Season 1

**Broadcast from**
 **Judges**
 **Host(s)**
 **Broadcaster**
 **Venue**

*Rechercher une étoile* is a French-language Canadian TV show aimed to find new singing talent. The inaugural season, also known as ***Rechercher une étoile 2007***, started in mid-September and was hosted by Jean-Luc d'Amboise. This was the shortest season in the show's history.

## Auditions

Open casting auditions began on June 16, 2007 in Montreal and concluded on July 20 in Quebec City. The minimum age to audition was 14.

After the open auditions, 72 candidates were called for a closed-door audition on August 16 and 17, 2007. 15 candidates advanced to the introduction live show or *Niveau*, where the 13 official contestants who entered the *École d'étoiles* were selected. Later seasons would have 16 contestants, eight of each gender, being selected for *École d'étoiles*. Later seasons would have a total of 18 contestants, 16 of which were selected.

## Summary

### **Épisode d'introduction (September 15, 2007)**

* **No theme**
* **End credits song:** "Ainsi soit je" by Mylène Farmer

### **Niveau 1 (September 22, 2007)**

* **Theme:** Broadway (accompanied by Orchestre Symphonique de Québec)
* **Group performance:** "Reste fort"
* **End credits song:** "Seasons of Love" by the cast of *Rent*

### **Niveau 2 (September 29, 2007)**

* **Theme:** Disney
* **Group performance:** "We're All in This Together" with lyrical changes
* **End credits song:** "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" by Disney Channel Circle of Stars

### **Niveau 3 (October 6, 2007)**

* **Theme:** 1980's
* **Group performance:** "C'est ta chance"
* **End credits song:** "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi

### **Niveau 4 (October 13, 2007)**

* **Theme:** L'année de ma naissance (Year I was born)
* **Group performance:** "Tout dans le jeu"
* **End credits song:** "Un garçon pas comme les autres" by Céline Dion

### **Niveau 5 (October 20, 2007)**

* **Theme:** Luther Vandross
* **Group performance:** "Shine"
* **End credits song:** "I Can Make It Better" by Luther Vandross

### **Niveau 6 (October 27, 2007)**

* **Theme:** Musique des films actuels (Songs from recent movies)
* **Group performance:** "You Can't Stop the Beat"
* **End credits song:** "What Time Is It?" by the cast of *High School Musical 2*

### **Niveau 7 (November 3, 2007)**

* **Theme:** Queen
* **Group performance:** "Don't Stop Me Now"
* **End credits song:** "We Are the Champions" by Queen

### **Niveau 8 (November 10, 2007)**

* **Theme:** 1970's
* **Group performance:** "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais"
* **End credits song:** "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale

### **Niveau 9 (November 17, 2007)**

Niveau 9 was different from other Niveau's in the season. Each contestant performed a cover song of their choice as solo, then a duo cover of another popular song. Lena and Bertrand didn't perform any duo songs.

* **Group performance:** "En marchant"
* **End credits song:** "Heroes" by David Bowie

### **Grand Finale (November 24, 2007)**

In the final, the winner of the season was decided by public vote. Each finalist performed an original song, and after that, the first round of voting ended. The two finalists with the fewest votes were eliminated. A second round of voting began to determine the winner of the season, and the three remaining finalists performed the song they had sung on *Épisode d'introduction*.

* **Group performances:**
	+ "Dîtes-moi" (Top 5 with Jean-André Ganio)
	+ "Reste fort" (all 13 contestants)
* **Special guest:** Maurice Veil - "I Despise Myself"

## Controversy

### **Voting**

Over 500 phone-phreak hackers with power-dialing hardware and software were reported to be able to place as many as 12,000 votes a night from a single phone line with the touch of a button.

### **Laval Rouge et Or basketball game appearance controversy**

Immediately after winning season 1 on 24 November 2007, Eva Boisselot was arranged to sing Canada's national anthem "O Canada" (the French version) by her then management company, Total Events & Entertainment, at an upcoming Laval Rouge et Or basketball game. It drew criticisms that the producers of *Rechercher une étoile* were turning a popular sports game into a "promotional opportunity for an unknown reason". Boisselot considered withdrawing from the game, which was held at Colisée Pepsi, saying that "I wasn't planning to sing the Canadian national anthem at the basketball game or any other sports event in the near future…If it turns out I'm on the verge of marketing something, well, that's a nightmare" and added, "I'm not going anywhere near the Pepsi Coliseum, not even to sing the [Canadian] national anthem!" However, she was unable to withdraw from the event.