French journalist and Les Grosses Têtes host Philippe Bouvard dies at 96

Passing in Cannes

French radio and television host Philippe Bouvard died on 24 August 2026 at his home in Cannes at the age of 96. His wife announced his death to the RTL radio network, where he had worked for nearly six decades. RTL morning presenter Céline Landreau broke the news on air, noting that he died at around 8:00 a.m. Bouvard had stepped back from active broadcasting in recent years after delivering his final regular radio column in June 2024.

He passed away this morning around 8 a.m., peacefully.

Rise in print journalism

Born in Coulommiers on 6 December 1929, Bouvard grew up during the German occupation of France, living in hiding with his family. After leaving the Centre de formation des journalistes without a diploma, he entered the media industry in 1953 as an errand boy in the photography department of Le Figaro. Newspaper director Pierre Brisson noticed his writing and assigned him to the Parisian society desk. Bouvard directed the Parisian pages from 1962 until 1973, when he moved to France Soir. Across his print career, he served as an editor, director, and front-page columnist at France Soir until September 2003, while also contributing columns to Paris Match, L'Express, Le Point, and VSD. Over his career, he authored an estimated 30,000 newspaper articles.

Four decades of Les Grosses Tetes

Bouvard began broadcasting on Radio Luxembourg in 1965, a year before the station renamed itself RTL. He became editor-in-chief in 1968 and launched the comedy panel program Les Grosses Têtes on 1 April 1977. Initially designed as a cultural discussion format, the show featured regular guests including Jacques Martin, Jean Yanne, Thierry Le Luron, and Sophie Desmarets, and became the most-listened-to radio program in France. RTL management replaced Bouvard with Christophe Dechavanne in May 2000, but falling listener figures prompted the network to reinstate him months later. Bouvard stepped down from the program in September 2014 after 37 years, handing the role to Laurent Ruquier.

It is not I who took the decision to stop, but I accepted it. The announcement of this abandonment, because that is what it is, is heartbreaking.

Television platform for comedians

Beyond radio, Bouvard hosted approximately 6,000 television broadcasts. On 13 September 1982, he debuted Le Petit Théâtre de Bouvard on Antenne 2, a sketch-comedy showcase that ran until 1987. The program provided early career exposure to comedians and actors including Muriel Robin, Mimie Mathy, Pascal Légitimus, Chevallier and Laspalès, Michèle Bernier, Pierre Palmade, Jean-Marie Bigard, and Valérie Lemercier. He later produced and hosted programs across TF1, France 2, France 3, and Paris Première. Bouvard delivered his final regular RTL broadcast on 23 June 2024, setting an intention to formally retire in January 2025 to reach 60 years on the network.