Stéphane Rotenberg (born 21 September 1967) is a French
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
and
television presenter
A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for ...
.
Background and early life
Stéphane Rotenberg's grandparents are from
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
families who settled in the
Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin
The Nord-Pas-de-Calais Mining Basin is a mining basin in Northern France that stretches across the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments. The region is famous for its long history of coal extraction and its testimony to a significant period in the ...
of
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...
. His paternal grandparents,
Polish Jews
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 lo ...
, fled oppression, while his maternal grandparents, Polish
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
s, came to France looking for work. One of his grandfathers is a miner, the other is a furniture manufacturer.
Stéphane Rotenberg was born in
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...
, but when he was two and a half years old, his parents left Pas-de-Calais to find work in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
In 1985, he ceased studying for the
baccalauréat
The ''baccalauréat'' (; ), often known in France colloquially as the ''bac'', is a French national academic qualification that students can obtain at the completion of their secondary education (at the end of the ''lycée'') by meeting certain ...
, France's secondary schooling qualification, three months before the exams, preferring to immediately start a career as a
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
. He then undertook training at a radio school, which allowed him to access media internships.
Career
From 1991 to 1997, he worked in specialized magazines such as ''
Sport Auto
''sport auto'' is a German automobile magazine, established in 1969, published monthly by Motor Presse Stuttgart, based in Stuttgart.
The magazine publishes its "Supertest" of cars, featuring the laptime at the Nordschleife. Until 2015 almost al ...
'' or ''
L'Auto-Journal
''L'Auto-Journal'' is a bimonthly magazine created in 1950 by Robert Hersant and editor-in-chief Gilles Guérithault, devoted to automobiles. Notable journalists who have worked for ''l'Auto-Journal'' include Roland Gaucher and Jean-Marie Balestre ...
''. He also wrote several articles for the general press in '' VSD'', ''
Vogue Hommes
''Vogue'' is an American monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine that covers many topics, including haute couture fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. Based at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, ''Vogue ...
'' and ''
Liberation
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
''.
During the 2000s, he hosted various corporate presentations of vehicles and industry promotions for the
Citroën
Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...
group, intended for car salespeople.
Journalism
Before becoming a television presenter, Rotenberg was a print journalist. From 1991 to 1997, he worked for speciality magazines such as ''Sport Auto'' and ''Auto Journal''. He also wrote some articles for the general press like '' VSD'', ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' and ''
Libération
''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France's ...
''. From 1995 to 1997, he was a reporter and then associate editor of ''Turbo'' on channel M6.
In 1998, he became an editorial director of magazine programming for
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 ...
. In 1999, he was an assistant director of magazine and documentary programs at the channel, where he helped initiate programs such as , (with
Christine Bravo
Christine Bravo (born 13 May 1956) is a French television presenter, journalist, columnist and author.
Biography
Christine Bravo was born in Paris, her father Antonio Bravo was a Spanish mason from Toledo.M6, hosting ''Normal / Paranormal''. In 2001, he hosted , a celebrity talk show on
Match TV
Match TV (russian: Матч ТВ) is a Russian federal sports channel owned by Gazprom Media.
The channel began broadcasting on November 1, 2015 and was created in accordance with the order of Russian president Vladimir Putin, with the assista ...
.
In 2003, he hosted (the French version of '' The Bachelor'') on M6. After the success of the first season, he hosted the following seasons from 2004 to 2005. In 2003, he hosted on M6, in which he talked about the personal life of celebrities.
Since 2006, he has presented a number of programs on M6 such as , and (the French version of ''
Peking Express
''Peking Express'' is a Dutch–Flemish reality game show that follows a series of couples as they hitchhike to or from Beijing (only in the first three seasons; seasons four and five are set in South America). The series has already gone throug ...
''), all broadcast in 2007. From January to April 2008, he presented the third season of , the fourth season from April to July 2009, the fifth season in April 2010, the sixth season in November 2010, and the seventh season in April 2011.
In January 2009, he presented ''
Ice Road Truckers
''Ice Road Truckers'' (commercially abbreviated ''IRT'') is a reality television series that premiered on History Channel, on June 17, 2007. It features the activities of drivers who operate trucks on seasonal routes crossing frozen lakes and ...
'' on channel W9. After the first season, he presented the second season. In 2009, he co-hosted ''Total Wipeout'' with
Alex Goude
Alexandre Goudeau (; born 13 August 1975), better known as Alex Goude ( "good", ), is a French television host, author and actor.
Career
He started as a footballer. He started as a journalist in video games including ''Le Journal de Mickey'', f ...
and
Sandrine Corman
Sandrine Corman (born 12 April 1980 in Verviers, Belgium) is a Belgian television and radio presenter.
Pageants
Corman was Miss Belgium 1997 at the age of 17. She later stated that she was not interested in the contest and that her mother had r ...
on M6. In February 2010, he presented with Sandrine Corman the first season of France's ''
Top Chef
''Top Chef'' is an American reality competition television series which premiered on Bravo on March 8, 2006. The show features chefs competing against each other in culinary challenges. The contestants are judged by a panel of professional chef ...
''. He was the show's sole presenter in its second season in January 2011, the third season in January 2012, and finally the fourth season in February 2013.
In April 2012, Rotenberg hosted the eighth season of on M6. During shooting on location in the Philippines, he was involved in an accident while riding a motorcycle with a side-car. The vehicle swerved off-course and was hit head-on by an oncoming car. Neither Rotenburg nor the other cycle occupant, a local man and owner of the vehicle, were seriously injured, despite the serious collision. Rotenberg was able to continue hosting duties after treatment. The vehicle was destroyed in the incident. In April 2013, he hosted the ninth season of .