On a sad Friday, Isabelle Mergault passed away at the age of 67 on March 20, 2026. “Her family, friends, regret to announce that the director, actress, and comedian Isabelle Mergault passed away this morning in Neuilly-sur-Seine, following a courageous battle against cancer for several months,” her entourage announced in a statement transmitted to RTL, the radio station broadcasting “Les Grosses Têtes.” Since 1988, the comedian had been part of Philippe Bouvard’s team, before Laurent Ruquier became the host in 2014. Isabelle Mergault had been absent from RTL’s airwaves for several weeks…
Laurent Ruquier opens up about the last weeks of Isabelle Mergault
On January 6, 2026, still on the “Grosses Têtes,” Laurent Ruquier had spoken about her absence. “We are thinking of her, Isabelle will be back very soon. At the moment, she is absent, but she will return as soon as possible. We send our thoughts to Isabelle, thinking of Sacha Guitry,” he announced. On Friday, March 20, 2026, Laurent Ruquier paid tribute to his friend Isabelle Mergault, revealing why she had not told anyone about her illness, not even her closest friend Christine Bravo. “We knew very little about it (her cancer). She didn’t want it to be known. First, because she hoped to overcome it, and so did we. She even returned to the ‘Grosses Têtes,’ even though she had been operated on,” explained Philippe Bouvard’s successor.
Still on RTL, Laurent Ruquier shared a few words about Isabelle Mergault’s final weeks. “She had hope, we had hope, although less recently, of course. It’s a shock,” said the former face of France Televisions. Since her passing was announced, numerous celebrities have paid tribute to the actress who had a speech defect known as a lisp. “My Isabelle, I loved you with all my heart, you made me laugh so much. We will miss you terribly. What a privilege it was to be by your side, laugh with you, and change the world. Damn, I’m so sad,” shared Christophe Beaugrand.
Laurent Ruquier proposed to Isabelle Mergault!
While many French citizens mourn the loss of Isabelle Mergault, many remember a very particular anecdote involving the comedian and Laurent Ruquier. During an overly festive evening, the former partner of Hugo Manos had proposed to his colleague to get married! “We had been drinking,” recalled Laurent Ruquier at RTL on Friday, March 20. In the pages of “Nous Deux,” Isabelle Mergault revealed, “Two men asked me to marry them: a glassmaker and Ruquier. They were both drunk.” Laurent Ruquier has many memories with his friend. “We traveled together. We went on a spa retreat together. We even fasted together for 15 days. I have so many experiences with her,” concluded the conductor of the “Grosses Têtes,” who plans to pay tribute to her properly on Monday, March 23.
