The transfer window at the head of the 20 hours of France 2 will have been a new soap opera. What happened behind the scenes is starting to be revealed.
This is undoubtedly one of the most trying mercatos for France 2. After having decided to eviction of Anne-Sophie Lapix at the presentation of the 8 pm news, France Télévisions chose Léa Salamé to replace her at the start of the school year. A star of the public service for a large television mass, which promise some dramatic sequences, on the air, as behind the scenes, where we are worried about the declining audiences of the two -time journal.
Dramatic sequences, there have already been a few in this very strategic recruitment. The press begins to reveal how France 2 ended up opting for Léa Salamé. And it was obviously not easy …
1- The sudden sidelining of Anne-Sophie Lapix, who slams the door!
The soap opera started three weeks ago with the sudden eviction of Anne-Sophie Lapix from the presentation of the 20 hours, which she has been taking on since 2017. According to Le Figaro, the journalist did not intend to hang up, she learned her steam. Result: while the management of France Télévisions wanted to “be able to count at the start of the school year on the talent of Anne-Sophie Lapix” and work “with it on new projects”, she preferred to slam the door.
M6 hastened to announce that Anne-Sophie Lapix will join her antenna as well as RTL at the start of the school year. The group makes a new big blow there in one of its best castings, after the recruitments of Cyril Hanouna and Olivier Minne. The relations between Lapix and France TV, they were obviously tense. While a last JT was expected in mid-July for the former star journalist of France 2, she will bow out much earlier, this Thursday, June 26.
2- The turnaround of Caroline Roux, not “reasonable” enough
To replace Anne-Sophie Lapix, the management of France Télévisions first thought of Caroline Roux, presenter of C in the air On France 5. “I was offered this exercise, I was very honored by the proposal,” confirmed the interested party in Le Figaro, recalling that for a journalist, the 8 pm news is considered “a grail”. Pretended to be a great favorite, she seemed about to accept the offer, some even indicate that the agreement was sealed.
But Patatras: After reflection, Caroline Roux finally declined last Tuesday, to everyone’s surprise. A slightly harsh, almost unspeakable withdrawal. “I thought about it a lot and in reality, I am very attached to my show C in the air on France 5 and my teams. I am deeply happy, “she explained to justify her choice. The Figaro still and 20 minutes advance other reasons. The first: Caroline Roux wanted to bring Sylvain Thierry, the editorial producer of C in the air as editor -in -chief of 8 p.m. “Not cut for the position” would have responded in substance in France 2, which would have motivated the journalist’s refusal.
“We do not improvise ourselves editor -in -chief of the 8 pm news. This condition claimed by Caroline Roux did not seem reasonable,” said an internal source in Le Figaro. The “scraper”, a word used by another employee of France TV in 20 minutes, makes task. But it is also said that Caroline Roux has been able to feel in the position of a “plan B” while waiting for another TV star decides to accept or not the 20 -hour proposal. A certain Léa Salamé.
3- The white nights of Léa Salamé
Already approached in 2017 for the 8 p.m., Léa Salamé, 45, was he the first or the second choice of France Télévisions? We will probably never know. But the journalist, very courted, had received an attractive proposal from BFMTV to animate a talk show in the evening, with “one of the biggest wages in TV”. The choice of leaving or staying in the public service would have “prevented it from sleeping” at night according to several press titles.
We do not know if it was the money that motivated her or other arguments of Delphine Ernotte, president of France Télévisions, but she had in any case had to put the package to convince her: a coffee between the two women a week ago was finally decisive and this is how Léa Salamé was announced Thursday as the new JT queen.
The colleague of Nicolas Demorand on France Inter, who will have to leave the radio, notably won the right to accumulate the JT and her successful program What an era! that she will keep on Saturday evening. We do not yet know what will be interviews and political subjects as the 2027 presidential election approaches, Léa Salamé being often accused of partiality. Since 2015, she has been in a relationship with the European deputy Raphaël Glucksmann, father of her child.
