A great figure in the French media has passed away. Sophie Garel died this Thursday, May 14, 2026 in the morning at the age of 84, her family announced to RTL. An essential voice on radio and a familiar face on television, she leaves behind an exceptional career, marked by decades on the air and a presence that has accompanied several generations of listeners and viewers, touched by her good humor, her energy and her proximity to the air. Over the years, the host has established herself as a unique personality in the French audiovisual landscape. But it is above all his cult complicity with Fabrice that will remain in the memories, offering many moments that have become emblematic of radio and television. A historic figure on RTL, she will have been on air for almost fifty years, establishing herself as one of the most familiar and endearing voices on the French media landscape.
The iconic duo of Sophie Garel and Fabrice
It was at the end of the 1960s that Sophie Garel took her first steps on RTL, still called Radio Luxembourg at the time. During this period, she led several careers at the same time: in 1968, she notably participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968, where she represented Luxembourg in a duet with Chris Baldo, with the title We will live with love, during the final organized in London. An experience which already contributes to establishing his image as a popular and versatile personality. But it is above all his collaboration with Fabrice which will have a lasting mark on the history of RTL. Together, they form one of the most cult duos of the 70s and 80s. Their spontaneous exchanges immediately seduce listeners, who then find them in several events that have become cult on the station, including Fabrice’s games with Sophie. Over time, their tandem established itself as a pillar of RTL’s identity, to the point of becoming inseparable from its golden age of radio.
A notable return in Les Grosses tétes
Even after several decades of career, Sophie Garel continued to seduce the public with her humor and her freedom of tone. Until 2007, she worked in particular as a columnist in On a tout essay on France 2, while also participating in On va s’gner on Europe 1 in parallel. Then, at the start of the 2007 school year, she also joined On n’a pas tout dit alongside Laurent Ruquier, thus confirming her place among the familiar voices of the French audiovisual landscape. More recently, she had again found a regular presence in Les Grosses Têtes on RTL, faithful to the light and knowing tone that has made its mark. In her personal life, Sophie Garel shared the life of Jean Yanne, an essential figure in French humor and a historic member of the Grosses Têtes. From their relationship was born a son, Thomas, whom she always wanted to preserve from the media spotlight, far from the exposure linked to his career. All our condolences to his loved ones.
