Better not to have the “godfather of the PAF” as an enemy. This is the lesson of these trying months of investigation endured by journalist Virginie Vilar, behind the highly anticipated part of “Complément d’investigation” on Cyril Hanouna broadcast on France 2 this Thursday. The star presenter of C8, at the head of a fortune estimated at 85 million euros, did not shy away from any pressure to bend the investigative magazine.
A year of digging into the “system” Cyril Hanouna during which the journalist contacted 250 people, exchanged with 32 collaborators of “Touche pas à mon poste” – “TPMP” for short –, lists The Parisian which was one of the handful of media outlets to have exclusive access to this issue. A look back at the underside of a difficult investigation which put the spotlight on the mafia methods of this close friend of Vincent Bolloré.
The first threats from May
After agreeing to go behind the scenes of “TPMP” to France 2, the communications service withdrew, says The world. Virginie Vilar barely managed to hand over the microphone by surprise to Cyril Hanouna as she left the Maison de la Radio on her way to France Info. Since the start of her investigation, the France Télévisions journalist has experienced unprecedented media pressure. Hanouna quickly used its platform – “TPMP” and its 2 million viewers- to intimidate the second channel magazine. From the journalist’s first contact with the host’s entourage, the latter revealed to his army of fans that France 2 was launching an issue of “Additional investigation” about him. “I have the honor of a “Further investigation”! “, he said live, immediately playing the big arm.
The presenter’s anger escalated last May. “This “Additional investigation”, I’m telling you this evening, you’re going to see, they’re going to do it, it will be the end of “Additional investigation” behind, because I’m going to stick my nose in and you know that when I stick my nose somewhere, I often make everything explode,” he boasted without blushing. “This is the first time that someone we are investigating has announced that they are going to remove us from the air. But this episode rather reinforced our approach: Cyril Hanouna presents himself as godfather of the PAF”, analysis from Telerama Tristan Waleckx, presenter of the news magazine.
He kept his word, according to the revelations of the cultural magazine. As a true mafioso, he did not shy away from any intimidation technique. At the start of the school year, he hired on his show the former presenter of “Complément d’investigation” Jacques Cardoze who would be working on an investigation to reveal the abuses of his former house and the public service.
Terrorized columnists
His bossy behavior is not new. A former communicator for a competing production company received a particularly harsh phone call after getting his hands on a scoop before him, says a second article from Telerama dedicated to Hanouna. “I’m going to break both of your legs.” You will never be able to go on a TV set again,” he allegedly told her in 2015. Out of more than 60 people contacted by the cultural magazine, the majority did not wish to testify openly for fear of reprisals.
For this evening’s show, the journalist from “Complément d’investigation” spoke with 15 collaborators from TPMPof the thirty contacted, they explained to him that they were working in “an atmosphere of terror”, says The Parisian. “Some said they were afraid of reprisals… A source asked us for mafia-style precautions, with protection, encrypted messaging, secret location… Totally crazy! », detailed Virginie Vilar with Telerama.
Precautions from France 2
His show has become his main threat weapon. After months of intimidation and false information, “Additional investigation” is not calm. Only a few media who are used to working with the investigative magazine had access to the issue before its broadcast. Quite unusual precautions. It must be said that the expected revelations do not paint “Baba” in the right direction. In addition to his thug behavior behind the scenes of his show, we discover in this issue, according to a detailed article from France Infothat the host of C8 and his teams have not always been fair with their guests.
“Additional investigation” gives the floor, for example, to former police officer Cédric Vladimir, dismissed in July 2022, who recounts how he and his colleagues were wrongly presented as members of the Brav-M, accused of violence during the demonstrations against pension reform. These police officers, who appear masked in the program, would nevertheless have made it clear that they do not belong to the brigade for the repression of motorized violent actions. Worse, Hanouna and his team would not have hesitated to reveal their identity to the police (IGPN), brushing aside respect for the protection of journalists’ sources. Among the well-kept secrets of this issue: the exclusive interview with rapper Booba, his best enemy. A portrait that should not leave the “jester who became king” indifferent.