Vendredi, tout est permis avec Arthur
Arthur | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jacques Essebag March 10, 1966 Casablanca, Morocco |
| Occupation(s) | Television host, producer, comedian |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Hosting Les Enfants de la télé, La Fureur; Vice president of Endemol France; Owner of Ouï FM |
Jacques Essebag (born 10 March 1966), professionally known as Arthur, is a prominent French television host, producer, and comedian.
After discontinuing his law studies, he embarked on a career in broadcasting by presenting shows on local Parisian radio stations during the late 1980s. Throughout the early 1990s, he became well-known for his work on Fun Radio, Europe 1, and Europe 2 with programs such as Arthur et les pirates, PlanetArthur, and Radio Arthur. Beginning in 1991, Arthur expanded into television, hosting various shows on France 2 and TF1 including Les Enfants de la télé and La Fureur.
In addition to his broadcasting career, he explored theater with two solo performances: Arthur en vrai (2005) and I Show (2009). He also appeared as an actor in the film Le Dîner de Cons (2007), sharing the screen with Dany Boon.
From the mid-1990s onward, Arthur has been active as an audiovisual entrepreneur. He served as vice president of the French branch of production company Endemol until 2006. Since 2008, he has held ownership of Ouï FM.
Early years
Born in Casablanca to Michel Essebag, a chartered accountant, and a homemaker mother, Arthur's family relocated to the Paris region in 1967 due to geopolitical unrest. They settled in Massy, where he later pursued law studies at the University of Paris-Sud 11. Concurrently, during his first year at university, he began working in radio at the local station Massy-Pal.
Radio career
In 1987, Arthur joined RFM, adopting his stage name to prevent confusion with others. After a brief period at Kiss Fm in 1988, he transitioned to Skyrock in 1989. There, he co-developed the morning show Les zigotos du matin.
1990s
In 1991, Arthur took on the early morning slot from 6:30 am to 9:00 am at Fun Radio, where he introduced interactive segments such as the provocative Orgasmotron game. His reputation was bolstered by a daring advertising campaign that branded him as "the greatest cunt of the FM band." During his time at Fun Radio, he met Emmanuel Lévy (known as Maître Lévy), who became his director and a crucial collaborator throughout his television ventures.
He departed Fun Radio in 1992 to join Europe 1, where he aimed to revitalize the station's listenership. There, he hosted Arthur et les pirates for four seasons between 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm alongside Maître Lévy and a team including Alexandre Devois, Princess Jade, Rémy Caccia, and Michèle Bernier. The show incorporated games similar to those from Fun Radio and was initially performed live before an audience.
In September 1996, Arthur returned to Europe 2 to present La Matinale, originally airing from 8:00 am to 9:30 am and later adjusted to 7:30 am–9:00 am. The program featured comedic sketches involving fictitious callers and included a humor ensemble comprising Maître Lévy, Gad Elmaleh, Axelle Laffont, Tex, Gus (Gustave de Kervern), François Meunier, and Philippe Lelièvre.
2000s
At the start of 2000, Arthur left Europe 2 to host PlanetArthur on Fun Radio during the afternoon slot from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm. He worked alongside Maître Lévy, Myriam, Valérie Benaïm, and Cyril Hanouna.
When Sébastien Cauet joined Fun Radio in September 2004, Arthur sought to exit due to prior conflicts involving Cauet. However, Fun Radio refused an early release before his contract expired in June 2005. In response, Arthur produced three episodes titled Libérez Arthur, openly calling for contract termination while satirizing the station's director. On 9 September, Fun Radio stopped airing his show. Although a court ruled in favor of Fun Radio regarding contract enforcement, it denied any compensation claims. By October 2007, Arthur and Cauet publicly reconciled through joint appearances.
Soon after these events, Arthur returned to Europe 2 to present Arthur et les Pirates from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm with Maître Lévy, Princesse Jade, and Jonathan Lambert. His inaugural broadcast set a world record for continuous radio hosting at thirty-three hours straight (25–26 November 2004), which was later surpassed by Cauet. This marathon was monetized through DVD sales and adapted into a television series aired on MCM.
Between September 2005 and February 2006, Arthur also hosted Radio Arthur, featuring Manu Levy, Jaz, and Jonathan Lambert.
TV career
Arthur embarked on his television journey in 1992 with L'Émission impossible on TF1, a late-night program combining interviews and edgy sketches. Despite its lack of success, the show served as a platform that introduced comedians such as Élie Semoun and Dieudonné to viewers.
By 1994, he co-presented Les Enfants de la télé on France 2 alongside Pierre Tchernia, and in 1996, he took on hosting duties for La Fureur du samedi soir, a karaoke format shared with Pascal Sevran. These shows were later brought to TF1, where he also co-hosted the Victoires de la Musique event with Michel Drucker.
Arthur developed additional programs for TF1 including Rêve d'un soir and 120 minutes de bonheur. However, the 2001 show CIA, which he co-produced with Dominique Farrugia, did not meet expectations. Through his production company Case Productions—later renamed ASP—and in partnership with Stéphane Courbit, he was behind successful series like Exclusif on TF1 and La Grosse Émission on Comédie!.
In 2001, following Endemol’s acquisition of ASP, Arthur was appointed vice president of Endemol France. The firm aggressively expanded within the French reality television sector by acquiring numerous production companies. Arthur divested his shares in Endemol towards the end of 2006.
He maintained his role as host of Les Enfants de la Télé and led TF1’s version of Deal or No Deal, titled À prendre ou à laisser. In 2007, he also hosted the NRJ Music Awards, an event sponsored by NRJ Radio. By August that year, Arthur stepped down from À prendre ou à laisser to dedicate more time to theater with Le Dîner de Cons, while continuing to present Les Enfants de la télé and holiday specials on television.
On 5 January 2009, he made a brief return to host À prendre ou à laisser for a three-month stint.
Since November 2010, Arthur has been at the helm of Ce Soir Avec Arthur on Comédie!, a weekly program blending news and humor featuring comedians Claudia Tagbo, Ary Abittan, and Amelle Chahbi. The show attracted attention due to segments that closely mirrored those from CBS’s American series The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, including the use of identical puppets. Craig Ferguson publicly expressed astonishment at this resemblance, comparing it to "taking pants from a hobo." While Worldwide Pants Inc. contemplated legal measures, Arthur appeared as a guest on Ferguson’s show in November 2010, characterizing the similarities as a tribute and concluding with a cordial exchange. In June 2011, Ferguson traveled to France and appeared on Arthur’s program alongside Kristen Bell and his robotic companion, Geoff Peterson.
Theatrical career
Arthur initiated his stage career in September 2005 with the solo performance Arthur en vrai, written by Isabelle Nanty, intended to transform his public persona. The tour spanned Europe, North Africa, and Quebec, drawing over 100,000 attendees across France.
In 2007, he took on the role of Pierre Brochan in Le Dîner de Cons, directed by Francis Veber and featuring Dany Boon. This character had previously been portrayed by Claude Brasseur and Michel Roux in theatrical renditions and by Thierry Lhermitte in the film adaptation. The production was met with positive reviews and ran for more than 200 shows, attracting an audience of approximately 150,000 before concluding prematurely in March 2008 due to the overwhelming success of Boon’s film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis.
Three years after his initial one-man show, Arthur debuted I Show in late 2008—a comedic exploration of emerging technologies. Early in 2009, several scheduled performances were canceled amid protests connected to Israel’s Gaza offensive and allegations directed at Arthur. He addressed these cancellations publicly in an interview with Le Monde, attributing them to an anti-Semitic campaign.
Personal life
Arthur is a father to a son named Samuel, whose mother is former model Léa Vigny. After three years of dating, he wed Estelle Lefébure in February 2004; the couple separated in April 2008. During the 2007 presidential election, Arthur openly endorsed Nicolas Sarkozy.
Bibliography
- Antinea et les pirates (co-authored with Jean-Marc Lenglen), published by Michel Lafon, 1994
- Arthur et les pirates, written by Arthur with illustrations by Olivier Pont, Vents d'Ouest, 1994
- Ta mère !, Flammarion, 1996
- Ta mère 2 la réponse !, Flammarion, 1996
- Et ta sœur, Flammarion, 2000
- Arthur censuré, Michel, 2001
- Ta mère a dix ans, Michel, 2004
Theater / One-man shows
- 2006: Arthur en vrai, directed by Isabelle Nanty
- 2007: Le Dîner de Cons, alongside Dany Boon, authored by Francis Veber
- 2009: iShow, his second solo performance
Television programs
- Vendredi, tout est permis avec Arthur (2011–present); American adaptation titled Riot
- Ce Soir Avec Arthur (2010–present)
- Les Enfants de la télé (since 1994)
- À prendre ou à laisser (aired 2004–2006 and again in 2009)
- Le bêtisier du samedi (1995–1996)
- La Fureur (1996–2000)
- Les enfants du 31 (2006–2007)
- 120 minutes de bonheur (broadcast from 2001 to 2005)
- Nice People (co-hosted with Flavie Flament) (2003)
Filmography
- Les Bidochon, directed by Serge Korber, 1996
- Paparazzi, directed by Alain Berbérian, 1998
- Mes amis, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, 1999
Discography
- 1992: Arthur à La Télé, à La Radio (EMI)
- 1996: Les enfants de la télé (Versailles)
- 1999: Various compilations from the La Fureur series (EMI)
- 2002: Planetarthur, La compil' (Sony)
- 2003: Planetarthur, Le retour (Sony)