You had to keep an eye on Saturday evening during the “Star Academy” final on TF1, followed by 4.27 million viewers.
In the choreography of the duo Patrick Fiori with Julien on “Que tu reviens”, dancers passed newspapers to each other.
And among the titles chosen and shown on the screen, Internet users spotted the use of the January 31 issue of the far-right weekly Rivarol.
A publication which lost its approval in 2022 by the Joint Commission for Publications and Press Agencies, thus depriving it of the tax advantages and reduced postal rates granted to newspapers.
Its publishing director, Jérôme Bourbon, has a total of around fifteen convictions, notably for negationism, incitement to hatred, protesting crimes against humanity and racist insults.
VIDEO.
The denialist newspaper Rivarol in the hands of a Star Academy dancer
On the set, Saturday evening, however, no one noticed the use of this newspaper.
Especially since several other titles had also been purchased, such as a copy of Le Canard chainé, also visible on the air.
Sunday morning, the production company Endemol France, which produces the front page program, announced that it was doing everything it could to shed light on this unfortunate use.
pic.twitter.com/RC1O4DM7jA
— Endemol France (@Endemol_France) February 4, 2024
“We regret and strongly condemn that a propaganda newspaper, in complete opposition to the values of the Star Academy, appeared in a painting last night
(Saturday evening)
during the final.
We are currently investigating to understand how this was put during the broadcast, we can read there.
Necessary sanctions will be taken accordingly.
We apologize to viewers, artists and students.
» Contacted by us, production had not yet responded to the calls this Monday afternoon.
The hypothesis of an unfortunate error is favored
It remains to be seen whether this copy of Rivarol was placed there by accident or on purpose.
If the investigation is still ongoing, internally, the hypothesis of an unfortunate error is favored.
Since the staging requires newspapers of a rather large format, which is the case with the far-right newspaper, these could have been purchased without taking their title into account.
On the rehearsal sequences broadcast in the daily newspaper on Saturday afternoon, we can also see the dancers holding several copies in their hands, but this time only of Canard Enchaîné.
Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the sequence hampers both production and the chain.
According to our findings, the duet between Julien and Patrick Fiori was not posted online, unlike all of the other performances of the evening.
The passage was even edited on the available replay of the evening, replacing the incriminated sequence with a shot of the audience.
On the X account of the famous TF1 entertainment, an extract from this version of “Que tu reviens” is still visible, but with a passage in which no controversial image appears.