The controversy is far from over for France Pierron, French journalist and host of the L’Équipe channel, despite her regrets. Her employer officially distances itself and she is no longer on the air this Monday.
The origin of the controversy? Very clear-cut and raw comments from the journalist made Friday on the show “L’Équipe de Choc”. She then spoke about the stated desire of Belgian footballer Jérémy Doku to leave the group present at the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child.
Comment from France Pierron: “It particularly scandalizes me. When you have the chance, because you have to realize that it’s really a chance to participate in a World Cup, it’s an incredible happiness. And you’re going to leave all that to go attend the birth of your child which is a disgusting moment, excuse me, where the dad is useless, he has a role of extra?
Comments that made some people scream, both about a childbirth summed up as a “disgusting moment” and about the fathers who would be completely useless at these moments.
Faced with the scale of the reactions, the journalist said she was sorry for having been shocking or hurtful, without however denying her comments. “I was expressing a personal opinion, as part of a contradictory exchange. These comments are my own and in no way reflect a collective position. I understand that they may have shocked, offended or hurt some of you, and I am sorry,” she said.
The fire was not extinguished, however, and the L’Équipe group decided to take a position in an official press release published Sunday evening. “Friday June 19, as part of a debate on the show “L’Équipe de Choc”, France Pierron made comments that shocked many viewers of the L’Équipe channel. The Team dissociates itself from these comments which are very far from the values of the Group and apologizes to the footballer concerned and more generally to its public,” it was underlined.
Several French media claimed this Monday morning that France Pierron was also suspended or removed from the air. We do not yet know the details of this sanction, but “Le Parisien” confirms it. “His name had disappeared from the TV schedule in the paper edition of the famous sports daily, and his absence was confirmed at 11 a.m.,” indicate our colleagues. The journalist should in fact have been on the air for “L’Équipe de Choc” at the end of the morning this Monday.
