Media: Julien Arnaud leaves TF1 to host “Télématin” on France 2

A replacement for Thomas Sotto: Julien Arnaud, Gilles Bouleau’s joker on TF1’s 8pm news, will join France 2 to co-present Telematin after the Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8), announced the director of information of France Télévisions on Monday Parisian.

“We were looking for someone who had a lot of journalistic experience, who was able to provide news, who was appreciated by the general public and who got on well with Flavie Flament,” another new face on the show who is taking over from Marie Portolano, explained Alexandre Kara, the head of news for the public group. “Julien ticked all those boxes,” he added about a professional who he considered “extremely rigorous” and “compatible with public service,” who would also become one of the jokers on France 2’s news.

An arrival at TF1 in 1997

The 50-year-old journalist is leaving TF1, a group where he has spent his entire career since 1997, when he joined the news channel LCI as an editor-commentator, before presenting his first news programs there two years later. Replacing Gilles Bouleau for 12 years during the week and co-presenter of the show last season An eye on the world On LCI, Julien Arnaud was also Claire Chazal’s joker in presenting the weekend news from summer 2006 to 2012.

At the controls of Telematinhe will take over the position held since 2021 by Thomas Sotto, whose surprise departure for the RTL morning show was announced at the end of July, three weeks after that of Marie Portolano, who wanted to “develop professionally” after just one season, Alexandre Kara explained to Parisian.

Not on air “before September 9 or 16”

Created in 1985 and scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Telematin brings together some 700,000 viewers on average. It has retained its place as the leading French morning show despite the arrival on TF1 in January of a direct competitor, Good morning !.

If the latter restarted on August 19, Telematin will not return until after the end of the Paralympic Games on September 8, “Julien Arnaud and Flavie Flament are not expected on air before Monday September 9 or 16”, according to the Parisian“Until then, France 2 will rely on replacements to host” the show, the daily newspaper specifies.

Asked by AFP, TF1 said it “sincerely thanks” Julien Arnaud for his years spent within the group. Regarding his replacement, the channel stressed that it had “many solutions internally”, without a decision being made at this stage.