“I have decided to leave France 2.” Laurent Ruquier announced, Wednesday July 12 on Instagram, his departure after twenty-three seasons on the public service, considering that he no longer had the “trust” of the management of the chain.
The day before, the number two of France Télévisions, Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez, still wanted to “give time for reflection” to the 60-year-old host, whose Le Parisien announced the departure since the beginning of July.
Recalling having revealed many personalities such as Florence Foresti, Kev Adams and Léa Salamé, during his various broadcasts, the presenter of “Children of TV” for six years thanked “the viewers for their trust and loyalty, constantly renewed” .
Think about other horizons
“It’s a pity, but that’s the way it is. I could have continued to present “Les Enfants de la télé” quietly, but I still have other desires, other ambitions and unfortunately I see from year to year the reduction of my emissions, “adds the host , who says he learned “only at the end of June” that there would be no more evenings devoted to “Big Heads” or “Children of TV” “next season”.
“This is the last sign that confirmed to me that it was time to think about other horizons”, he continues, not being able to “guarantee” that he will find himself “on another channel at the start of the school year”.
“The deadlines are short to appear in the September program schedules, most of which are already ready”, explains the man who also hosted “Club Première”, a weekly talk show on Paris Première, since the start of the 2022 school year.
An emblematic figure of public service, Laurent Ruquier was in charge of the second evening parts on Saturdays on France 2 from 2006 to 2022, the year in which he left his place to Léa Salamé, who had joined him in 2021 at the co-presentation of “We’re Live”, a successor to “We’re Not Lying”. He had given up this time slot last summer, frustrated by the co-animation.
The host was also at the helm of the daily “We tried everything” for seven years and “We only ask to laugh” for two seasons. He will continue to host for a tenth season “Les Grosses Têtes”, on RTL, from the start of the school year.