The funeral of Jean-Pierre Pernaut, former star journalist of TF1 who died on March 2 at the age of 71 from lung cancer, was held this Wednesday at 11 a.m., in the basilica of Ste-Clotilde, in the 7th district in Paris.
The coffin arrived to loud applause, followed by the deceased’s wife Nathalie Marquay and their children. The door of the basilica was framed by two portraits of a smiling Jean-Pierre Pernaut.
About 400 anonymous people sometimes came from afar to pay their last respects to the one they almost consider as someone from their family, as he was part of their daily lives for three decades during which he had established himself as the king. mid-day news, with a formula based on proximity, which has made its signature. No camera had been authorized to enter the Sainte-Clothilde basilica. There was also no retransmission on the big screen for the public present outside. Father Alain de La Morandais was among the celebrants of the ceremony.
Only duly registered persons were allowed to enter the building. Former colleagues, TV personalities, politicians came to pay their last respects.
Among the personalities present were notably Michel Drucker, Cyril Hanouna, Laurent Delahousse, Nikos Aliagas, Karine Le Marchand, Denis Brogniart, Evelyne Dhéliat, Sylvie Tellier and several Miss France, but also Nicolas Sarkozy, Valérie Pécresse, Rachida Dati, or even Christian Estrosi . After the religious ceremony, the burial must be held in the strictest privacy.
The one who had joined TF1 from its creation had decided to withdraw from the JT, on December 18, 2020, when he was at the height of his audiences. Sick, the septuagenarian had however remained active on “JPP TV”, an online platform to offer regional subjects created by TF1, and present on the LCI news channel (TF1 group) a weekly program called “Jean-Pierre and you”.
He had also created in 2021 a paper magazine, called “At the heart of the regions” and participated last December as a juror in the election of Miss France.