Catherine Ceylac, Between Confidences and Possible Return

Catherine Ceylac on the set of the France 2 news program

Catherine Ceylac, a notable face of intimate interviews and a beloved figure among viewers, traverses the eras with rare elegance and disarming candor. At 70 years old, she retains her bright gaze and radiant beauty. Her warm voice accompanied the mornings of many French people. It was on the show Thé ou Café for 22 years. After a brief withdrawal, she returns. The theatrical project is called Conversation Intime. It subtly blends the art of the interview with the intimacy of the stage.

Following the journey of this great lady of French television, delightful anecdotes punctuate the narrative. Moreover, unforgettable encounters mark this journey. This story lacks neither spice nor tenderness.

From Rennes to the Lights of Paris

Born in 1954 in Rennes, Catherine Ceylac took her first steps under the spotlight in Brittany, but it is the theater that fascinates her. As a child, she dreams of the stage, then of great roles. At 22 years old, she starts on France Bleu Armorique. Her determination drives her to Paris. There, she joins FR3 Bretagne. Eventually, she becomes an announcer for Antenne 2 in 1980. What begins as a discreet role ends up shaping her voice and style. Ultimately, she becomes one of the most familiar figures in the French audiovisual landscape.

It is in 1996, with Thé ou Café, that she reaches her peak: she turns the interview into a subtle dance, an exploration of souls. "I have always sought to go beyond appearances, to show the human behind the celebrity," she often confides, highlighting her approach imbued with respect and sincere curiosity.

Bernard Tapie, and the Power of Audacity

Among her many memorable interviews, the one with Bernard Tapie will remain etched in the annals. Invited to talk about music, Tapie finds himself questioned about his legal troubles. The tension rises, to the point that Catherine admits fearing "getting slapped." Her composure in the face of Tapie’s outbursts reveals all of Ceylac’s solidity: she fears neither the powerful nor the truth, daring to ask questions where others would have faltered. An anecdote that underscores her talent for the interview, unfiltered, yet always human.

Theater, a Return to Roots

After the abrupt end of Thé ou Café in 2018, Catherine finds herself in search of meaning. "The end was brutal, no one at France Télévisions had the decency to inform me directly," she recounts with a hint of bitterness. But far from wallowing, she rediscovers an old love: the theater.

Conversation Intime is for her a new way to explore personalities, this time in front of an audience. Pierre Arditi inaugurates this bold format, and together, they engage in a dialogue as sincere as it is intense. She cultivates a cozy atmosphere that represents intimacy. This ambiance naturally transposes to the theater. To the great delight of her admirers.

Love, Independence, and Freedom

Catherine Ceylac’s private life is just as fascinating as her interviews. Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, a fervent defender of the animal cause and former companion of Brigitte Bardot, shared her life. Catherine, however, prefers gentleness to Bougrain-Dubourg’s muscular activism…

Since 1984, she and the French journalist Claude Sérillon, 74 years old, have cultivated a rather atypical relationship. Neither marriage nor children in common — each maintains their spaces of freedom. "We are two identities, two freedoms," she says, speaking of their relationship, full of respect and independence. She is the mother of a son born in 1973, but describes herself as not very "maternal." Ceylac and Sérillon, as true life partners, complement each other, but each keeps their secret garden, a dynamic that seems to work well.

A Look Towards the Future

At 70 years old, Catherine Ceylac never tires of dreaming of impactful interviews. The very secretive Catherine Deneuve, with her fabulous career, or even Pope Francis, a spiritual figure she would like to question about the evolution of the Church and the place of women, are at the top of her list of ideal guests. It should be noted that the lady, very sensitive to the condition of women, detests beauty pageants.

While waiting for these fantasized interviews, Catherine Ceylac continues her journey with determination, always dressed with a certain taste. On a set or on stage, she remains this reassuring figure, this familiar face that has left its mark on French television and continues, tirelessly, to reveal souls, one intimate conversation after another.

Comments

Related Posts