Secret Story (French TV series)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television |
| Founded | June 23, 2007 |
| Founder | Endemol France, So Nice Productions |
| Products | Reality competition television program |
| Parent | Endemol Shine Group / Banijay |
| Website | www |
Secret Story is a French reality competition television program created by Endemol France in collaboration with So Nice Productions. Although it is not a direct Big Brother adaptation, it incorporates comparable features and is owned by the Endemol Shine Group/Banijay. The format centers on participants cohabitating in La maison des secrets (The House of Secrets), where they are secluded and continuously filmed for a cash reward. Each contestant conceals a unique secret while striving to uncover the secrets of others; successfully revealing secrets increases the prize fund, whereas having one's own secret exposed diminishes it. Contestants engage in various tasks and covert missions that provide chances to earn money or gather hints.
The show was presented by Benjamin Castaldi from seasons 1 through 8, with Christophe Beaugrand taking over from season 9 onward. Every season begins with a live launch event, followed by daily afternoon broadcasts and weekly live eviction episodes. Between seasons 3 and 12, live broadcasts were accompanied by an after-show called After Secret, initially co-hosted by Castaldi and Adrien Lemaître, then later by Beaugrand. The series debuted on 23 June 2007 on TF1. Due to a decline in viewership, from season 9 the daily episodes and after-shows transitioned to NT1 (now TFX), while TF1 retained select live broadcasts. After eleven seasons, the program was discontinued in May 2018 but was revived in April 2024 on TF1, with accompanying after-shows airing on TFX. A thirteenth season was confirmed for 2025 on TFX, with TF1 broadcasting the opening live show.
This franchise has been adapted internationally in countries including Portugal, the Netherlands, Peru, Lithuania, Spain, and French-speaking regions of Africa. Elements of Secret Story gameplay have also been incorporated into various international editions of Big Brother.
Series overall
| Seasons | Start date | Finale date | Duration (days) | Contestants | Winner | Winning percentage | Lead host | Prize money (€) | Broadcast channel | Average viewers | Audience share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secret Story 1 | 23 June 2007 | 31 August 2007 | 69 | 15 | Marjorie, Cyrielle & Johanna Bluteau | 42% | Benjamin Castaldi | €178,000 | TF1 | 4,838,467 | 34.60% |
| Secret Story 2 | 27 June 2008 | 5 September 2008 | 71 | 16 | Matthias Pohl | 33% | €181,151 | 4,220,676 | 31.80% | ||
| Secret Story 3 | 19 June 2009 | 25 September 2009 | 99 | 20 | Emilie Nefnaf | 39% | €186,000 | 3,945,400 | 30.30% | ||
| Secret Story 4 | 9 July 2010 | 22 October 2010 | 108 | 20 | Benoît Dubois | 32% | €197,805 | 3,006,688 | 24.80% | ||
| Secret Story 5 | 8 July2011 | 14 October2011 | 99 | 19 | Marie Garet | 45% | €186,367 | 2,815,333 | 24.20% | ||
| Secret Story6 | 25 May2012 | 7 September2012 | 106 | 20 | Nadège Lacroix | 73% | €165,140 | 2,172,688 | 21% | ||
| Secret Story7 | 7 June2013 | 13 September2013 | 101 | 17 | Anaïs Camizuli | 52% | €174,630 | 2,014,467 | 21.90% | ||
| Secret Story8 | 18 July2014 | 26 September2014 | 71 | 15 | Leila Ben Khalifa | 51% | €114,300 | 1,938,091 | 21% | ||
| Secret Story9 | 21 August2015 | 13 November2015 | 85 | 16 | Émilie Fiorelli | 51% | Christophe Beaugrand | €108,028 |
TF1(live shows) NT1 (daily & After Secret)|| 1,143,750|| 17.50% | ||
| Secret Story10 | 26 August2016 | 17 November2016 | 84 | 16 | Julien Geloën | 42% | NT1 |
743,846|| 4.7% | |||
| Secret Story11 | 1 September2017 | 7 December2017 | 98 | 17 | Noré Tir | 41.6% | 565,533 |
3.2% | |||
| Secret Story12 | 23 April2024 | 18 June2024 | 56 | 15 | Alexis André Jr. | 49% | TF1 TFX (After Secret) |
892,815|| 10% | |||
| Secret Story13 | 10 June2025 | 7 August2025 | 14 | TFX |
The house of secrets
Each season’s residence features concealed chambers—examples include a "Chamber of truths," "Cave of love," or a "house of intruders"—which are reachable through hidden corridors. Certain editions incorporate "secret rooms" where evicted participants remain out of sight but are monitored via screens. The dwelling also contains a confessional space designed for private dialogues with "The Voice," as well as an entry zone where nominees receive news about their status in the competition.
The Voice
An invisible entity known as "The Voice" interacts with contestants using speaker systems, delivering directives and enforcing regulations that influence gameplay and budget management. Dominique Duforest provides the voice for this character, who assigns covert tasks that offer financial incentives and orchestrates activities to shape the competitive environment.
Secrets
Each participant harbors a secret—either personal or assigned by production—connected to their initial €10,000 kitty bank. These secrets might involve transformative life events or invented relationships. Players may attempt to uncover others’ secrets by "buzzing," which initiates confidential confrontations and risks part of their kitty funds to verify their guesses; successful revelations result in acquiring the opponent’s kitty money.
International versions
Template:FlagcountryTemplate:Flagcountry Francophone Africa| Region/Country | Local title | Seasons | Originally aired | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagcountry | Secret Story - Casa dos Segredos | 8 (main) 7 (all-stars) |
2010–present | TVI |
| Template:Flagcountry | Secret Story | 1 | 2011 | Net5 |
| Template:Flagcountry | La Casa de los Secretos | 1 | 2012 | Latina Televisión |
| 'Paslapčių namai' | '1' | '2013' | 'TV3/TV6/TV8' | |
| 'Secret Story: La Casa de los Secretos' | '2' | '2021–2022' | 'Telecinco' | |
| 'Secret Story Afrique' | '1' | '2024-present' | 'Canal+ Pop' |
Several participants have competed in various international editions and all-star versions within the franchise.
Video game
A licensed video game adaptation was launched for the Nintendo DS platform in France on September 17, 2009, developed by Anuman Interactive.
Secret Story mechanics in Big Brother'
Between 2010 and 2015, Endemol Shine Group/Banijay integrated the Secret Story concept of concealed secrets into selected international Big Brother editions across countries such as South Africa, Germany, Australia, Albania, the UK, Denmark, Spain, and South Africa once more. These seasons featured themes centered around secrets and deception.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Secret Story (French TV series)
- Big Brother (franchise) seasons
- 2007 French television series debuts
- 2017 French television series endings
- 2024 French television series debuts
- Television series revived after cancellation
- 2000s reality television series
- 2010s reality television series
- 2020s reality television series
- Big Brother (France)
- French reality television series
- Reality competition television series
- TF1 original programming
- Television series by Endemol
- Television series by Banijay
- Television controversies in France
- Television shows filmed in France