Political journalist Jean-Pierre Elkabbach died this Tuesday at the age of 86, reported BFM TV, Franceinfo and the Canal+ group, citing the journalist’s entourage. These media confirmed information first revealed by Paris-Match, without specifying the circumstances of the death of the emblematic journalist, described by some as “ king of the interview “.
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His former employers, the Canal+ group and Europe 1, of which he was a figure for many years, announced the news through a publication on social networks. “ Jean-Pierre is no more. My sadness is infinite. I’m losing a friend. France, a brilliant journalist. Canalplusgroupe is sad this evening. I join in the immense pain of his family, his loved ones, and those who one day had the pleasure of crossing his path, at CNews, which he helped to create, as elsewhere », indicated on X (ex-Twitter) the general director of the Canal+ group Gérald Brice-Viret.
Europe 1 also announced his death on social networks, which sparked a number of reactions on Tuesday evening. Delphine Ernotte paid tribute to the memory of the man who before her was boss of France Télévisions. “ He will have told politics and the century like no other and brought public debate to all homes “, she said on X (ex-Twitter). “ A huge voice on radio and television was extinguished this evening. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach has passionately informed several generations of French people », Reacted Sibyle Veil, CEO of Radio France.
Exchanges with Georges Marchais “ engraved ” in history
On the political side, communist leader Fabien Roussel welcomed a “ traveling companion of the Fifth Republic, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach will have marked the media history of our country. His legendary exchanges with Georges Marchais will remain engraved “. An allusion to an interview in 1980 with the secretary general of the PCF Georges Marchais who reprimanded him during an interview on Antenne 2: the famous formula, “ Shut up, Elkabbach! », was in fact never pronounced by Marchais, but imagined by comedians caricaturing the debate.
At the end of 2022, he had published The shores of memory where he looked back on his childhood, his journey and his numerous encounters. “ This book is not my will, but I want to leave a trace “, he said then. Joining Europe 1 in 1981, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach left the station in 1993 to take the helm of France Télévisions. He returned there in 1996, splashed by a scandal over the awarding of juicy contracts to the star hosts-producers of France 2. At the end of 2016, he was ousted from his daily slot, before leaving the station and joining CNews and becoming an advisor to Vincent Bolloré, who controls the news channel. He returned to Europe 1 in 2021 to conduct the major weekend morning interviews, before stopping to devote himself to writing his book.
(With AFP)