Poached from BFMTV, the journalist took charge of Bonjour! on January 8. La Matinale TF1, between 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. He gives us all the details of this Télé matin competitor.
What state of mind are you in a few days before the launch of the TF1 morning show?
BRUCE TOUSSAINT: Very enthusiastic and impatient, knowing that there will be a lot of pressure. It is legitimate given the challenge it represents for TF1, which had not done a morning show for several decades. I know how much this is awaited by the house, by the community and, I hope, by the public. We are fully engaged, very mobilized as the big day approaches.
What convinced you to embark on this adventure?
I do this job to be challenged and experience great moments of exhilaration. I really like the idea of creating a show. We have a blank page and we invent a format, a team, a style.
Was it complicated for you to leave BFMTV?
Yes, it’s always difficult to leave a house in which you have spent several years. It’s even more so to go at this time of year. This weighed in my choice because I always try to behave well with my employers. Unfortunately, it was either giving up or breaking this rule. I preferred to transgress.
Are you still friends with Marc-Olivier Fogiel, boss of BFMTV?
Our relations have become a little strained, that’s normal. But we’ve known each other for a long time and I hope our friendship can survive this.
What can viewers expect with Good morning ! The TF1 Morning?
At a big welcome meeting. Every morning, for two and a half hours, we will wake up viewers in every sense of the word. We will be a sort of alarm clock, we will also awaken their senses, their attention, their desires with a whole bunch of columnists, sections, guests, and information meetings every half hour. It’s going to be very rich.
How did the casting of your team go?
We were inundated with requests, hundreds of applications. We organized a casting call which brought together around sixty people and we made choices. I am very proud of this team. Diversity and parity were at the heart of our discussions to compose it.
What is your strategy to compete with Telematin, the morning of France 2?
It won’t be easy because Telematin is an institution, they have explored a bit of everything. It’s up to us to be inventive, to be clever. Our ambition is to set up a meeting which will stand out by the decor, which will be cozy, warm, by the talents who will be around the table, by the roots in the region which will be very strong.
What time should you set your alarm?
At 4 o’clock. Beyond waking up, the morning requires constant mobilization and I will give everything to make it work. You don’t have to count your hours and at the same time save yourself, because I know how difficult it is to keep going. I’ll get organized.
Will there be weekend editions?
Not at the moment.
Are you going to monitor the competition on a small screen, as you did on BFMTV?
I hadn’t asked myself the question. It’s not impossible!
Has TF1 set a deadline or audiences for you to succeed?
I admit that I myself questioned my management on this subject. Every time I get the answer “no”. Maybe they’ll change their minds, but for now, I don’t have any audience goals. I think it is linked, beyond caution, to the fact that it is a creation at a time when it is difficult to make a comparison.