Revered TV Figure Dies of Liver Cancer: Thierry Ardisson Was 76

Beloved French TV host and producer Thierry Ardisson has died.

The Tout le monde en parle host passed away in Paris Monday at the age of 76 from liver cancer, his wife, Audrey Crespo Mara, confirmed.

“Thierry passed away as he lived: a courageous and free man,” Crespo Mara said in a statement shared with French news agency AFP, per Le Monde. “His children and mine were united around him until his last breath.”

Born in Bourganeuf, Creuse, France on January 6, 1949, Ardisson rose to become one of the most prominent figures in the French TV landscape. Earning himself the nickname “the man in black” for the all-black outfits he so often wore, Ardisson became known for his brash and transgressive interview style, per Variety, the host often challenging his guests, which at times led to walkouts.

Throughout his career, Ardisson interviewed the likes of Milla Jovovich, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, and more, and hosted shows including including Bains de minuit, Paris Dernière, and Lunettes noires pour nuits blanches. He is best remembered for Tout le monde en parle, which aired Saturday nights on France 2 beginning in 1988. He most recently hosted Hôtel du Temps, which used artificial intelligence to bring back iconic public figures including Princess Diana, French actor Jean Gabin, and singer Dalida.

After news of his passing broke, French President Emmanuel Macron, who in 2024 awarded Ardisson the Légion d’honneu, one of France’s highest honors, led tributes to the late star. In a statement, Macron remembered Ardisson as a voice, a silhouette, a style, a spirit, tinged with curiosity and irreverence” who “welcomed his guests with a warmth that could easily turn into fire.” He added that Ardisson was a “great television personality of his century.”

In his own statement, French culture minister Rachida Datin said “Thierry Ardisson knew how to capture the spirit of the times, decipher it with irreverence and describe it with intelligence. With his inimitable style, free spirit and taste for transgression, he shaped today’s television. He will forever remain one of the greatest figures in French broadcasting.”

Ardisson is survived by his wife Crespo Mara and his three children, Manon, Ninon, and Gaston.