Before becoming one of the most popular hosts on French television thanks to Loft Story and reality TV shows that marked the 2000s, Benjamin Castaldi had a much more tumultuous start than one might think.
It was in 1999 that he made his debut on TF1, co-hosting Celebrities, a show dedicated to the news of stars, alongside Stéphane Bern and Carole Rousseau. A pivotal period in his career that allowed him to establish himself on the leading French channel, but apparently it was not always smooth sailing.
It was on the show “La Piscine de Jordan de Luxe,” aired in 2024, that Jean-Pierre Castaldi’s son chose to shed light on that time, with a candidness that is unique to him. And it must be said, the behind-the-scenes of Celebrities were far from as polished as they appeared on screen.
Electric atmosphere behind the scenes of Celebrities
Facing Jordan de Luxe, Benjamin Castaldi did not try to sugarcoat the situation. The 56-year-old host admitted outright that the atmosphere on the set of Celebrities was regularly tense, and getting along with his co-hosts was not always easy.
“It was a bit tense because there was a crappy atmosphere on the show and things weren’t going very well. It was peculiar,” he revealed, evidently still affected by that period.
The host, known for his fiery temperament that he proudly claims, described a tense professional environment where the strong personalities of everyone made cohabitation complicated. An atmosphere that, according to him, did not lend itself to peace, and eventually led to a more explosive episode.
“I almost strangled Stéphane Bern,” the clash that almost went too far
Benjamin Castaldi then reveals an unexpected revelation. “I almost strangled Stéphane Bern, but it wasn’t with Carole Rousseau but with Valérie Benaïm. He was annoying me. It ended badly,” he bluntly stated. A brutal, vivid confession that illustrates how the tension between the two hosts had reached a breaking point during that specific episode of filming.
The detail of Valérie Benaïm’s presence at that moment adds another layer of context to this clash, without Benjamin Castaldi elaborating further on the exact circumstances of the dispute. In any case, the host fully embraces his impulsive nature, while emphasizing an important nuance: being fiery, yes, but never mean.
The good news is that this friction from another era now belongs to the past. Benjamin Castaldi reassured that he and Stéphane Bern have since reconciled and get along very well today, despite past conflicts. Proof that even the most turbulent clashes can, over time, become just a locker room anecdote.
