The world of radio is in mourning. This Thursday, May 14th, the family of Sophie Garel announced the death of the 84-year-old broadcaster. Born in Oran, Algeria, Sophie Garel began her career at Radio Luxembourg in the late 1960s, before the station became RTL. Quickly, the young presenter established herself as one of the iconic voices of French media.
She became the partner of Fabrice, working on the animal show “Entre chiens et chats” and entertainment programs like “Atoukado.” Later in her career, Sophie Garel joined Laurent Ruquier on France 2’s “On a tout essayé.” The former partner of Jean Yanne followed the host to “Les Grosses Têtes” on RTL in 2014 and even made a comeback in 2021.
What relationship did Laurent Ruquier have with Sophie Garel? Following the announcement of the death of his former colleague, Laurent Ruquier shared a poignant tribute on his Instagram account on Thursday, revealing how much this iconic voice had influenced his own career. “Sophie or ‘Mémène’ as Fabrice called you, it’s the two of you who inspired me to do radio. Your sense of humor, your joy of being on the microphone while making it look effortless, your laughter, your love of wordplay… For all of this, thank you,” wrote the television star under a photo of the presenter.
He then recounted the many collaborations they had: “As soon as you stopped working at RTL, you came with me to France Inter, then France 2, Europe 1, and back to RTL with ‘Les Grosses Têtes’ and the reunion with Fabrice.” Before simply concluding, with emotion: “For all of this, thank you again. A part of my life. Goodbye.” A loss that leaves a big void in the world of television.
Before Sophie Garel, Laurent Ruquier lost his lifelong friend Isabelle Mergault It’s another blow for Laurent Ruquier, who recently had to face the loss of another of his longtime collaborators. On March 20th, Isabelle Mergault passed away at the age of 67 after battling cancer. The ex of Hugo Manos was one of the few who knew about her illness, as she had adopted her daughter Maya late in life. In an interview with Le Parisien, the producer praised his friend’s courage while admitting to being “devastated” by the news of her death. Two losses, just weeks apart for Ruquier’s circle, who lost two iconic figures this year. A mourning that only time can soften.
