Julien Courbet French Journalist Born 1965 in Bordeaux

Julien Courbet is a French journalist, radio personality, television presenter and producer. Born on 7 February 1965 in the Bordeaux area, he is known for consumer-protection programmes and entertainment shows on French television and radio.

Early life

Courbet was born Frédéric René Courbet and grew up around Bordeaux, in the department of Gironde. He studied at the University of Bordeaux IV, where he took a degree in commercial techniques. His first work was in local radio.

Career

He started as a presenter on several Bordeaux radio stations, among them Radio Angora, NRJ, Fun Radio and Wit FM. From 1986 to 1991 he also appeared on France 3 Aquitaine. He presented a morning show on Wit FM, Que fait la police?, and moved to Sud Radio, where he met Hervé Pouchol, who later acted as the mediator in his neighbour-dispute programme. From 1992 to 1994 he hosted N'importe quoi on NRJ.

In 1993 he met the producer Gérard Louvin, who brought him to TF1. After working as a columnist on Sacrée Soirée, he began presenting Louvin-produced shows, first Sans aucun doute, which he fronted from 1994 to 2008. During his years at the channel he also hosted Les Sept Péchés capitaux, Code de la route and other programmes, and produced several of them, including Le Grand Frère and Le Détective. He became known as a presenter of consumer-fraud subjects and in 2004 created Stop arnaques. In 2005 he founded the production company La Concepteria, having sold his earlier company Quai Sud Télévisions to TF1, and in March 2007 he launched a consumer-advice website covering legal terms, rights, obligations and solutions to common problems.

In September 2008 he moved to France 2 to present the prime-time programme Service Maximum, which ran until February 2009. He has said the move followed TF1's refusal to schedule a daily programme before the evening. The show did not find its audience, but he remained with France Télévisions. He kept producing Le Grand Frère for TF1, and in 2008 produced Je suis timide mais j'me soigne for Direct 8.

Meanwhile he continued a consumer-defence programme on RTL and hosted entertainment shows on France 2. In May 2009 he commentated on the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow alongside Cyril Hanouna. He presented Le Grand défi des animateurs in June 2009 and the game show Le 4e duel in summer 2009, with more series in 2010 and 2012. He also hosted En toutes lettres, first alone and then with Pierre Bellemare, the Téléthon programme Soyons sport! from Annecy in December 2009 and Seriez-vous un bon expert? from 2011. As a producer for TF1 he worked on Confessions Intimes, Tous ensemble and Abus de confiance.

Sans aucun doute returned on TMC in 2013 and 2014. From 2014 to 2018 he worked on D8 and C8, presenting a revival of Le Maillon Faible and À prendre ou à laisser, appearing as columnist and substitute host on Touche pas à mon poste !, and presenting C'est que de la télé ! in the 2017–18 season.

Recognition

Courbet is best known as a presenter of programmes on consumer rights and scams. His books include Ôtez-moi d'un doute (1998), the Stop aux arnaques guide series published by Michel Lafon from 2004 onward, Le guide du bon voisinage à la ville et à la campagne (2007) and Le Guide du consommer moins cher (2009).

Personal life

Courbet married Catherine in July 1998, and they have two children. He has publicly spoken in favour of animal welfare and reduced his meat consumption as he approached his sixtieth birthday.