''Star Academy'' is a French

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

. It was produced by the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

company

Endemol Endemol B.V. was a Dutch-based media company that produced and distributed multiplatform entertainment content. The company annually produced more than 15,000 hours of programming across scripted and non-scripted genres, including drama, reality ...

. It consists of a contest of young singers. It spawned an equally successful show in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

called '' Star Académie''. It was broadcast on TF1 (2001–2008 and 2022) and

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). At the end of each season, selected contestants would go on tour around France,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, Switzerland, Belgium,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, and other French-speaking countries. The contestants stay in the

Dammarie-lès-Lys Dammarie-lès-Lys (; officially Dammarie-les-Lys) is a commune in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region from the center of Paris. History During the French Revol ...

's Vives-Eaux castle. The reality show is hosted by

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 ...

and featured guest stars such as

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

The Corrs The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Simple Plan Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

Tina Arena Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

Tokio Hotel Tokio Hotel is a German pop rock band, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer, and bassist Georg Listing. Their sound encompasses multiple genres, including pop rock, alternative rock, and electro ...

Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta), Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger (UK band), Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ' ...

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...

Sean Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

Laura Pausini Laura Pausini (; born 16 May 1974) is an Italian singer. She rose to fame in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with her debut single "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an internat ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on th ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

Hélène Ségara Hélène Ségara (), born Hélène Aurore Alice Rizzo on 26 February 1971, is a singer of Music of France, French, Armenians, Armenian and Italy, Italian descent, who came to prominence playing the role of Esméralda (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame ...

, Lorie Pester,

Peter Kingsbery Peter Kingsbery is an American singer-songwriter who co-founded the band Cock Robin in the 1980s. He grew up in Austin (Texas) where he studied classical music. He moved to Nashville (Tennessee) where he began his career as a musician (he acco ...

Lara Fabian Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (born January 9, 1970), better known as Lara Fabian, is a Belgian-Canadian pop singer and songwriter. She has sold over 20 million records worldwide as of 2021Broadway World (2017)"Lara Fabian annule finalement sa tourn ...

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

Alizée Alizée Lyonnet (''née'' Jacotey; born 21 August 1984), known professionally as Alizée, is a French singer, dancer and musician. She was born and raised in Ajaccio, Corsica. She first became known with her winning performance in the talent s ...

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 ...

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

, and

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

. In 2012, ''Star Academy'' was cancelled again after only one season, in order for TF1 to focus on '' The Voice: la plus belle voix''. In October 2022, ''Star Academy'' received a reboot after ten years with thirteen new contestants taking part in the programme.

again hosted the series which returned to the Vives-Eaux castle. British singer

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

was named the godfather of the show.

Star Academy seasons

The contestants are classed in order.

Season 1

Jenifer Bartoli Jenifer Yaël Juliette Dadouche-Bartoli (born 15 November 1982), known by the mononym Jenifer, is a French singer. Since winning the first season of ''Star Academy France'' in 2002, she has had a number of hit singles on the French, Belgian a ...

(winner) - participated in the Star Academy Tour, released debut album '' Jenifer'' and follow-up '' Le Passage''. Also released live CD & DVD ''

Jenifer fait son live ''Jenifer fait son live'' is the name of the first live album recorded by French singer Jenifer Bartoli. It was recorded during Jenifer's first live tour at Zenith of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an ...

''. * Mario Barravecchia (finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Jean-Pascal Lacoste Jean-Pascal Lacoste (also known as Jean-Pascal or Jipé; born 21 June 1978) is a French television personality, TV host and former singer and actor. Career In 2001, he participated in the first edition of French TV reality show ''Star Academy ( ...

(semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Carine Haddadou (semi-finalist) * Olivia Ruiz (semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour, released debut album ''J'aime pas l'amour'' in 2003 and follow-up album ''La Femme Chocolat'' in 2005. * Jessica Marquez - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Patrice Maktav Patrice Maktav, born 1 March 1978 in Annecy, is a French singer and actor. Biography Although he originally aspired to be an actor, Maktav first rose to fame in 2001 as a member of the first season of Star Academy, a French singing competition s ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour * Djalil Amine - participated in the Star Academy Tour * François Roure - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Cécile Boutry * Sidonie Koch * Grégory Gulli - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Stéphane Bosmans * Amandine Bisqueret * Khalifa M'Baye * Catherine Season 1 was won in 2001 by Jenifer Bartoli from Nice, who has become one of France's best-loved new female singers since then. Second studio album ''Le Passage'' has songwriting contributions from Calogero and

Benoît Poher Benoît "Ben" Poher (born 27 June 1979) is a French singer, songwriter and lyricist. He is the lead singer of French rock band Kyo and was the lead singer in the supergroup Empyr. Early life Poher was born in Mantes-la-Jolie, Yvelines, in th ...

from Kyo. Later she released two other studio albums, ''Lunatic'' and ''Apelle-moi Jen''. Carine and Mario, along with series 2 contestants Anne-Laure and Houcine and series 5 contestants Pierre and Alexia make up the cast of a new comedie-musicale in France "Salut Joe" which features the songs of legendary star

Joe Dassin Joseph Ira Dassin (; 5 November 1938 – 20 August 1980) was an American–French singer-songwriter and actor. He was the son of film director Jules Dassin. Early life Dassin was born in New York City to American film director Jules Dassin (1911 ...

. Olivia Ruiz has enjoyed critical and commercial success with her album ''La Femme Chocolat''.

Season 2

Nolwenn Leroy Nolwenn Le Magueresse (; born 28 September 1982), known by her stage name Nolwenn Leroy (), is a French singer-songwriter, musician and actress. Originally classically trained (violin and opera singing), she rose to fame after winning the second ...

(winner) - participated in the Star Academy Tour, released debut album '' Nolwenn'' and follow-up ''

Histoires Naturelles ''Histoires naturelles'' ("Natural Histories") is a song cycle by Maurice Ravel, composed in 1906. It sets five poems by Jules Renard to music for voice and piano. Ravel's pupil Manuel Rosenthal created a version for voice and orchestra.

''. Also released live CD & DVD ''Histoires Naturelles Tour''. *

Houcine Camara Houcine Camara or just Houcine (born 19 August 1980 in Nancy, France, Nancy), is a French singer. Biography He was born in a musical family. His family was Muslim . His father was a singer, who for 10 years had also directed "Le palais des dans ...

(finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Emma Daumas Manuelle "Emma" Daumas (born 23 November 1983, in Avignon) is a French singer-songwriter and performer, particularly well known for her participation in ''Star Academy''. Career Daumas grew up in a family of music lovers. Her passion for music ...

(semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Georges-Alain Jones - (semi-finalist) participated in the Star Academy Tour * Aurélie Konaté - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Jérémy Chatelain Jérémy Chatelain (born 19 October 1984) is a French singer, actor, and fashion designer. In 2003, he married Alizée Jacotey with whom he has a child, Annily. Since 2011, Jérémy and Alizée have lived separately. He participated in the seco ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour * Anne-Laure Sibon - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Fabien Fasake - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Alexandre Balduzzi - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Isabelle Lem * Eva Chemouni * Rudy Carvalho * Philip Miro * Nazim * Florence * Stéphanie Hansen Season 2 of ''Star Academy'' launched some singers with successful solo careers - winner Nolwenn but also Emma, who reinvented herself as France's answer to Avril Lavigne; singer, songwriter and producer Jérémy Chatelain who married

; singer-songwriter Georges-Alain Jones; Aurelie Konate who appeared in the comedie-musicale ''

Belles belles belles ''Belles belles belles'' is a French jukebox musical written by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Daniel Moyne, based on the songs of French singer Claude François (1939-1978). The musical arrangements are by Carolin Petit. It was the first French jukebo ...

'' based on the music of

Claude François Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of "Comme d'habitude" (c ...

Season 3

Élodie Frégé Élodie Frégé is a French singer and actress. She was the winner of the third season of ''Star Academy France''. She released her self-titled début album after winning the show. Career Frégé auditioned for ''Star Academy'' Season 3 and won ...

(winner) - participated in the Star Academy Tour and released debut CD ''Elodie Frégé'' early in 2004 and 3 others in 2006, 2007 and 2010. *

Michal Michal (; he, מיכל , gr, Μιχάλ) was, according to the first Book of Samuel, a princess of the United Kingdom of Israel; the younger daughter of King Saul, she was the first wife of David (), who later became king, first of Judah, ...

(finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Sofia Essaïdi Sofia Essaïdi ( ar, صوفيا السعيدي, born 6 August 1984) is a French- Moroccan singer and actress. She was born in Casablanca, to a Moroccan father and a French mother. Career From 30 August to 13 December 2003, she participated in ...

(semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour and released debut CD ''Mon cabaret'' in 2005. * Patxi Garat (semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Morganne Matis Anne Tilloy (born 12 September 1980) is a French actress - and singer - specialized in the french dubbing industry born in Paris. She is the french voice for several TV-series characters. She is the voice for Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum) in '' S ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour and released debut cd ''

Une fille De L'ere Anne Tilloy (born 12 September 1980) is a French actress - and singer - specialized in the french dubbing industry born in Paris. She is the french voice for several TV-series characters. She is the voice for Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum) in '' S ...

'' in 2006 *

Lukas Delcourt Lukas is a form of the Latin name Lucas (given name), Lucas. Popularity In 2013 it was the ninth List of most popular given names#Male names 5, most popular name for boys in Australia. Meaning and different spellings * Amharic - Luqas (ሉቃስ) ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour - appeared in French drama series ''

Sous le soleil ''Sous le soleil'' (''Under the sun''; ) is a French soap opera broadcast on French major channel TF1 from 1996 to 2008. A spin-off, ''Sous le soleil de Saint-Tropez'' has been broadcast in French channel TMC since 2013. Broadcast It has bee ...

''. * Pierre Bouley - participated in the Star Academy Tour and member of Premix. *

Romain Billard Romain may refer to: People Given name * Romain Bussine (1830–1899), French poet and voice professor * Romain Rolland (1866–1944), French writer * Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990), French artist and designer known as Erté * Romain Bellenge ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour and member of Premix * Amina El Bennouni * Stéphanie Dalmasso - appeared in French series ''Père et Maire''. * Edouard Algayon - participated in the Star Academy Tour (as guitarist), formed the trio Premix with Pierre and Romain, released CD ''Chambre 1512'' which included single "Oui ou Non". Premix split amicably in late 2005. * Anne Thibault *

Valérie Deniz De Boccard Valerie is generally a feminine given name, derived directly from the French ''Valérie'' (a female-only name). Valéry or Valery is a masculine given name in parts of Europe (particularly in France and Russia), as well as a common surname in Fr ...

* Marjorie Condoris * Michaël Sapience * Icaro Da Silva After the highly successful season 2, much was expected of season 3 and the favourites were named at the beginning: Sofia and Michal. As it turned out, both of them made their respective male/female semi finals, joined by Elodie and Patxi respectively. Elodie ended up making it to the finals, where she beat Polish contestant Michal and become the winner of ''Star Academy 3''. Michal will return to the music scene in France in 2007 with his second album ''All Alone with my Gueule''. Sofia ended up releasing her own album ''Mon cabaret'' in 2005.

Season 4

Grégory Lemarchal Grégory Jean-Paul Lemarchal (13 May 1983 – 30 April 2007), known professionally as Grégory Lemarchal, was a French singer who rose to fame by winning the fourth series of the reality television show ''Star Academy'', which was broadcast on th ...

(winner) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Lucie Bernardoni Lucie is the French language, French and Czech language, Czech form of the female name Lucia (name), Lucia. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Lucie Ahl, British tennis player * Lucie Arnaz, American actress * Lucie Aubrac, mem ...

(finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Hoda Nekra Hoda Kotb ( ; arz, هدى قطب, ''Hudā Quṭb''; ; born August 9, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She is a main co-anchor of the NBC News breakfast television, morning show ''Today (U.S. TV prog ...

(semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Mathieu Johann Mathieu is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * André Mathieu (1929–1968), Canadian pianist and composer * Anselme Mathieu (1828–1895), French Provençal poet * Claude-Louis Mathieu (1783–1875), ...

(semi-finalist) - participated in the Star Academy Tour * Sofiane Tadjine-Lambert- participated in the Star Academy Tour * Sandy François - participated in the Star Academy Tour *

John Eyzen John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour - came to play the role of Mercutio in the Asia Tour of Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour * Francesca Antoniotti *

Harlem Parmentier Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour *

Enrique Toyos Enrique () is the Spanish language, Spanish variant of the given name Heinrich (given name), Heinrich of Germanic origin. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (given name), Henry (English), Enric (Catalan), Enrico (Italian), Henrik (Swedish, D ...

Radia Bensarsa Started in April 2005, the Radia network is an international informal network of community radio, community radio stations that have a common interest in producing and sharing Work of art, art works for the radio. In 2020, the network gathers 2 ...

- participated in the Star Academy Tour * Morgan Auger *

Tina Gardinier Tina may refer to: People * Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina'' Places *Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran *Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia *Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomon ...

* Karima * Sebastien Degut * Emilie Ducrot *

Gauthier Roubichou Gauthier () is a French name of Germanic origin, corresponding to the English given name Walter (name), Walter. People with the given name *Gauthier de Costes, seigneur de la Calprenède *Gauthier de Brienne, Counts Walter III of Brienne, Walter IV ...

* Lennie Season 4 winner Grégory Lemarchal became the first male winner of ''Star Academy'' in France. He released his debut single "

Écris l'histoire "Écris l'histoire" is the debut and most successful single from French singer Grégory Lemarchal. It was released in March 2005 in francophone countries as first single from his album ''Je deviens moi'', where it had a great success, particularl ...

" and debut album ''

Je deviens moi ''Je deviens moi'' (meaning "I Become Myself") is the name of the first studio album recorded by the French singer Grégory Lemarchal. It was released on April 17, 2005 and contains the hit singles "Écris l'histoire" and "Je suis en vie". The al ...

'' in France in 2005. Grégory also enjoyed success in 2006 with "Même si", a bilingual duet with Lucie Silvas of her song " What You're Made Of". On April 30, 2007, Grégory Lemarchal died of complications due to

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...

while waiting for a lung transplant.

Season 5

Magalie Vaé Magalie Vaé is the stage name of Magalie Bonneau, a French singer born on 6 January 1987 in Gonesse (Val-d'Oise). She was the winner of the fifth series of the French Star Academy TV talent show. Biography Vaé grew up in Le Thillay, in Val-d' ...

(Winner - Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) *

Jérémy Amelin Jérémy Amelin (born July 1, 1986) is a French recording artist. Best known as finalist of French music TV show '' Star Academy 5''. Biography Amelin was born on July 1, 1986 in Montargis, France and raised in Montcresson, France. He was the ...

(Finalist - Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) *

Pascal Maunoury Pascal, Pascal's or PASCAL may refer to: People and fictional characters * Pascal (given name), including a list of people with the name * Pascal (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** Blaise Pascal, Fre ...

(Semi-Finalist - Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) *

Ely Breton Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral ** Ely Rural District, a f ...

(Semi-Finalist - Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) * Emilie Minatchy (Semi-Finalist - Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) *

Alexia Palombo Alexia may refer to: * Alexia (given name) ** Alexia (Italian singer) (born 1967) *** ''Alexia'' (album), a 2002 album by the Italian singer ** Alexia Putellas (born 1994), Spanish footballer sometimes known mononymously *** '' Alexia: Labor Omn ...

(Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) *

Jean-Luc Guizonne Jean-Luc may refer to: In politics: * Jean-Luc Bennahmias (born 1954), a French politician and Member of the European Parliament * Jean-Luc Dehaene (1940–2014), a Flemish politician * Jean-Luc Laurent (born 1957), a French politician * Jean-Luc ...

(Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) * Maud Verdeyen (Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) * Pierre Frischeteau (Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) * Arno Demessine(Also participated in the Star Academy Tour) *

Grégoire Bourdin Grégoire is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname / Family name *Alexandre Grégoire (1922–2001), Haitian painter * Augustus Gregoire (1936–1972), Dominican cricketer *Christine Gregoire (born 1947), ...

* Laure Ruhland * Jill Vandermeulen * Chloé Boucaud * Mickael Tabury *

Moïse Quaresma Moise is a given name and surname, with differing spellings in its French and Romanian origins, both of which originate from the name Moses: Moïse is the French spelling of Moses, while Moise is the Romanian spelling. As a surname, Moisè and Mo ...

* Nassim & Neissa Parize Season 5 was notable for the return of some familiar faces - season 1 and 2 directrice Alexia Laroche-Joubert returned in the same role, after which the role was filled in season 3 by Nathalie Andre, and in season 4 by Gerard Louvin. Also back was Raphaelle Ricci as prof of scenic expression. Despite an expanded age limit on participants, there was only one noticeably participant - Jérémy Amelin (18). His popularity grew over the series and he eventually reached the finale where he faced, and lost to, Magalie Vaé. Among the female contestants the early favourite was Emilie, a violinist who originated from the island of Reunion. However, her popularity with the jury was seemingly not shared by the public. In the female semi final she and fellow student Ely were voted out in favour of Magalie, who had attracted much attention in France because, unlike previous Star Academy participants, she was overweight. In the end, Magalie triumphed on 16.12.2005 and became the fifth Star Academy winner in France. Magalie sold the least CDs by a series winner compared to previous winners Jenifer and Nolwenn. This raises the question of whether the judging should be 100% in the hands of the voting public.

Season 6

Cyril Cinélu Cyril Cinélu, born 23 January 1987 in Lagny-sur-Marne, is a Francophone singer originally from Martinique who won the sixth season of ''Star Academy France, Star Academy'' on 22 December 2006. Biography Cyril grew up in Dillon, Martinique, D ...

(Winner-Final week 16) *

Dominique Fidanza Dominique Fidanza, is a Belgian-Italian singer (born 7 August 1979 in Brussels). Biography Fidanza won the Italian version of the reality television singing competition '' Popstars'' and was a member of Italian band Lollipop. In 2006, she move ...

(Second Place-Final week 16) *Marina (Eliminated week 15 semi-final) * Cynthia Brown (Eliminated week 15 semi-final) *Ludovic (Eliminated week 14) *Jean-Charles (Eliminated week 13) *Brice (Eliminated week 12) *Gaël (Eliminated week 11) *Elfy (Eliminated week 10) *Nicolas (Eliminated week 9) *David (Eliminated week 8) *Bastien (Eliminated week 7) * Judith (Eliminated week 6) *Faustine (Eliminated week 5) *Céline (Eliminated week 4) *Eloisha (Eliminated week 3 *Fafa (Eliminated week 2) *Laurent (Eliminated week 1) All of last year's profs returned this year including directrice Alexia Laroche-Joubert and dance teacher Kamel Ouali, the latter kept French fans guessing regarding his participation up to the last minute, as he remained involved in the popular musical ''Le Roi Soleil''. Nikos Aliagas continued to present the daily updates and weekly "Prime" on Fridays. The focus for this season was expected to shift from traditional songs to the "nouvelle chanson francaise" style made popular by singers like Benabar, Benjamin Biolay and former Star Ac 1 contestant Olivia Ruiz. Contestants Marina and Jean-Charles reflected this new musical style and Marina, in particular, was allowed to sing her own compositions on the "Prime". Gael, whose musical style resembled that of the Gipsy Kings, eventually quit on 13 November, allegedly in relation to the refusal of the producers to allow him to record with the Gipsy Kings, whom his musical style clearly owed an allegiance to. There was also controversy over remarks made by Raphaelle Ricci following the eviction of fan favourite Nicolas Charvillat, suggesting that her fellow "profs" had decided to evict him before he even sang a note. In the end Cyril, the first black person to win ''Star Academy'' or any singing contest in France, triumphed by 67% of the vote over Dominique (33%) on 22 December to become the sixth ''Star Academy'' winner in France. This year was unusual as only seven students went on the tour: Cyril, Dominique, Cynthia, Jean-Charles, Brice, Marina, and Ludovic.

Season 7

Contestants include *

Quentin Mosimann Quentin Gérard John Mosimann (; born 14 February 1988 in Geneva) is a Swiss DJ and record producer. He has been ranked in the top 100 of the best disc jockeys for four consecutive years by ', ranking 93rd in 2015. Quentin Mosimann took up hi ...

(winner) (will also participate in the Tour) *Mathieu (finalist) (will also participate in the Tour) *Claire-Marie (semi-finalist) (will also participate in the Tour) *Bertrand (semi-finalist) (will also participate in the Tour) *Jéremy (will also participate in the Tour) *Lucie (will also participate in the Tour) *Pierre *Alexia *Sevan *Maureen *Antoine *Eva *Claudia *Noémie *Dojima *Yaëlle *Alexandra Maureen, the favorite, walked after 7 weeks. Mathieu had been nominated 8 times over Star Academy 7, but each time was favored by the public to continue. Until finally, improving his show greatly, ending up in the final where Quentin, the favorite of most spectators with 0 nominations, won by the close margin of 52.6% to 47.4% for Mathieu.

Season 8

The eighth season debuted on Friday September 19, 2008. * The students are no longer in the chateau, but in a private hotel in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, located at 12

rue Charlot ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...

() The contestants in season 8 are: Top 2 (the finale aired on 19/12/08) - * Mickels Réa (winner) *Alice (runner-up) Eliminated (in order of elimination) - *Laure Cappellini (eliminated on 26/09/08) *Gaëtan (eliminated on 3/10/08) * Ana Palomo-Diaz (eliminated on 10/10/08) *Julia Jean-Baptiste (eliminated on 17/10/08) *Harold Haven (eliminated on 24/10/08) *Yvane Beharry (voluntarily withdrew on 31/10/08) *Marilyne Lecomte (eliminated on 7/11/08) *Quentin LeMonnier (eliminated on 14/11/08) *

Anissa Stili Anissa may refer to: * "Anissa" (song), a song by French singer Wejdene People with the given name *Anissa Abi-Dargham, American psychiatrist and member of the faculty of Columbia University *Anissa Helou (born 1952), cookbook author, teacher, and ...

(eliminated on 21/11/08 - double elimination) *Édouard Privat (eliminated on 21/11/08 - double elimination) *Solène Le Pierres (eliminated on 28/11/08 - quarter-finalist) *Joanna Lagrave (eliminated on 05/12/08 - semi-finalist) *Gautier Riese (eliminated on 12/12/08 - semi-finalist) Alice has been nominated the most times, with five; but was saved by the public each time, with an overwhelming majority above two other nominees. The series also saw a decline in the ratings, as in the premiere week, it has received 5.5 million viewers with 29.6% share (mainly from their competition, NCIS on M6). This was considerably down from the previous series' 7.1 million viewers (30.7% share).

Season 9

decided to reboot the show after TF1 cancelled it in 2008, due to declining ratings. It began airing again from December 2012. Season 9 scholars: * Daniel, 20, Eliminated - Feb 21 (2013) - Semi-finals versus Laurene * Nancy, 25, Eliminated - Jan 31 (2013) * Sidoine, 23, Eliminated - Feb 14 (2013) - Semi-finals versus Zayra * Romain, 25, Eliminated (quarter finals) - Feb 07 (2013) * Vanina, 23, Eliminated (quarter finals) - Feb 07 (2013) * Tony, 23, Eliminated - Jan 17 (2013) * Mathilde, 20, Eliminated - Jan 10 (2013) * Tad, 21, Eliminated - Dec. 20 * Jimmy, 25, Eliminated - Dec. 27 * Pauline, 18, Eliminated - Jan 24 (2013) * Zayra, 25, Eliminated - Feb 28 (2013) - Finals versus Laurene * louis, 21, Eliminated - Jan 3 (2013) * Laurene, 18 - Winner * Manika, 22, Eliminated - Dec. 13 Laurene was nominated 2 times and Zayra only once. Zayra received the most number of marks in the history of Star academy, Zayra's and Star academy best mark was 19 out of 20.

Season 10

After a break of ten years from the concept and a fourteen-year break from broadcasting it themselves, TF1 announced a return to ''Star Academy'' in France. The premiere of the tenth season of the show took part on 15 October 2022 on TF1 with the contestants moving into the castle that same evening.

again took up hosting the show, while British singer

was named the godfather of the programme for this season. Michael Goldman is the show's headmaster. The show had a notable change in the amount of contestants as only thirteen solo acts took part. The 2005

Bob Sinclar Christophe Le Friant (; born 10 May 1969), better known by his stage name Bob Sinclar (), is a French record producer, DJ and remixer. He is the owner of the record label Yellow Productions. Musical career A native of Paris, Le Friant began DJ ...

song " Love Generation" has been used as a generic theme throughout the promotion of the new season. The contestants stay in the Dammarie-lès-Lys's Vives-Eaux castle, which was renovated during summer 2022. Anisha won by a solid margin of 57% to 43% for Enola.

References

External links

Homepage of Star Academy

Non official website of ''Star Academy'' in France and Lebanon
*
Operación triunfo (Spanish original) on imdb
{{Authority control 2001 French television series debuts 2008 French television series endings 2012 French television series debuts 2012 French television series endings Star Academy French music television series French reality television series French television series based on non-French television series TF1 original programming

Star Academy seasons

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9

Season 10

See also

References

External links