Nouvelle Star (pronounced [nuvɛl staʁ]; also known as À la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star for the first season) is a French television series based on the popular Pop Idol programme produced by FremantleMedia. It was broadcast by M6 in seasons 1–8 before D8 aired seasons 9—12. M6 broadcast the 13th and final season.

Nouvelle Star
Created bySimon Fuller
Presented byBenjamin Castaldi (2003–06, 2015)
Virginie Efira (2006–08)
Virginie Guilhaume (2008–10)
Cyril Hanouna (2012–14)
Laurie Cholewa (2016)
Shy'm (2017)
Country of originFrance
No. of seasons13
Production
ProducerFremantleMedia
Original release
NetworkM6 (2003–2010, 2017)
D8 (2012–2016)
Release27 March 2003 (2003-03-27) –
20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)

It was hosted by Benjamin Castaldi for the first three seasons (2003–2005). He also hosted 13 episodes of seasons 4 (2006). Virginie Efira presented the remainder of season 4, as well as presenting seasons 5 and 6. Virginie Guilhaume hosted seasons 7 and 8. Since season 9, Cyril Hanouna is the Nouvelle Star's TV host.

On 4 July 2012, Bibiane Godfroid, program director of Nouvelle Star announced that the show will not return on M6 but will instead be on D8, after its acquisition by Canal +.

In 2017, M6 confirmed that season 13 would be the last.

Format of the series

edit

The four members of the jury have to judge about 25,000 contestants in various towns around France and Belgium. Until the final rounds begin, the show presents both the successful and the poorest performers, known as the "inoubliables" (unforgettable ones). Some of the worst performers have also performed as guests during the final stages.

Of the 25,000 contestants, only 150 (140 in season 6) are selected for the next round of auditions, which takes place at the Theatre Trianon in central Paris. There are two auditions over the space of three days, the highlights of which are shown over the course of two shows. Specific exercises are given to the contestants in order to evaluate their artistic talents: pitch, rhythmic accuracy, ability to remember lyrics and to learn songs, sing in a trio, and deal with tiredness and stress, etc. During the first day of the Theatre stage of auditions, contestants perform on stage in lines of eight, each contestant performing the song of their choice a capella. On day 2, 70 contestants who made it through the previous day are given a choice of three songs (two specifically for boys or for girls, and one for both, as of Series 6) and have to form trios with other contestants of their choice but of the same sex, they will be accompanied by a guitar and a piano. The 50 remaining contestants will interpret a song, in French, accompanied by an orchestra band. For the first time at this ultimate step before the live primes, this year, the contestants have performed in front of more than 400 persons including the jury at the theatre.

The jury will have to decide between 20 remaining contestants (27 in season 6) on a television screen, reviewing the all auditions of those contestants, of which they will select 15 for the first live television prime where they will be submitted to viewers' vote. In series 6, the viewers rejected 6 contestants of which the jury saved one.

There is no wildcard round in the French format, and viewers only vote by text or by phone. Only viewers' votes decide of the result during the prime, but the judges comment by giving first an illustrated verdict by colored traffic lights in front of them Blue for Good, and Red for bad performance (coloured lights introduced in season 5, and taken the form of traffic lights in season 6). The voting is different from American Idol as viewers vote during the programme and results are given at the end of it, by Virginie (The Host) and Maitre Najar (bailiff), where Virginie selects at random the saved contestants leaving only the ones dropped by the viewers. The previous seasons' jury (Mainly Marianne James) was used to contesting a lot the results.

Auditions

edit

The inaugural season featured auditions in France, Belgium, and Quebec, Canada. Later series dropped Quebec from the audition tour, as Canadian Idol had started, and therefore, Francophones could audition in their home country.

For Nouvelle Star's seasons 2, 3 and 4, auditions were held in Toulouse, Rennes, Marseilles, Lyon, and Paris and in one location in Belgium, at Liège.

Overview

edit
Season Season 1
(2003)
Season 2
(2004)
Season 3
(2005)
Season 4
(2006)
Season 5
(2007)
Season 6
(2008)
Season 7
(2009)
Season 8
(2010)
Season 9
(2012-2013)
Season 10
(2013-2014)
Season 11
(2014-2015)
Season 12
(2016)
Season 13
(2017)
Presented by Benjamin Castaldi Virginie Efira Virginie Guilhaume Cyril Hanouna Benjamin Castaldi Laurie Cholewa Shy'm
Backstage Estelle Denis Énora Malagré Laure Falesse Erika Moulet
Camille Combal Lola Dubini
Jérôme Anthony
Judges André Manoukian Benjamin Biolay
Dove Attia Sinclair Marco Prince Sinclair Dany Synthé
Varda Kakon Marianne James Lio Maurane Elodie Frégé Cœur de Pirate
Lionel Florence Manu Katché Philippe Manœuvre Olivier Bas Yarol Poupaud JoeyStarr Nathalie Noennec
Winner Jonatan Cerrada Steeve Estatof Myriam Abel Christophe Willem Julien Doré Amandine Bourgeois Soan Luce Sophie-Tith Mathieu Saïkaly Emji Paul Plexi Xavier Matheu
Channel M6 D8 M6
Broadcast
period
27 March 2003 11 February 2004 10 February 2005 22 February 2006 28 February 2007 21 February 2008 24 February 2009 2 March 2010 11 December 2012 31 October 2013 27 November 2014 Fébruary 16, 2016 1 November 2017
10 July 2003 13 May 2004 12 May 2005 8 June 2006 13 June 2007 11 June 2008 9 June 2009 16 June 2010 26 February 2013 20 February 2014 12 March 2015 3 May 2016 20 December 2017

Awards by season

edit
Rank Contestants (In order of elimination)
Season 1
(2003)
Season 2
(2004)
Season 3
(2005)
Season 4
(2006)
Season 5
(2007)
Season 6
(2008)
Season 7
(2009)
Season 8
(2010)
Season 9
(2012-2013)
Season 10
(2013-2014)
Season 11
(2014-2015)
Season 12
(2016)
Season 13
(2017-2018)
1 Jonatan Cerrada Steeve Estatof Myriam Abel Christophe Willem Julien Doré Amandine Bourgeois Soan Luce Sophie-Tith Mathieu Saïkaly Emji Paul Plexi Xavier Matheu
2 Thierry Amiel Julien Laurence Pierrick Lilliu Miss Dominique Tigane Drammeh Benjamin Siksou Leïla Aissaoui François Raoult Florian Bertonnier Yseult Onguenet Mathieu Kolanek Mia Rosello Yadám Andrés Guevara
3 Jean Sébastien Lavoie Amel Bent Roland Karl Gaël Faure Gaëtane Abrial Cédric Oheix Camélia Jordana Ramón Mirabet Philippe Krier Pauline de Tarragon Martial Betirac Manu Galure Sloń
4 Alexis Juliard Laura Tabourin Mervyn Kennedy-Macfoy Cindy Santos Julie Mazi Ycare Thomas Bonneau Lussi Flo Devos Alvaro Echánove Pauline Laffitte Mélanie June Mathieu Canaby
5 Laetizia Alberti Charles Cattaert Francine Massiani Valérie Castan Pierre Darmon Jules Pélissier Dalé Grenoble Benjamin Bohem Julie Obré Dana Ali-Ahmad Micka Aubertin Maxime Penent Lilou Robert
6 Yoann Kelyann Babeth Lando Dan Perez Florian Lesca Raphaëlle Dess Lucile Luzely Damien Vanni Dave Dario Paul Kay Sirine Betton Maëva Bellocq Pierre Fabre Kamisa Negra
7 Jonathan Hassen-Ali Pascal Crisinel Sarah Riani Bruno Rua Soma Dufour Thomas Marfisi Lary Lambert Annabelle Timothée Rossignol Mehdi Dahmane Nelson Vard Nirintsoa Rajoharison Ashley Fortes
8 Cindie Bruzzi John Zéra Philippe Léger Stéphanie Lipstadt Alex Fondja Kristov Leroy Mahdi Jaggae Stéphanie Vondenhoff Charlotte Morgane Berry Claudia Chu Kevin Cohen Caruso Victor Goun's
9 Priscilla Geoffrey Lupart Benjamin Delcroix Beverly Canelle Zahy Siân Pottok Mélissa Nkonda Sacha Page Adélaïde Pratoussy Léopoldine Hummel Noémie Lemarchand Caroline Pires Azza Kamaria
10 Gabrielle Ducomble Simongad Barbey Malik Hemaidi Joana Boumendil Ilyès Yangui Julien Pierson Yoann Pigny Marine Villeret Léa Layne Hugo Chalan-Marchio Ursula Ravelo Florie Ophélie Piche
11 Corentine Planckaert Célia Perez Martine Julie Bessard Yasmina Bahj Ambre Dupont Kim Kitson Frances Isabel Coontz Béni Radriamandibi
12 Ségolène Gerlinger Jean-Charles Chapuis Michel Colyn Cindy Agostinho Antoine Vignette Lucia de Carvalho Julie Dessoude Carla de Coignac
13 Géraldine Jonet Sophie Claret Vincent Galahad Axelle Anduze Charlotte Robin Anna Torné Chehinaze
14 Rabbia Vladimir Streiff Isabelle Ithurburu Clément Falgous Maria-Paz Manon Trinquier[1] Ezra Van Vliet
15 Gérôme Gallo Mounir Ouarab Fred Mickaël Frémeaux Siegfried Martin-Diaz Laura Migné
16 Marc Touati

Spin-offs

edit

Nouvelle Star, ça continue...

edit

Nouvelle Star, ça continue... is a program broadcast directly after the prime Nouvelle Star shows. It was broadcast on Fun TV (2003-2005), W9 (2006-2009), M6 (2010) and now on C8. The show includes interviews with judges, saved or eliminated contestants des jurés, invited musical guests. Hosts were Adrien Lemaître on Fun TV, Alexandre Devoise, Jérôme Anthony and Sidonie Bonnec all on W9, Estelle Denis and Jérôme Anthony on M6 with Camille Combal giving a diary, Énora Malagré on D8.

Saga Nouvelle Star

edit

Saga Nouvelle Star or La Saga Nouvelle Star was an old daily show hosted by Virginie Efira on M6, following various seasons of the Nouvelle Star show. It was broadcast only in 2007 and then stopped. In each show, she would present Top des Inoubliables internationaux (meaning best of international unforgettables), being winners from various countries where Idol series are broadcast. Broadcast at 19:00 in access prime time, it brought in an average 1.1 million of viewers.

Summary

edit
Season Premiere Final Winner Runner-up Judges Host(s)
1* 27 March 2003 10 July 2003 Jonatan Cerrada Thierry Amiel Dove Attia
Varda Kakon
Lionel Florence
André Manoukian
Benjamin Castaldi
2 11 February 2004 13 May 2004 Steeve Estatof Julien Laurence Dove Attia
Marianne James
Manu Katché
André Manoukian
3 10 February 2005 12 May 2005 Myriam Abel Pierrick Lilliu
4 22 February 2006 8 June 2006 Christophe Willem Dominique Michalon
5 28 February 2007 13 June 2007 Julien Doré Tigane Drammeh Virginie Efira
6 21 February 2008 13 June 2008 Amandine Bourgeois Benjamin Siksou Lio
Philippe Manœuvre
Sinclair
André Manoukian
7 24 February 2009 9 June 2009 Soan Leïla Aissaoui Virginie Guilhaume
8 2 March 2010 16 June 2010 Luce Brunet François Raoult Lio
Philippe Manœuvre
André Manoukian
Marco Prince
9 11 December 2012 26 February 2013 Sophie-Tith Charvet Florian Bertonnier Olivier Bas
André Manoukian
Maurane
Sinclair
Cyril Hanouna
10 31 October 2013 20 February 2014 Mathieu Saikaly Yseult Onguenet
11 27 November 2014 12 March 2015 Emji Mathieu Kolanek Élodie Frégé
André Manoukian
Yarol Poupaud
Sinclair
Benjamin Castaldi
12 13 February 2016 3 May 2016 Patrick Rouiller Mia Rosello Élodie Frégé
André Manoukian
Joey Starr
Sinclair
Laurie Cholewa
13 1 November 2017 20 December 2017 Xavier Matheu Yadám Andrés Guevara Benjamin Biolay
Dany Synthé
Nathalie Noennec
Cœur de Pirate
Shy'm

*Also known as À la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Manon has also taken part on season 3 of The Voice.
edit