Jean-Luc Reichmann, Jean-Pierre Foucault, or even Nikos Aliagas. The emblematic animators of TF1 are numerous, as well as those who went through the first chain before jumping ship and pursuing their career with the competition. If, today, Christophe Dechavanne
officiate on France 2
alongside Léa Salamé in What an era every Saturday, it was the heyday of TF1 from the end of the 1980s to the end of the 2000s.
Shows galore such as Heaven My Tuesday, The Farm Celebritiesor The evening of the strange, and just as many programs produced by him. In short, Christophe Dechavanne made the good days of TF1 and the front page must not regret for a single second having given him a chance. However, this was not won. Indeed, in his autobiography published by Editions Flammarion on January 24, 2024, the ex-acolyte of Patrice Carmouze reveals having asked for a crazy sum during his job interview with Francis Bouygues, director of the chain at the time, in 1987.
Also see: Unease in “Quelle Époque”: Pascal Obispo prioritizes misery… and is called to order by Christophe Dechavanne!
Christophe Dechavanne and his six-figure salary at the time
According to him, the manager was in such trouble that he would not have hesitated to sign a huge deal. “He takes a pen out of his pocket for me to sign a contract to join TF1. Many headline stars have left for Silvio Berlusconi’s La Cinq,” he wrote in his autobiography before adding: “He finds himself dry with a chain to run. He needs staff”.
“Young man, how much are you worth?”, he would have told him. If Francis Bouygues thought of disconcerting Christophe Dechavanne with this question, he had proof that his future recruit had enormous self-confidence, even at 29 years old: “300,000 francs per month in exchange for a new daily broadcast”. A sum which today represents, with inflation, almost 90,000 euros per month. A deal that Francis Bouygues probably does not regret today, as Christophe Dechavanne worked for TF1 over the years.
RF