellists said what they would remember most was Bouvard's gift for laughter. Olivier de Kersauzon, one of the programme's longtime contributors, told TF1 there had been a real joy of living and a deep desire to have fun on the show, describing the atmosphere as one of genuine cheerfulness and total madness.
Actor Gérard Jugnot recalled that Bouvard always had a little sparkle in his eye, on the lookout for the slightest silliness or the smallest touch of humour, something Jugnot said had always fascinated him.
In a separate report broadcast on TF1's lunchtime news, actress Macha Méril, a former regular on the show, remembered Bouvard as someone who was both critical and a little teasing and mocking, but who was also a man of feeling and affection. She said he was not at all brutal and was not someone who wanted to demolish, at all costs, the people he interviewed.
An impertinent style that broke ground
Members of the public who gathered outside the RTL studios also praised Bouvard's approach. One Parisian told TF1 it was important to have people who challenge us with a smile, without bitterness, violence or malice. Another said Bouvard represented an era of television different from today, with retorts that were sometimes quite biting and cutting, adding that some of those exchanges probably would not go down well now.
Ruquier said Bouvard's brand was to be a little insolent or impertinent toward guests who came on to promote themselves, noting that during the 1970s on French television, Bouvard was one of the first hosts to conduct interviews that were somewhat iconoclastic and irreverent.
Actress Mimi Mathy said Bouvard had helped normalise who she was at a time when that did not exist, because short people were, until then, automatically cast as villains, aggressive characters or supporting roles. She said she owed him a great debt for allowing her to continue the career she had only just begun, a career now in its 40th year. Mathy plans to dedicate part of her upcoming stage show to Bouvard.
Fans recall Bouvard's early theatre show
The public also turned out in large numbers outside RTL on Monday morning to pay their respects. A retiree told TF1 that Bouvard was quite biting and that guests were afraid of him during interviews. A woman standing nearby said she had watched Bouvard's earlier programme, "le petit théâtre de Bouvard," even before his later shows, and that she had loved it.
Bouvard was known for taking chances on young performers, including the comedy trio Les Inconnus and the duo Chevallier and Laspalès. Comedian Philippe Chevallier recalled that performers had to make Bouvard laugh immediately, since he had a great capacity for boredom. Chevallier said that if a sketch performed at Bouvard's theatre failed to make him laugh, Bouvard would simply tell the performers it was not a problem and that they could come back the next day with something else.
A career spanning generations
Several generations of French performers and broadcasters say they owe a debt to Bouvard, whose irreverent style on radio and television helped shape French entertainment for decades. The TF1 report was produced by Virginie Fauroux, with contributions from Yann Hovine, Louanne Neau and Sylvain Millanvoye.
