On June 19, 1986, on Canal+, Michel Denisot announced to television viewers the death of Coluche, died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 41. A very difficult sequence for the host who was unable, at the time, to hold back his tears, despite the support of Maryse and Philippe Gildas, who were also upset by the tragedy. This Thursday, May 14, the 85-year-old TV man was invited to the set of Yours to present his documentary My Coluchebroadcast on May 26 on TMC.
He then returned to this trauma which was still vivid, forty years later: “Is this the first and last time you cried on television, Michel?”, asks host Anne-Élisabeth Lemoine after the extract was broadcast. “Yes. It’s always emotional to see that again… It’s very moving…perhaps we had things in common which were more linked to childhood than to the present”, replies Michel Denisot, his voice quavering.
Michel Denisot pays tribute to Coluche: “He was a free, sincere man.”
He then says he learned of Coluche’s death only two minutes before going on air. “Yes, he had died two hours before and in the evening, we made the show with a lot of emotion as you see; In our job we must not show our emotions but this was not possible.” a confié the former presenter of Grand journal.
And to pay tribute to Michel Colucci, his real name: “He was a free, independent man who was associated with no one and nothing except his own sensations and emotions. He was extremely sincere in most things, notably in the creation of Restos du Cœur. He forced everyone to react, the left, the right, the center he was nowhere but he was everywhere”he analyzes.
For Michel Denisot, Coluche “still has an influence today”
The documentary My Coluche is screened in the Cannes Classics 2026 selection. “It’s a satisfaction to be here. What interested me was also Coluche’s vision today. It’s a documentary about the present with the participation of many comedians (…) and we realize that Coluche still has an influence today”he rejoices, while Anne Elisabeth Lemoine continues: “It is a mine of archives, anecdotes, memories to tell the story of this extraordinary man. who, we remember, disappeared suddenly on June 19, 1986 in a road accident.she concluded. A tribute that the provocative and committed actor would certainly have loved.
