# Nouvelle Star

Nouvelle Star (pronounced; 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 D8 aired seasons 9—12. M6 broadcast the 13th and final season.
It was hosted by Benjamin Castaldi for the first three seasons (2003–2005). He also hosted 13 episodes of seasons 4 (2006). Virginie Efira presented the remainder of season 4, as well as presenting seasons 5 and 6. Virginie Guilhaume hosted seasons 7 and 8. Since season 9, Cyril Hanouna is the Nouvelle Star's TV host.
On 4 July 2012, Bibiane Godfroid, program director of Nouvelle Star announced that the show will not return on M6 but will instead be on D8, after its acquisition by Canal +.
In 2017, M6 confirmed that season 13 would be the last.

## Format of the series

The four members of the jury have to judge about 25,000 contestants in various towns around France and Belgium. Until the final rounds begin, the show presents both the successful and the poorest performers, known as the "inoubliables" (unforgettable ones). Some of the worst performers have also performed as guests during the final stages.
Of the 25,000 contestants, only 150 (140 in season 6) are selected for the next round of auditions, which takes place at the Theatre Trianon in central Paris. There are two auditions over the space of three days, the highlights of which are shown over the course of two shows. Specific exercises are given to the contestants in order to evaluate their artistic talents: pitch, rhythmic accuracy, ability to remember lyrics and to learn songs, sing in a trio, and deal with tiredness and stress, etc. During the first day of the Theatre stage of auditions, contestants perform on stage in lines of eight, each contestant performing the song of their choice a capella. On day 2, 70 contestants who made it through the previous day are given a choice of three songs (two specifically for boys or for girls, and one for both, as of Series 6) and have to form trios with other contestants of their choice but of the same sex, they will be accompanied by a guitar and a piano. The 50 remaining contestants will interpret a song, in French, accompanied by an orchestra band. For the first time at this ultimate step before the live primes, this year, the contestants have performed in front of more than 400 persons including the jury at the theatre.
The jury will have to decide between 20 remaining contestants (27 in season 6) on a television screen, reviewing the all auditions of those contestants, of which they will select 15 for the first live television prime where they will be submitted to viewers' vote. In series 6, the viewers rejected 6 contestants of which the jury saved one.
There is no wildcard round in the French format, and viewers only vote by text or by phone. Only viewers' votes decide of the result during the prime, but the judges comment by giving first an illustrated verdict by colored traffic lights in front of them Blue for Good, and Red for bad performance (coloured lights introduced in season 5, and taken the form of traffic lights in season 6). The voting is different from American Idol as viewers vote during the programme and results are given at the end of it, by Virginie (The Host) and Maitre Najar (bailiff), where Virginie selects at random the saved contestants leaving only the ones dropped by the viewers. The previous seasons' jury (Mainly Marianne James) was used to contesting a lot the results.

## Auditions

The inaugural season featured auditions in France, Belgium, and Quebec, Canada. Later series dropped Quebec from the audition tour, as Canadian Idol had started, and therefore, Francophones could audition in their home country.
For Nouvelle Star's seasons 2, 3 and 4, auditions were held in Toulouse, Rennes, Marseilles, Lyon, and Paris and in one location in Belgium, at Liège.

## Overview

| Season | Season 1 (2003) | Season 2 (2004) | Season 3 (2005) | Season 4 (2006) | Season 5 (2007) | Season 6 (2008) | Season 7 (2009) | Season 8 (2010) | Season 9 (2012-2013) | Season 10 (2013-2014) | Season 11 (2014-2015) | Season 12 (2016) | Season 13 (2017) |
| Presented by | Benjamin Castaldi | Benjamin Castaldi | Benjamin Castaldi | Benjamin Castaldi | Virginie Efira | Virginie Efira | Virginie Guilhaume | Virginie Guilhaume | Cyril Hanouna | Cyril Hanouna | Benjamin Castaldi | Laurie Cholewa | Shy'm |
| Backstage | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Estelle Denis | Énora Malagré | Énora Malagré | Laure Falesse | | Erika Moulet |
| Backstage | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | Camille Combal | | | | | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini | Lola Dubini |
| Backstage | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | Jérôme Anthony | | | | | |
| Judges | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | André Manoukian | Benjamin Biolay |
| Judges | Dove Attia | Dove Attia | Dove Attia | Dove Attia | Dove Attia | Sinclair | Sinclair | Marco Prince | Sinclair | Sinclair | Sinclair | Sinclair | Dany Synthé |
| Judges | Varda Kakon | Marianne James | Marianne James | Marianne James | Marianne James | Lio | Lio | Lio | Maurane | Maurane | Elodie Frégé | Elodie Frégé | Cœur de Pirate |
| Judges | Lionel Florence | Manu Katché | Manu Katché | Manu Katché | Manu Katché | Philippe Manœuvre | Philippe Manœuvre | Philippe Manœuvre | Olivier Bas | Olivier Bas | Yarol Poupaud | JoeyStarr | Nathalie Noennec |
| Winner | Jonatan Cerrada | Steeve Estatof | Myriam Abel | Christophe Willem | Julien Doré | Amandine Bourgeois | Soan | Luce | Sophie-Tith | Mathieu Saïkaly | Emji | Paul Plexi | Xavier Matheu |
| Channel | M6 | M6 | M6 | M6 | M6 | M6 | M6 | M6 | D8 | D8 | D8 | D8 | M6 |
| Broadcast period | 27 March 2003 | 11 February 2004 | 10 February 2005 | 22 February 2006 | 28 February 2007 | 21 February 2008 | 24 February 2009 | 2 March 2010 | 11 December 2012 | 31 October 2013 | 27 November 2014 | Fébruary 16, 2016 | 1 November 2017 |
| Broadcast period | 10 July 2003 | 13 May 2004 | 12 May 2005 | 8 June 2006 | 13 June 2007 | 11 June 2008 | 9 June 2009 | 16 June 2010 | 26 February 2013 | 20 February 2014 | 12 March 2015 | 3 May 2016 | 20 December 2017 |

### Awards by season

| Rank | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) | Contestants (In order of elimination) |
| Rank | Season 1 (2003) | Season 2 (2004) | Season 3 (2005) | Season 4 (2006) | Season 5 (2007) | Season 6 (2008) | Season 7 (2009) | Season 8 (2010) | Season 9 (2012-2013) | Season 10 (2013-2014) | Season 11 (2014-2015) | Season 12 (2016) | Season 13 (2017-2018) |
| 1 | Jonatan Cerrada | Steeve Estatof | Myriam Abel | Christophe Willem | Julien Doré | Amandine Bourgeois | Soan | Luce | Sophie-Tith | Mathieu Saïkaly | Emji | Paul Plexi | Xavier Matheu |
| 2 | Thierry Amiel | Julien Laurence | Pierrick Lilliu | Miss Dominique | Tigane Drammeh | Benjamin Siksou | Leïla Aissaoui | François Raoult | Florian Bertonnier | Yseult Onguenet | Mathieu Kolanek | Mia Rosello | Yadám Andrés Guevara |
| 3 | Jean Sébastien Lavoie | Amel Bent | Roland Karl | Gaël Faure | Gaëtane Abrial | Cédric Oheix | Camélia Jordana | Ramón Mirabet | Philippe Krier | Pauline de Tarragon | Martial Betirac | Manu Galure | Sloń |
| 4 | Alexis Juliard | Laura Tabourin | Mervyn Kennedy-Macfoy | Cindy Santos | Julie Mazi | Ycare | Thomas Bonneau | Lussi | Flo Devos | Alvaro Echánove | Pauline Laffitte | Mélanie June | Mathieu Canaby |
| 5 | Laetizia Alberti | Charles Cattaert | Francine Massiani | Valérie Castan | Pierre Darmon | Jules Pélissier | Dalé Grenoble | Benjamin Bohem | Julie Obré | Dana Ali-Ahmad | Micka Aubertin | Maxime Penent | Lilou Robert |
| 6 | Yoann Kelyann | Babeth Lando | Dan Perez | Florian Lesca | Raphaëlle Dess | Lucile Luzely | Damien Vanni | Dave Dario | Paul Kay | Sirine Betton | Maëva Bellocq | Pierre Fabre | Kamisa Negra |
| 7 | Jonathan Hassen-Ali | Pascal Crisinel | Sarah Riani | Bruno Rua | Soma Dufour | Thomas Marfisi | Lary Lambert | Annabelle | Timothée Rossignol | Mehdi Dahmane | Nelson Vard | Nirintsoa Rajoharison | Ashley Fortes |
| 8 | Cindie Bruzzi | John Zéra | Philippe Léger | Stéphanie Lipstadt | Alex Fondja | Kristov Leroy | Mahdi Jaggae | Stéphanie Vondenhoff | Charlotte Morgane Berry | Claudia Chu | Kevin Cohen | Caruso | Victor Goun's |
| 9 | Priscilla | Geoffrey Lupart | Benjamin Delcroix | Beverly | Canelle Zahy | Siân Pottok | Mélissa Nkonda | Sacha Page | Adélaïde Pratoussy | Léopoldine Hummel | Noémie Lemarchand | Caroline Pires | Azza Kamaria |
| 10 | Gabrielle Ducomble | Simongad Barbey | Malik Hemaidi | Joana Boumendil | Ilyès Yangui | Julien Pierson | Yoann Pigny | Marine Villeret | Léa Layne | Hugo Chalan-Marchio | Ursula Ravelo | Florie | Ophélie Piche |
| 11 | — | — | Corentine Planckaert | Célia Perez | Martine | Julie Bessard | Yasmina Bahj | Ambre Dupont | — | Kim Kitson | Frances Isabel Coontz | — | Béni Radriamandibi |
| 12 | — | — | Ségolène Gerlinger | Jean-Charles Chapuis | Michel Colyn | Cindy Agostinho | Antoine Vignette | Lucia de Carvalho | — | Julie Dessoude | — | — | Carla de Coignac |
| 13 | — | — | Géraldine Jonet | Sophie Claret | Vincent Galahad | Axelle Anduze | Charlotte Robin | Anna Torné | — | Chehinaze | — | — | — |
| 14 | — | — | Rabbia | Vladimir Streiff | Isabelle Ithurburu | Clément Falgous | Maria-Paz | Manon Trinquier | — | Ezra Van Vliet | — | — | — |
| 15 | — | — | Gérôme Gallo | — | Mounir Ouarab | Fred | Mickaël Frémeaux | Siegfried Martin-Diaz | — | Laura Migné | — | — | — |
| 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Marc Touati | — | — | — |

## Spin-offs
### Nouvelle Star, ça continue...

Nouvelle Star, ça continue... is a program broadcast directly after the prime Nouvelle Star shows. It was broadcast on Fun TV (2003-2005), W9 (2006-2009), M6 (2010) and now on C8. The show includes interviews with judges, saved or eliminated contestants des jurés, invited musical guests. Hosts were Adrien Lemaître on Fun TV, Alexandre Devoise, Jérôme Anthony and Sidonie Bonnec all on W9, Estelle Denis and Jérôme Anthony on M6 with Camille Combal giving a diary, Énora Malagré on D8.

### Saga Nouvelle Star

Saga Nouvelle Star or La Saga Nouvelle Star was an old daily show hosted by Virginie Efira on M6, following various seasons of the Nouvelle Star show. It was broadcast only in 2007 and then stopped. In each show, she would present Top des Inoubliables internationaux (meaning best of international unforgettables), being winners from various countries where Idol series are broadcast. Broadcast at 19:00 in access prime time, it brought in an average 1.1 million of viewers.

## Summary

| Season | Premiere | Final | Winner | Runner-up | Judges | Host(s) |
| 1* | 27 March 2003 | 10 July 2003 | Jonatan Cerrada | Thierry Amiel | Dove Attia Varda Kakon Lionel Florence André Manoukian | Benjamin Castaldi |
| 2 | 11 February 2004 | 13 May 2004 | Steeve Estatof | Julien Laurence | Dove Attia Marianne James Manu Katché André Manoukian | Benjamin Castaldi |
| 3 | 10 February 2005 | 12 May 2005 | Myriam Abel | Pierrick Lilliu | Dove Attia Marianne James Manu Katché André Manoukian | Benjamin Castaldi |
| 4 | 22 February 2006 | 8 June 2006 | Christophe Willem | Dominique Michalon | Dove Attia Marianne James Manu Katché André Manoukian | Benjamin Castaldi |
| 5 | 28 February 2007 | 13 June 2007 | Julien Doré | Tigane Drammeh | Dove Attia Marianne James Manu Katché André Manoukian | Virginie Efira |
| 6 | 21 February 2008 | 13 June 2008 | Amandine Bourgeois | Benjamin Siksou | Lio Philippe Manœuvre Sinclair André Manoukian | Virginie Efira |
| 7 | 24 February 2009 | 9 June 2009 | Soan | Leïla Aissaoui | Lio Philippe Manœuvre Sinclair André Manoukian | Virginie Guilhaume |
| 8 | 2 March 2010 | 16 June 2010 | Luce Brunet | François Raoult | Lio Philippe Manœuvre André Manoukian Marco Prince | Virginie Guilhaume |
| 9 | 11 December 2012 | 26 February 2013 | Sophie-Tith Charvet | Florian Bertonnier | Olivier Bas André Manoukian Maurane Sinclair | Cyril Hanouna |
| 10 | 31 October 2013 | 20 February 2014 | Mathieu Saikaly | Yseult Onguenet | Olivier Bas André Manoukian Maurane Sinclair | Cyril Hanouna |
| 11 | 27 November 2014 | 12 March 2015 | Emji | Mathieu Kolanek | Élodie Frégé André Manoukian Yarol Poupaud Sinclair | Benjamin Castaldi |
| 12 | 13 February 2016 | 3 May 2016 | Patrick Rouiller | Mia Rosello | Élodie Frégé André Manoukian Joey Starr Sinclair | Laurie Cholewa |
| 13 | 1 November 2017 | 20 December 2017 | Xavier Matheu | Yadám Andrés Guevara | Benjamin Biolay Dany Synthé Nathalie Noennec Cœur de Pirate | Shy'm |
*Also known as À la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star