Accused by former collaborators of having established a toxic working climate in Télématin, Thomas Sotto broke the silence. In an interview with AFP, he returns to accusations, the pressure of a daily morning, and the real reasons for his departure for RTL.
On July 3, 2024, a survey of Telerama shaken behind the scenes of Télématin. Former collaborators of Thomas belowthen editorial director of the show, denounced “toxic” management and “constant pressure”. Since then, Thomas Sotto has left France 2 to join RTL. Remaining so far, he finally spoke in an interview with AFP, taken up by many media, to deliver his version of the facts. Between personal injuries, questioning and new departure, the host returns to a media sequence which he describes as “Unheard of violence”.
Thomas Sotto gives his version of the facts on the Télématin affair
“An incredible violence” experienced on a personal level
Asked about the reasons for his departure, Thomas Sotto claims that this is not a flight from criticism, but a personal choice. However, he acknowledges having been deeply affected by the investigation. “From a personal, intimate point of view, it was incredible violence”he says, relates Télé-Loisirs. He admits that the pressure of a daily emission can generate tensions: “A daily is a laundry, a stress machine for everyone.” Without completely denying the reproaches, he nuances: “I’m not perfect. Is one or twice, I could hurt people? Maybe”.
A method he deems unfair and hurtful
Thomas Sotto disputes the image depicted in the investigation, which he deems distant from reality: “It does not reflect reality, I found it extremely hurtful and very unfair”. He said he was surprised that some have chosen to testify anonymously in the press rather than addressing him directly: “My door is always open”. He also evokes the reshuffles operated on his arrival in Télématin, which could have aroused resentment. In this regard, he says: “We have changed a lot, we didn’t keep everyone”. There is therefore no question for him to carry all the responsibility of the fiasco of that time.
A questioned question
Certainly, Thomas Sotto recognizes that some of his decisions have been able to hit, but he refuses to endorse the image of a tyrannical boss. He insisted that the global atmosphere in Télématin was far from deleterious and that criticisms reflect only isolated part of the collective experience. For him, this controversy especially reveals the difficulty of directing a pressure team, in a format as demanding as a daily morning.
A departure at RTL to forget the Telematin storm?
A personal choice and not a consequence of the controversy
Unlike rumors, Thomas Sotto claims that his departure is not linked to the Télérama survey. He explains that he took a rare professional opportunity, that of presenting the morning of RTL. “It’s part of the challenges that are not refused. RTL, it’s an incredible house, with a story”. Contacted in the middle of July, he said he had accepted quickly: “In Télématin, everything was going very well, the show was walking. Having this kind of choice is a spoiled child privilege”.
A fully assumed professional transition
Thomas Sotto insists that he leaves France 2 In good conditions, without bitterness. He says he is proud of the work accomplished in Télématin, and happy to pass the relay to Julien Arnaud and Flavie Flament. “I am leaving with the feeling of accomplished duty. The program is healthy, and I am delighted to entrust it to professionals that I respect”. He sees in this change a logical continuity of his career, not a imposed rupture.
A new start under the sign of serenity
By joining RTL, Thomas Sotto says he wants to find a more balanced rhythm and an environment conducive to creativity. “” “Radio is a media that I like deeply. It’s more direct, more intimate ”. He hopes that this new adventure will allow him to turn the page Clearly, while continuing to exercise his profession with passion. “I don’t want to stay locked up in a controversy. What interests me is to move forward”.
