The former star presenter of 13H of TF1, Jean-Pierre Pernaut, died at the age of 71, announced Wednesday to AFP the agent of his wife Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut.
Bushy eyebrows, glasses and a deep voice, Jean-Pierre Pernaut was above all a recipe made from ” proximity “, in his words. Met a few years ago by AFP, he prided himself on having been the first TV presenter to create a network of correspondents in the region. For ” have a less Parisian newspaper », « less institutional ” and ” visit people at home “.
► To listen too : 7:15 a.m. September 16, 2020 – Goodbye Jean-Pierre Pernaut
For 33 years, Jean-Pierre Pernaut had established himself as the king of midday news. He had retired from the JT on December 18, 2020, when he was at the height of his audiences and his popularity. Arrived at the head of the JT in 1988, after 13 years at TF1, he imposes his style, with his subjects and his magazines, those of France of traditions, craftsmen, cafes and heritage. Forty minutes of newspaper, Monday to Friday, without a teleprompter. He will not leave the 1 p.m. news until 2020, in front of more than eight million spectators for his last. “ TV was never a goal for me “, he assured, happy ” to be on the coals every day “.
” 20 years ahead »
In his office on the second floor of the chain, decorated with a photo of Johnny, a figurine of Titeuf and a map of France, the Picard congratulated himself on having had from the start ” twenty years ahead of the others “. ” Twenty years ago, I was the only one talking about storms. For the others, it was vulgar. Today, when it falls two centimeters of snow somewhere, it’s four subjects at 20 hours of France 2 “.
Every morning, rather than scrutinizing the news channels continuously, he devoured the front pages of the regional press to ” see what the weather is like “. Critics did not spare him. The semiologist François Jost read in this newspaper a ” certain populism “. But its success was its armor, even if the ratings fell towards the end. Which explains why France held its breath when it learned of its health concerns, such as prostate and lung cancers, which it made public.
” Familiar voice and reassuring face »
His collaborators described an inexhaustible and charismatic presenter, who joined TF1 on January 6, 1975, the day the channel was created after the ORTF broke up. ” It is with immense pain that we learned of the disappearance of Jean-Pierre Pernaut “, writes TF1 in its press release. The chain’s CEO, Gilles Pelisson, Thierry Thuillier, (Deputy Director General Information, editor’s note), the editorial staff of TF1, LCI and all the teams of the TF1 Group share the pain and grief of his family and loved ones “, continues TF1. And to add: Television loses one of its greatest journalists, TF1 a member of his family “.
The Prime Minister, Jean Castex, saluted the memory of the journalist by considering that ” the France of the territories is losing that familiar voice and that reassuring face that spoke so well of her and knew how to speak to her so well “. ” Not a hamlet in our country was unknown to him. Not a tradition of our lands was foreign to him “, added the head of government in a message posted on Twitter.
Not a hamlet in our country was unknown to him. Not one tradition of our lands was foreign to him.
Territorial France is losing that familiar voice and that reassuring face that spoke so well of her and knew how to speak to her so well. We already miss Jean-Pierre Pernaut.— Jean Castex (@JeanCASTEX) March 2, 2022
On the personal side, the native of Amiens, fan of motorsport, married in 2007 the ex-Miss France and TV host Nathalie Marquay, and was the father of four children, including two born from a previous union.
( With AFP)