On a sad Friday. On March 20, 2026, Isabelle Mergault passed away at the age of 67. “Her family, friends, have the sadness to announce that the director, actress, and comedian Isabelle Mergault passed away this morning in Neuilly-sur-Seine, following a cancer she had been bravely battling for several months,” her entourage said in a statement, relayed on RTL, the radio station broadcasting “Les Grosses Têtes”. Since 1988, the actress had joined Philippe Bouvard’s group, before Laurent Ruquier became the host in 2014. Isabelle Mergault had been absent from the RTL airwaves for several weeks…
Laurent Ruquier opens up about Isabelle Mergault’s final weeks
On January 6, 2026, still on “Les Grosses Têtes”, Laurent Ruquier had spoken about her absence. “Our thoughts are with her, Isabelle will be back very soon. At the moment, she is absent, but she will return as soon as possible. We send our regards to Isabelle while thinking of Sacha Guitry,” he announced. On this 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 close friend Christine Bravo. “We knew very little (about her cancer, editor’s note). She didn’t want it to be known. First, because she hoped to overcome it, and so did we. She even returned to ‘Les Grosses Têtes’, after having undergone surgery,” explained the successor of Philippe Bouvard.
Since the announcement of her passing, numerous celebrities have paid tribute to the one who had a slight speech impediment, called 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 to have been able to accompany you, laugh with you, and change the world. Damn, I am so sad,” shared Christophe Beaugrand.
Laurent Ruquier proposed to Isabelle Mergault!
While many French people mourn the passing of Isabelle Mergault, many remember a very special anecdote with the actress and Laurent Ruquier. During a slightly too boozy evening, the former partner of Hugo Manos had proposed to his sidekick to get married! “We had been drinking,” recalled Laurent Ruquier, on RTL this Friday, March 20. In the pages of “Nous Deux”, Isabelle Mergault had revealed, “There are two men who proposed to me: a glassblower and Ruquier. They were both drunk.” Laurent Ruquier has many memories with his friend. “We traveled together. We did a detox together. We fasted together for 15 days. I have so many memories with her,” concluded the conductor of “Les Grosses Têtes”, who intends to pay tribute to her properly on Monday, March 23.
