Jacques Legros created controversy on RMC by directly attacking the Cannes Film Festival. The journalist who revealed his salary denounced an event that he considers disconnected from the public and popular cinema. In the midst of the controversy over private jets and the ecological impact of the festival, the former face of TF1’s 1 p.m. celebrities present on the Croisette.
Jacques Legros explodes against the Cannes Film Festival
Friday May 15, 2026, Jacques Legros reacted strongly on the set of Estelle Midi, the RMC morning show hosted by Estelle Denis. While columnists debated the use of private jets during the Cannes Film Festival, the journalist quickly broadened the subject. Very annoyed, he denounced the image sent by the event and certain celebrities present on the Croisette. Faithful to his direct tone, he did not hesitate to use particularly harsh words. “What is the Cannes Film Festival? It’s a gathering of assholes,” he said before accusing the guests of coming “just to appear” in front of the photographers. A release which immediately provoked numerous reactions.
Jacques Legros then continued his charge against the festival by directly targeting the programming proposed in Cannes. According to him, the event moves away from the public and from “true popular cinema”. “These are just films that we won’t even go see,” also declared the former joker on TF1’s 1 p.m. Despite the remarks of his colleague Fred Hermel on the brutality of his remarks, the journalist assumed his position without turning back. This speech made an even greater impact as Jacques Legros remains an important figure in mainstream information. After nearly twenty-six years on TF1, he joined RMC in August 2025 as a weekly columnist. Today he demands freer and more direct speech.
Private jets and ecology: a growing controversy
Jacques Legros’ outburst comes in an already very tense context around the Cannes Film Festival. Several environmental activists have been denouncing for several days the massive use of private jets to transport international stars and executives of American studios. According to figures published by the NGO Transport & Environment, around 750 private jets reached Cannes last year during the festival. This activity would have resulted in the consumption of approximately two million liters of fossil kerosene. Researchers estimate that this represents the equivalent of 30 million kilometers traveled by a thermal car. Faced with this data, several associations are now calling for strong measures to limit the most polluting travel during the event. Among the voices mobilized, former pilots and specialists from the aviation sector have publicly called for a ban on private jets during the Cannes Film Festival. Anthony Viaux, former Air France pilot and signatory of the appeal, denounced a situation that he considers “obscene” in a context of climate crisis and energy tensions. This controversy now goes beyond the simple framework of cinema and fuels a broader debate on the privileges of celebrities. The Cannes Film Festival, regularly criticized for its elitist image, thus crystallizes the oppositions between international prestige and ecological concerns. With his very virulent declarations, Jacques Legros added a new media dimension to an already particularly sensitive controversy.
