Philippe Tesson has never worked.
He lived his passions until his last day, on the eve of his 95th birthday.
His interview with Thierry Ardisson in 2000 is clear proof of this.
Faced with the one who was then nicknamed "the man in black", he makes colorful remarks with the shining eyes and the greedy smile of an eternal child.
Madelen invites you to discover or rediscover this face-to-face discussion in the form of a courteous but not always friendly debate.
Philippe Tesson excelled in this genre of which he was, on television, one of the pioneers.
The day after the 1969 referendum, which led to the departure of General de Gaulle, he appeared in
Face à l'opinion
, one of the first political meetings on the small screen.
Faced with Jacques Fauvet, the director of
Le Monde
, René Andrieu, the editorial writer for
L'Humanité
, and Pierre Charpy, journalist for
La Lettre de la Nation
, he displays an independence of spirit that will become his trademark.
To read also “Philippe Tesson, in complete freedom”
He never hid being rather on the right, but that did not prevent him from having dinner, between 1981 and 1984, at Matignon, with Pierre Mauroy, his childhood friend.
One Sunday, during a face-to-face on
Europe 1
, he is particularly brilliant against the Prime Minister of François Mitterrand.
He then went to his office at Le
Quotidien de Paris
and wrote an editorial which he titled
Europe 1, Mauroy 0
.
He finally brings a copy of the newspaper to the latter who does not get angry, quite the contrary: he falls into his arms to congratulate him affectionately.
Read alsoPhilippe Tesson on television, a high-ranking fighter
Creator of the
Quotidien de Paris
, Philippe Tesson has regularly entrusted editorials to his accomplices on the set, starting with Maurice Clavel and Roger Stéphane.
He also spotted and gave their first chance to young people whose talent he immediately spotted.
One morning, he receives a young blonde, shy woman who has just finished her studies at HEC.
She is passionate about economics and is looking for a job.
He listens and, in just a few minutes, he understands that he is facing a future star of the press, even of television.
She has charm, an obvious vivacity, an incredible will, a desire to succeed.
"I had the feeling of having in front of me, a kind of icon, perfection made woman"
he will say when she becomes the presenter of the TV News.
He entrusted her with the writing of a few articles around the theme that fascinated her at the time: the economy.
Very quickly, she will find herself at the head of a service that she will lead for seven years.
At this time, Tesson also thought of entrusting high functions to the cultural specialist of his
Quotidien de Paris
, Henry Chapier.
The latter politely refuses, assuring that he is very happy in this function and will never have any other ambition.
“I bet him that he would make television
one day,” Tesson once confided.
He didn't believe me and, in the end, the success of his show
Le Divan proved
me right.
Until the last few weeks, Tesson wrote in the newspapers and directed his Théâtre de Poche in Montparnasse.
When asked about his possible retirement, his answer was immediate:
“There are no more 90-year-old journalists.
Today I am considered a memory, a reference, a historical monument.
When you need to visit me, I always answer present.
It will always be so, until the end.
It is my duty”.
Mission accomplished.
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