“With Christophe Dechavanne, we gauged each other in ten seconds”

“With Christophe Dechavanne, we gauged each other in ten seconds”


INTERVIEW - The journalist launches "What a time!", Saturday, September 24, in the second part of the evening, on France 2.

This show is one of the most anticipated meetings of the season. After hosting “We are live” with Laurent Ruquier last season, Léa Salamé kicks off “Quelle époque!”, Saturday September 24, in the second part of the evening on France 2. A major challenge for this woman, who finds herself, for the first time, alone at the head of this time slot.

TV MAGAZINE. - You succeed Laurent Ruquier, who put you in the spotlight in “We are not in bed”in 2014. Did you kill the father?
LÉA SALAMÉ. - He won't like you calling him my father! (Laughs.)No, because he himself decided to leave this box. I loved working alongside her as a co-presenter. And I could have continued this duo for a long time, because we have a natural understanding and I have a lot of admiration for him. But he explained to me behind the cameras that he felt frustrated, which I can understand since he carried Saturday nights alone for sixteen years!

Is it distressing to take over the reins of this box?
It is obviously a real challenge. I even wondered if I was able to settle into this mythical armchair that Thierry Ardisson also occupied with "Everyone talks about it". This is the first time that a woman has taken the reins of this second part of the evening, which is an institution. I could have refused the proposal, but I decided to overcome my fear. The pressure is high, but it doesn't paralyze me, because I'm also excited to show who I really am on this show.

“People need to laugh, and so do I! »

Léa Salamé, presenter of “What an era!” on France 2.

Will the public discover a new Léa Salamé?
More and more often, my friends and my relatives said to me: “It's funny, you're super nice and funny in life, why don't we see it on the air? This year, with Laurent, I was able to show a face that looks like me, with a bit of fun and levity, different from that of the political interviewer hidden behind an authoritarian jacket.

Why this change?
We live in a particularly anxiety-provoking period… People need to laugh, and so do I. I hope that my appointment will be a place of reflection, of encounters, but also of joy, where one relaxes.

The great return of Christophe Dechavanne

Will your show be a cousin of"We are live»?
In general, for twenty-five years, this hut has been a meeting place. It's the only place on TV where a politician sits next to an actress, influencer and intellectual. From this point of view, I place myself clearly in line with Thierry Ardisson and Laurent Ruquier. I would like to keep this particular Saturday night music, recognizable by its freedom of speech and its impertinence. Afterwards, I will necessarily add my personal touch. Many appointments will punctuate this talk show, the objective of which will be to understand the era, but without insulting each other.

The chef's surprise is the arrival of Christophe Dechavanne. What place will he occupy?
He arrives in this program as a permanent guest. He will have his appointment, with a person he wishes to highlight.

Why did you choose it?
With my producer Régis Lamanna-Rodat, from Winter Productions, we chose him not only because he is phenomenal on TV, but because he has an opinion on everything and an outlook on society. He has always been committed, especially against AIDS.

Was he surprised?
I was overwhelmed to see that he was genuinely happy when we knocked on his door. And I am hallucinated to see the number of positive reactions that his return has provoked!

You had never met him before. How did this first meeting go?
It was great, it arrived half an hour late. (Laughs.) We gauged each other in ten seconds. He threw me three valves, I laughed, and it was good.

Comedian Philippe Caverivière will take the lead…
It will explode, and blow everything up! I am very happy that he stays by my side, because he makes me die of laughter. He's really one of the few who agree to go so far on all subjects, even if it means sometimes being trashy.. In "What a time!", He will have a more important role than in "We are live", because he will intervene several times during the evening. And then there will also be other columnists, of all ages. It won't be smooth or boring.

Why did you decide to leave L'Émission politique? ?
I feel like I've gone all the way. I am proud of the new formula that we launched with all the faces of France Télévisions. But, now, I want to open the window to feel the time and tell it, because I believe that we are living in a totally crazy, scary, but also exciting period.

"Gilles Bouleau is a reassuring and British figure who makes me feel good"

Léa Salamé, presenter of “What an era!” on France 2.

What memory do you keep of the debate between the two presidential rounds, which you presented with Gilles Bouleau?
I don't know a more zen journalist than him. It's a reassuring, British and elegant figure that makes me feel good. It is an honor to present such a strong moment in French life. Especially when you were born abroad, like me…

Was it a pride for the woman born in Beirut that you are?
Yes, I arrived in France at 5 years old and I was naturalized at 10 years old. Before the credits, I thought of my grandmother, who passed away. She could never have imagined that I would one day host the debate between the two rounds. He's my guardian angel. She protects me.



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