Two days after the first round of the 2026 municipal elections, media personalities experienced varying fortunes at the polls, proving that fame does not always work miracles in politics.
If some familiar faces from the small screen were hoping to turn their fame into electoral victory on Sunday, March 15, 2026, the reality on the ground turned out to be much more nuanced. Between local anchoring rewarded and atypical candidacies summarily swept away, voters made their choices without complacency. This election proves that television promises do not always suffice to seduce citizens. Let’s look back on an eventful election evening for our national stars.
Stéphane Bern wins in his stronghold of Le Perche
Stéphane Bern emerges as the big winner of this election. The star host of Secrets d’Histoire was re-elected municipal councilor of Thiron-Gardais (Eure-et-Loir) in the first round with 100% of the votes on his independent list “Together for the future,” reveals TV Magazine. A total victory, undoubtedly facilitated by the absence of opposition, but above all, it crowns his deep commitment to this rural town where he patiently restored the former royal and military college.
This longstanding anchoring is not new. Already, during a partial election in 2024 due to a wave of resignations, he swept the board with 97.3% of the votes, proving the seriousness of his involvement. “I want to be useful to the community and to heritage,” he confided to Le Parisien.
Our colleagues inform us that Jérémy Molas, alias “the Catalan” in “Koh-Lanta: La Revanche des 4 Terres,” achieved the same feat, being the sole candidate for mayor of Arles-sur-Tech, a small town of about 2,200 inhabitants near Perpignan.
Electoral disappointment for Rémi Gaillard in Montpellier
On the other hand, the magic of social media did not work for Rémi Gaillard. The famous Montpellier troublemaker and ardent animal rights defender only received 8.21% of the votes with his ironically named list “Yes we Clown.” Incapable of crossing the minimum threshold of 10% necessary to hope for a place in the second round, he was heavily defeated by incumbent mayor Michaël Delafosse.
Despite his millions of views on the internet and a campaign focused on ending animal suffering, the comedian stagnates compared to his 2020 score of 9.58%. This setback confirms his manifest difficulties in expanding his electorate beyond a simple protest vote.
Bruno Gaccio faces a major setback against Rachida Dati
The landing was just as brutal for Bruno Gaccio in the capital. The former emblematic writer of Les Guignols de l’Info, running under the La France Insoumise label, tried to shake up the very chic 7th arrondissement of Paris. The verdict of the polls is clear: a marginal score of 3.48%, crushed by the immediate re-election of Rachida Dati with over 58%.
His strategy based on amused provocation and derision clearly did not resonate with residents of the left bank. Before the vote, he ironically joked about the absurdity of his own candidacy: “Any score above zero, a victory,” he said to Le Parisien last January.
Those qualified for the second round
Olivier Galzi, former anchor of France 2’s 8 p.m. news, garnered 27% of the votes in the Avignon mayoral race. He came out on top in the first round “with a diverse right list, supported by UDI and Horizons” as reported by TV Magazine. A big name in television, Patrick de Carolis, former host of the show “Des Racines et des Ailes” on France 3 and the incumbent mayor of Arles, is in a favorable position for re-election, collecting 34% of the votes with Horizons. Finally, Gérard Holtz and Denise Fabre, present on Christian Estrosi’s Horizons list in Nice, are struggling against Eric Ciotti, with 30.92% of the votes in the first round.
The clash between televised fame and the harsh reality of the polls
These results depict a real fracture in the political landscape. The example of Stéphane Bern underscores that a strong public image attracts voters when accompanied by concrete and tangible local investment.
Conversely, digital buzz or unconventional casting quickly show their structural limits. The resounding failures of Rémi Gaillard and Bruno Gaccio prove that celebrity fades quickly in the face of partisan labels and the need to build a real local project to convince on a Sunday in March.
Sources: Le Figaro/TV Magazine
