No one is better placed than Sébastien Benoit to discuss television succession. Over the past 20 years, the workaholic has found himself at the helm of two flagship shows on the small screen: The fury (after Véronique Cloutier) and the tireless Goose that lays the golden eggs (after Guy Mongrain).
In 2024, the host completed his hat trick by taking the reins of a certain singing mascot competition, which Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge piloted for three seasons before being fired last winter.
In an interview, Sébastien Benoit admits that at the beginning of his career, the term “replacement” annoyed him most of the time. “I was like: ‘But why don’t I have my own show?'”
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Sébastien Benoit, new host of Masked singers
Over the years, I have matured. TV is not easy. I know that in the Union of Artists, I am one of the privileged. I would have been crazy to say: “I let this show happen because it is yet another replacement.” It is not the kind of thing that annoys me anymore. Today, I don’t care.
Sébastien Benoit, new host of Masked singers
Add your touch
Landing at the helm of a television event that brings together a (very) large number of viewers raises several questions. Last fall, Masked singers attracted an average of 1,875,000 fans every Sunday, according to confirmed data from Numeris provided by TVA. The show also topped the rankings in Quebec, confirms Cossette Media.
Faced with such a huge success, what does a new presenter choose: reproduce a tried and tested formula or shake up the temple’s pillars and add his own personal touch?
Before starting the recordings of Masked singersSébastien Benoit simply listened to the instructions of content producer Martin Proulx (Productions Déferlantes). “He told me: ‘Be suave. Be James Bond.’ Because Masked singersit’s a show on steroids: the lighting, the costumes, the music, the audience… It’s all in the carpet. I don’t need to add anything more.”
Eve-Marie Lortie, who officially took over the reins of Hello Hello last Tuesday, favors continuity. In an interview, we understand that after 17 years of Gino Chouinard’s reign, the journalist does not want to reshuffle the cards too much for a morning show that records 42 market shares, five days a week.
It’s hard to bring your color, especially when it’s a show managed by current events. My color is my smile, my good mood, my personality, the place I give to others, the subjects that challenge me in production meetings… But otherwise, the format remains the same, and the team in place, which I call the hard core, too.
Eve-Marie Lortie, new host of Hello Hello
Caroline Lacroix takes a similar approach. The former host of First the information on ICI RDI joins Myriam Fehmiu at the helm of The grocery storereplacing Johane Despins, who had held this position for 16 years.
“Since Radio-Canada announced my arrival, I have seen how much people like the show. The grocery store “has a really, really big audience rating. People of all ages tell me they listen to it. So what I want to do is pamper this show.”
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Caroline Lacroix, new co-host of The grocery store
I want to take care of the connection that has been created with the audience. Then, at the same time, build on what has been built: credibility, conviviality.
Caroline Lacroix, new co-host of The grocery store
Comment Alert
Sébastien Benoit, Ève-Marie Lortie and Caroline Lacroix seem to be handling the pressure that comes with their arrival at the helm of well-oiled machines well. But their ways of sailing differ.
Over the next few months, Sébastien Benoit plans to closely monitor the audience ratings of Masked singersjust to compare. However, he will avoid looking at viewers’ comments on Facebook and the like, even if he believes he has built up a shell and become “impervious to comments.”
“I know there will be positive comments, negative comments, people who thought it was better before… I don’t need to go and see.”
Without being “100% shielded” against comments (“I’m very fragile about that,” she says), Ève-Marie Lortie is “ready to face” criticism. “We, female presenters, are always ‘too much’. We are told that we smile too much, that we talk too much, that we take up too much space… I have never been able to ignore these types of comments.”
“For years, people have been hearing the same voice: Gino’s [Chouinard]. They saw the same face: Gino’s. We’ll just give them time to get used to it.”
Sebastian Benoit
Masked singers (VAT, as of Sunday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m.)
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Sebastian Benoit
“It’s a well-oiled train, but I had confidence in my abilities. I knew I wasn’t going to slow the group down.”
Eve-Marie Lortie
Hello Hello (VAT, Monday to Friday at 6:30 a.m.)
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Eve-Marie Lortie
“I don’t like the expression ‘to fill someone’s shoes’. I prefer to say that I take over. In any case, I can’t fill Gino’s shoes [Chouinard]because I wear high heels. Not him.”
Caroline Lacroix
The grocery store (ICI Télé, starting Wednesday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m.)
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Caroline Lacroix
“I don’t want to distort the show. Because it’s good, it’s appreciated, it’s loved. But I still want to bring my touch, with my way of seeing things. But it’s something that we’re going to do gradually.”