FRANCK FIFE / AFP
“Additional investigation” into Hanouna: personalities testify to the host’s threats and intimidation (Photo by Cyril Hanouna taken in March 2023)
MEDIA – This report has been awaited for months, and here it is finally revealed. Thursday November 30, Further investigation broadcast its 66-minute report devoted to Cyril Hanouna on France 2 and France.tv. A way to discover behind the scenes of C8’s flagship show, but also to learn more about the “new godfather of paf”. It was also scratched to say the least by the special guest of the show, the rapper Booba.
“Atmosphere of terror” within production, threats, harassment, pressure, debates dictated in advance… For her investigation, journalist Virginie Vilar contacted 250 people including 32 TPMP employees, most of them on condition of anonymity.
And we can understand why when we discover the testimonies of certain personalities who denounce harassment on the part of the C8 presenter.
Threats, insults and intimidation
This is particularly the case of Julien Cazarre, who refused to work for Cyril Hanouna and who then mentioned it during an interview given to France Football. The comedian says he was contacted on the phone by “ baba » shortly after the article appeared.
“The guy insults me with the voice of a guy from the 93 projects. A caricature, he’s a poor man’s Tony Montana. I thought it was a joke”he explains, still visibly a little stunned by this experience.
“I find it hard to imagine that this guy, who dances sardines with his shoulders, threatens me physically, violently. When I realized he was serious, I said to myself, this is something hot. I say to myself: what will happen if I cross him? »
Former Virgin Radio host Michael Zazoun shared a somewhat similar experience. In 2017, he accused Cyril Hanouna of homophobia in a column published on Facebook. The host allegedly made shocking remarks in 2014, reported by a third party.
Except that after this column, Michael Zazoun began to receive repeated anonymous calls. “ After 10 or 15 calls, I hear: “Aren’t you ashamed of what you did to Cyril Hanouna?” » He will receive 32 in total, even at his workplace. “I said to myself, this is going far, where is it going to stop. It’s a kind of silent threat. »
Michael Zazoun then filed a complaint against X for malicious calls and insults based on sexual orientation. Two days later, a police officer called him: “He tells me: we know who harassed you on the phone. It’s Mrs. Hanouna. In my head I fell 15 stories. »explains to Further investigation the one who returned to his job as a pharmacist. Facts for which Esther Hanouna was fined 440 euros.
Debates dictated in advance
During this additional investigation, an anonymous source, former member of TPMP, – in particular – made a point of explaining how the show works behind the scenes. He assures that the debates on the set are in fact not as spontaneous as Cyril Hanouna would have us believe. Indeed, certain debates would even be dictated word for word to the columnists.
This is particularly what would have happened for a debate on the death penalty on January 31, 2022.
“ The team was asked to debate the death penalty,” explains the anonymous source. Except that among the columnists, all were against. Cyril Hanouna would then have taken matters into his own hands: “ He said “Get over it, I want two that are for it!” “. Matthieu Delormeau finally positioned himself in this direction on the set.
Journalist Virginie Vilar says she “ recovered dozens of SMS exchanged between TPMP production and its columnists » attesting that “before to go on stage, their interventions are dictated to them almost to the word.”
Cyril Hanouna evokes an investigation “ sloppy » before the broadcast
Even before the broadcast of the report Thursday evening, Cyril Hanouna stepped up against Further investigation. On the set of TPMPhe assured that the report was “sloppy” and recalled that he himself was preparing an investigation into Further investigation.
“The problem is that we had already started looking on Complètement d’Enquête and France Télévisions, and it didn’t take long to find it. When it falls, it’s going to be more complicated than what’s going to happen for us tonight. This evening, we will be eating fricassees and laughing… But in a month, when we release the investigation on Complément d’Enquête, I’m afraid that things will shake in the France Télévisions tower. For us at the moment, we have very heavy stuff. And these are not masked witnesses,” warned Cyril Hanouna.
Also see on The HuffPost: