This Saturday, October 15, it will be the great return of Star Academy. Several big fans, nostalgic for the old seasons, gave us their testimonies.
It all started on October 20, 2001, when Jenifer, Mario Barravecchia, Jean-Pascal Lacoste, Olivia Ruiz, Jessica Marquez and 11 other candidates entered the castle of Dammarie-les-lys for the first time. Aged 18 to 30, they had stars in their eyes and a growing desire to win the competition. As viewers, we followed them every day in the daily newspaper waiting for the bonuses every Saturday… That year, it was Jennifer who won a million euros and the chance to release her first album. The following years, we saw other talents like Nolwenn Leroy, Élodie Frégé and Gregory Lemarchal who marked the hearts of French people touched by its history and its strength despite illness.
Until season 8, the fans were there, present in front of their television alone, with family or with friends. The Star Academy had become a real daily meeting and the end of the program had disappointed more than one. The attempt to relaunch the show on NRJ 12 in 2012 had not worked and the fans had remained unsatisfied. But, in this year 2022, TF1 has reserved a magnificent surprise for them since the show is making a comeback with 13 new candidates and 5 new teachers… The opportunity to come back to best fan moments or even their most original anecdotes. They delivered themselves to us… Nostalgia moment guaranteed!
The Star Academy for Myriam, “a real moment of bonding with my daughter”
Myriam started watching the show from the first season but it was when her daughter, Layla, started watching with her, from season 3, that it was “became the essential program at home”. “It was a real bonding moment with my daughter. We huddled on the sofa watching the Saturday prime, making our predictions on who was going to be eliminated. We were both expecting our favorite duos, sometimes the same, sometimes not”, told us the mother who then added: “We were sad with those who cried on the phone because they were confused and happy with those who sang with their idols. We sympathize when they were tired of playing sports or when they came out disappointed with their evaluations”.
Mother and daughter wanted to see the same person win season 3: Elodie Frégé. “There were posters in my daughter’s room”, confides Myriam, nostalgic. That year, Layla got one of her best birthday presents: her mom invited her to the concert. “It was the final stage and the first concert of my daughter which we will always remember”.
The Star Academy for Claudia, “it was crazy right after the Loft”
For Claudia, the best season of Star Academy was the first. “It was so crazy, right after the Loft”, she told us. She was for Jenifer and spent all her Saturday evenings in front of TF1 to vote for her. She continued to watch the following seasons and loved the duo Mariah Carey and Georges-Alain Jones. “My favorite moment is when I discovered Grégory Lemarchal and my favorite coach was Armande Attal”, she revealed. No doubt: Claudia will be in front of her TV on Saturday October 15 to see the return of her favorite show.
Star Academy for Loise, “I had the opportunity to go on set to see the bonuses”
For Loise, the Star Academy was THE evening she spent with a TV set alongside her sister and her mother. “I still have very strong images, I ran out of college to see the daily newspaper, and on bonuses, I remember seeing these world stars, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Elton John, it was really good TV,” she thus revealed to us. “I even had the opportunity to go to the set twice to see the bonuses”she said before explaining that once she even had the chance to call a candidate. “I had called Jérémy Chatelainand I remember I almost choked and was almost unable to speak because it was live”, she told us. During the finals, she even had the right to vote by telephone… Imperishable memories for Loise.
The Star Academy for Maude, “I grew up with this program”
“The Star Academy is my whole childhood”, told us Maude who started watching the show in 2001 when she was only 6 years old. “I grew up with this program and my weeks were punctuated by Saturday night bonuses”, she revealed before adding that she was a big fan of Jenifer. “I also dreamed of being a singer, a ‘star’ like her,” she confessed. Despite her young age at the time, she remembers everything. “The red phone, the rehearsals, the eliminations… This show was really complete”she told us before ending by declaring: “Learning that the show is coming back to the screens is a joy!”
Lahela
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