“He had called upโ in control”: Claire Chazalโ Reveals Yves Montand‘s โฃPursuit Shortly Afterโข Her TF1 Debut
Claire Chazal, the former face of TF1’s evening news, recounted a surprisingโฃ early encounter withโ screen icon โyves Montand, revealing the actorโค actively โsought her out just months after she joined the networkโ in 1991. The anecdote โsurfacedโ on theโ Novo19 program,โข September 29, coinciding with the release โขof I Who โฃLoved You, a โfilm depicting Montand’s relationship with Simone Signoret.
Chazal detailed how Montand, known for his commanding presence,โค made a rare direct call โขto the TF1โ control room, inquiring, “But who isโ this little one?” – a referenceโ to the newly-arrived journalist. This revelation โoffers a glimpse into the actor’s personal life and highlights โChazal’s immediate โimpact on French television.While she never actually met Montand, the incident underscoresโ the star power ofโ bothโค figuresโ and provides a unique outlook on a moment in television history.
According toโ Chazal, Montand’s โinterest manifested as a “first step,” despite โhis reputation for dominating โขthose around him. “Two months before, heโค hadโฃ called up in controlโฆsince I arrived and as โฃhe dragonโ absolutely everyone, he had made a kind of โfirst step,” she explained. The situation was met with amusement by those at TF1. “We had still passed over โฃbutโค it made us laugh also,” Chazal recalled.
The story emerged as Chazal reflected on โher experienceโ announcing Montand’s death on โคlive television 34 years ago, a moment she describedโข as requiring a festivity of “The committed man,โข the man in love, the singerโฃ and actor.” โคDespite Montand’s pursuit, Chazal stated she “have never seen him and never met” the actor.