Benjamin Castaldi (; born 28 March 1970) is a French television host, columnist, radio host and producer. He is the former host of '' Secret Story'' which is a spinoff of '' Loft Story'' that he hosted as well.

Biography

Family

Benjamin Castaldi was born into a family of artists, being the son of actress and writer

Catherine Allégret Catherine Allégret (born 16 April 1946) is a French actress. She is the daughter of Simone Signoret and Yves Allégret.Becker, Frawley (2004) ''And the Stars Spoke Back: A Dialogue Coach Remembers Hollywood Players of the Sixties in Paris'', Sca ...

and actor

Jean-Pierre Castaldi Jean-Pierre Castaldi (born 1 October 1944) is a French actor. He is the father of French TV presenter and radio host Benjamin Castaldi Benjamin Castaldi (; born 28 March 1970) is a French television host, columnist, radio host and producer ...

. He grew up surrounded by his grandmother, actress

Simone Signoret Simone Signoret (; born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker; 25 March 1921 – 30 September 1985) was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a ...

, his grandfather, director

Yves Allégret Yves Allégret (13 October 1905 – 31 January 1987) was a French film director, often working in the film noir genre. He was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine and died in Paris. He was an assistant to film directors such as his broth ...

, and the adoptive father of his mother, actor and singer

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held strong ...

. He has a maternal half-sister, Clémentine Vaudaux and two paternal half-siblings, Giovanni and Paola. He is of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

Polish-Jewish The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...

descent.

Studies and professional debut

In the late 1980s, Benjamin Castaldi, who then aspired to become a businessman, began studies in economics at

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University (french: Sorbonne Université; la Sorbonne: 'the Sorbonne') is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon ...

. He then applied for a position in a home meal delivery company, where he was finally hired as a

salesperson Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...

. He then became

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of the company, which ended up filing bankruptcy. Wishing to try his luck as a music producer, he moved to the United States where he tried to relaunch the career of singer Esther Galil. After this failed, in 1993, he returned to Paris. Meanwhile, in 1992, he participated as an "anonymous" candidate in the game Que le meilleur gagne presented by

Nagui Nagui Fam (; born 14 November 1961) is an Egyptian-born French TV and radio personality of Egyptian and Italian descent. In his professional life, he goes by his first name Nagui. Biography His television career began in 1987 on M6, and swi ...

La Cinq La Cinq () was France's first privately owned free-to-air television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the network broadcast from 1985 to 1992. The contract for France's fifth terrest ...

Private life

He married on 22 September 1993 in

Saint-Mandé Saint-Mandé () is a high-end Communes of France, commune of the Val-de-Marne Departments of France, department in Île-de-France in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. It is one of the sm ...

to Valérie Sapienza, the mother of his sons Julien (born 18 September 1996) and Simon (born 20 April 2000). They divorced in 2001. On 21 September 2002, he married the television and radio host

Flavie Flament Flavie Flament (née Lecanu, born 2 July 1974) is a French television and radio presenter. Early life She was born in Valognes, Normandy, the daughter of Jean-Paul Lecanu, a former professional football player (1970–1974) for Stade Ma ...

who he met in December 2000 on the show Les P'tits Princes, on TF1). Castaldi has a son with her, Enzo (born 8 February 2004). They separated in December 2006 before divorcing in July 2008. On 24 November 2011, he married journalist and television host Vanessa Broussouloux in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, Denmark. They divorced in May 2016 and on 27 August of the same year he married an interview director of the company Endemol, Aurore Aleman, met in 2015. His eldest son Julien joined The Mad Mag on

NRJ12 NRJ 12 is a French private public-state general-interest television channel belonging to the NRJ Group, created on 31 March 2005 on DTT. The channel is available on DTT, cable, satellite and ADSL. History of the channel Originally called NRJ TV ...

as a columnist in 2017. On 22 November 2017, he revealed on the plateau of

Touche pas à mon poste ! ' (TPMP), literally "Don't Touch My TV Set!", is a French live television talk show. It is broadcast on C8 and produced by Productions. The show, hosted by Cyril Hanouna, deals with media news; it is broadcast from Monday to Friday at 8:30&nbs ...

having had a three-day affair with the French journalist

Annie Lemoine Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer Th ...

Motorcycle accident

On Saturday, 23 June 2012 it was reported that Benjamin Castaldi suffered and accident that caused him a collarbone fracture as well as two broken ribs. He left the hospital the following day. At the time of his accident he was hosting the French reality-series Secret Story which led to the decision that television presenter

Nikos Aliagas Nikos Aliagas ( el, Νικόλαος "Νίκος" Αλιάγας, ''Nikólaos "Níkos" Aliágas''; born 13 May 1969) is a Greek-French journalist and entertainer, known for being the host of the French reality program ''Star Academy''. Biograph ...

hosted the show while everybody waited for Castaldi's return. Benjamin returned on air on Monday, 2 July, but normality was soon interrupted. It turned out that he had six broken ribs, and his collarbone had not healed properly, he was operated with urgency. The Voice of Secret Story took over the hosting of the show.

Financial Issues

In 2012, he discovered that he was ruined and claimed to be a victim of a

real estate scam Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * Real (L'Arc-en-Ciel album), ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * Real ...

of the financial consulting company Apollonia. In 2017 Benjamin said he couldn't buy Christmas presents or do fun activities with his children anymore. In December 2014, he publicly declared himself a victim of a scam that involved a

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

, a promoter and a bank. He claimed six million

euros The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . T ...

in court for compensation of damages he suffered.

Career

* 1994–1997: ''Studio Gabriel'' with

Michel Drucker Michel Drucker, CQ (born 12 September 1942 in Vire) is a popular French journalist and TV host. He has been on screen for so long on various shows and different networks, both public and private, that he once said that some people joked that h ...

France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 ...

* 1997–1998: ''L'Étoffe des ados'' /

La Cinquième France 5 () is a French free-to-air public television channel, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is ''la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir'' (the knowledge network). ...

* 1997–1998: ''Drucker'N Co'' / France 2 * 1998: ''Le rendez-vous'' /

* 1998: ''Fous d'humour'' /

* 1998–1999: ''Vivement dimanche'' with

* 1999: ''Célébrités'' / TF1 with

Carole Rousseau Carole Rousseau (born 25 December 1967) is a French television presenter. Life and career Carole Rousseau was born in La Garenne-Colombes in the department of Hauts-de-Seine. After studying law and obtaining a DESS (Diplôme d'études supéri ...

and Stéphane Bern * 2000: ''Les P'tits Princes'' / TF1 with

Sophie Thalmann Sophie Thalmann (born 7 May 1976) is a French TV host and beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned Miss Lorraine 1997 and Miss France 1998. Early life and education Thalmann was born in Bar-le-Duc in the department of Meuse, the daughter of ...

, ,

Frédéric Joly Frédéric Joly is a French television host and producer. Biography He debuted his TV career in 1994, co-presenting the ''Disney Club''. Fred was then his nickname, and he hosted alongside Julie, then Delphine. Then he moved to France 2 for a bro ...

and

* 2001–2002: ''Loft Story'' (seasons 1–2) / M6 * 2002: ''Popstars, spéciale L5'' / M6 * 2002–2003: ''QI, Le Grand Test'' (editions 1 – 2) / M6 with Mac Lesggy * 2002–2003: ''Absolument 80'', ''Absolument 70'', ''Absolument Été'' / M6 * 2002: ''Mémoire, Le Grand Test'' / M6 with Mac Lesggy * 2003–2006: ''

Nouvelle Star ''Nouvelle Star'' (; also known as ''À la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star'' for the first season) is a French television series based on the popular Pop Idol programme produced by FremantleMedia. It was broadcast by M6 in seasons 1–8 before ...

'' (seasons 1–4) / M6 * 2003: ''Tous les oppose'' / M6 * 2003: ''Culture générale, Le Grand Test'' / M6 : with Mac Lesggy * 2004: ''Permis de conduire, Le Grand Test'' / M6 with Mac Lesggy * 2004: ''Le Pensionnat de Chavagnes : Ils disent tout !'' / M6 with Mac Lesggy * 2005: ''Totale Impro'' / M6 * 2006:

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

Flashback Tour 2006 Flashback(s) or Flash Back may refer to: * Flashback (narrative), in literature and drama, a scene that takes the narrative back in time * Flashback (psychology), in which a memory is suddenly and unexpectedly revisited ** Acid flashback, a repo ...

Bercy Bercy () is a neighbourhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, the city's 47th administrative neighbourhood. History Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late Neolithic ...

/ TF1 * 2006: ''Les 40 couples stars qui ont marqué les Français'' / TF1 with

* 2006–2007: ''Langues de VIP'' / TF1 * 2007–2008: ''1 contre 100'' / TF1 * 2007: ''Les 30 destins de stars les plus incroyables'' / TF1 * 2007: ''Les Rois du Système D'' / TF1 – with Églantine Éméyé * 2007: ''Incroyables Destins'' / TF1 * 2007–2014: ''Secret Story'' (seasons 1-8) / TF1 * 2007–2011: ''Le Grand Quiz du cerveau'' (editions 1–5) / TF1 with

* 2007–2008: ''Le Grand Music Quiz'' (editions 1–2) / TF1 * 2008: ''9e cérémonie des

NRJ Music Awards An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisi ...

'' / TF1 * 2008: ''Qui peut battre Benjamin Castaldi ?'' / TF1 – with

and

Denis Brogniart Denis Brogniart (; born 12 June 1967 in Dijon) is a French sport journalist and television host. He presents the show ''Koh-Lanta'' since 2002 and Formula One racing on TF1 with Marion Jollès Grosjean. Personal life Married in 2007 with Horte ...

* 2009: ''Mes parents vont t'adorer'' /

NRJ 12 NRJ 12 is a French private public-state general-interest television channel belonging to the NRJ Group, created on 31 March 2005 on DTT. The channel is available on DTT, cable, satellite and ADSL. History of the channel Originally called NRJ T ...

* 2010: ''La Ferme Célébrités en Afrique'' / TF1 - with

Jean-Pierre Foucault Jean-Pierre Foucault (; born 23 November 1947 in Marseille) is a French television and radio host. He was born in Marseille, his mother was Jewish. He was the host of '' Qui Veut Gagner des Millions ?'', the French version of ''Who Wants to Be a ...

* 2010: ''Qui peut battre Philippe Lucas ?'' / TF1 * 2010: ''Les Stars se dépassent pour Ela'' / TF1 * 2011: ''La vie de Vynzkozy'' /

NRJ 12 NRJ 12 is a French private public-state general-interest television channel belonging to the NRJ Group, created on 31 March 2005 on DTT. The channel is available on DTT, cable, satellite and ADSL. History of the channel Originally called NRJ T ...

* 2012: '' La Roue de la fortune'' / TF1 with

Valérie Bègue Valérie Bègue (born 26 September 1985) is a French reality television personality and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss France 2008, representing Réunion island, an overseas department of France located in the Indian Ocean. Bègue is th ...

* 2012: ''You Can Dance'' / NT1 * 2014: ''

Tahiti Quest Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Aust ...

'' /

Gulli Gulli (; stylised as gulli) is a French free-to-air television channel focused on kids programming for those aged 3 to 14. It was created as a result of a partnership between Lagardère Active and state-owned broadcaster France Télévisions. ...

* 2014: ''The Winner Is'' / TF1 * 2015: ''

'' / D8 * 2015: ''L'Académie des neuf'' /

NRJ 12 NRJ 12 is a French private public-state general-interest television channel belonging to the NRJ Group, created on 31 March 2005 on DTT. The channel is available on DTT, cable, satellite and ADSL. History of the channel Originally called NRJ T ...

* 2015: ''Super Million Question'' /

NRJ 12 NRJ 12 is a French private public-state general-interest television channel belonging to the NRJ Group, created on 31 March 2005 on DTT. The channel is available on DTT, cable, satellite and ADSL. History of the channel Originally called NRJ T ...

* 2016: Equidia Life Academy / Equidia Life * 2016–present: ''

'' / C8 * 2016: ''Hold Up'' / C8 * 2016: ''Big Buzz Quiz'' / C8 * 2017: ''TPMP ! Castaldi vs. Delormeau : qui sera le meilleur animateur ?'' / C8 * 2017: ''TPMP ! Les paris sont lancés'' / C8 * 2017: ''Cash Island'' / C8 * 2017: ''TPMP, le jeu : C'est que de l'amour !'' / C8 * 2017: ''Paris à nous les Jeux ! Le grand concert'' / C8 : with Hervé Mathoux and Marie Portolano * 2017: ''Family Battle'' / C8 * 2017: ''La Magie selon Guényanimée par Maxime Guény'' / C8 * 2018: ''La Télé même l'été !'' / C8 * 2018: ''TPMP ! Ouvert à tous'' / C8 * 2018: ''TPMP refait la semaine'' / C8 * 2018: ''TPMP fait son bêtisier !'' / C8 with Kelly Vedovelli * 2019: ''TPMP : les 10 plus gros clashs à la télé'' / C8 * 2019: ''TPMP : les 20 émissions préférées des Français'' / C8

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castaldi, Benjamin 1970 births Living people French television presenters French people of Italian descent People from Boulogne-Billancourt French people of Polish-Jewish descent