With his show Kitchen nightmare, in which he helps restaurants in difficulty, Philippe Etchebest was ideal to represent the profession in these times of pandemic. Since the first confinement in March 2020, the famous Michelin-starred chef has indeed established himself as the unofficial spokesperson for restaurateurs and small bosses, deprived of activity and therefore of income. Lively video exchanges with Emmanuel Macron, alert cry after the suicide of two colleagues, or even head-to-head live on TV with members of the government … For the past twelve months, the juror of Top chef has indeed multiplied the rants against sanitary measures. So much so that some already imagine him engaging in politics! In an article published on Wednesday March 17, 2021, The world looks back on the fight led by Philippe Etchebest for a year now.
“I really thought he was going to hang up on me!”
Our colleagues describe in particular the somewhat special relationship that has been built between Philippe Etchebest and Bruno Le Maire. If the two have been passing the buck on television sets for months – as in It's your turn to speak in June 2020 or in C to you in January 2021 – their first exchange was to say the least… unexpected. In full confinement, last April, Philippe Etchebest and his wife Dominique received a curious phone call. “First they thought it was a joke ", Explain The world. Yes, their interlocutor claims to be the Minister of the Economy. “I really thought they were going to hang up on me!”, remembers Bruno Le Maire today. “We weren't ready at all! ", tells in turn the chef, who then tried to guess which of his “prankster buddies ” was on the other end of the phone.
And when Philippe Etchebest finally understands that he is dealing with a real member of the government, the tone rises: "Therefore, I let go. Everything came out. Since the minister took the trouble to call me, you might as well tell him to his face. ” To recount this tense exchange, he then takes up a (controversial) sentence from Emmanuel Macron: "We said things to each other, I want to say 'man to man'. Maybe he's not used to being told real things, but I am as I am. ”
Bruno Le Maire impressed by the chef's tenacity
For his part, Bruno Le Maire does not seem particularly resentful after this somewhat wobbly call. he would almost admire it … "I had heard it on RTL, I found him very good, I thought to myself that he was a kind-hearted man who looked really desperate. And I thought he was certainly a good relay for the profession”, said the minister, who has since had the opportunity to meet Philippe Etchebest on numerous occasions, during Zoom meetings and even face-to-face at the Elysee Palace. In fact, for their first meeting in the flesh, the chef had prepared well. “We entered the room. Still, it's impressive, it takes you to the guts. I asked the minister's advisor how many people here have run a business. No one. So we attacked. ”
For many, the star of M6 is the only leader who has the courage to stand up to political figures. “If I can say that, maybe because I have balls! I'll tell you something, the risk, I don't calculate it. Maybe that’s my problem. ” But today, Philippe Etchebest says he is tired by this over-media coverage and sometimes this celebrity "heavy ”. Because as an unofficial spokesperson for restaurateurs, he receives hundreds of calls for help every day. "It's crazy, sometimes it seems people take me for Jesus Christ", he finally concludes in the columns of World.
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