Matthieu Lartot surprised his fans on April 25, 2023. The famous rugby and tennis commentator on France Télévisions announced his decision to withdraw from the group. He had to face a recurrence of his knee cancer right, detected 25 years earlier, followed by amputation. A break which was beneficial to him since he was able to return to the air on September 5, 2023, only three days before the opening match between France and New Zealand. The commentator was the subject of a portrait in the columns of Release, Thursday September 28, 2023. In it, one of his collaborators spoke about his character, which is not easy to experience on a daily basis. Anonymously, the latter explained that Matthieu Lartot is a “hard and cold character, but also brilliant and hardworking”. However, he clarified that the journalist is “an interesting guy with whom you can have good discussions, when you meet him and you are not in his way”. This collaborator was determined to be transparent since he added: “As soon as there is a balance of power that is established, he can be quite frankly obnoxious.” Confidences that Matthieu Lartot fans certainly did not expect.
Matthieu Lartot: an “odious character” but who recognizes it
In the columns of Release, Matthieu Lartot has been described as being a journalist who can sometimes be very difficult to get along with. The main person concerned, who spoke about his new life since his amputation, immediately responded to his colleague’s confidences…. ensuring that they are not false. “I’m not always easy”, he says first. Concerning his attitude, the sports commentator specifies that, when he is in a professional setting, he can be very demanding. “When I’m at an editorial conference, I expect the people in front of me to know all the recent facts in sports news. I expect relevant proposals”, did he declare. Matthieu Lartot is passionate about his work and takes it very seriously. So, being back on air was pure joy for the journalist. Thursday September 21, 2023, he was commenting on the meeting between France and Namibia. A few minutes before the kick-off round, coach Fabien Galthié wanted to speak to him. “Already, if I may, I would like to salute Matthieu for his comeback. Congratulations to you Matthew. We are very happy to know that you are with us”, he said. Words which greatly touched Matthieu Lartot, who had to contain his tears.