The show presented by Charline Vanhoenacker on France Inter, at the heart of a lively controversy targeting its columnist Guillaume Meurice, will not be broadcast on Sunday due to health problems of the Belgian journalist, the station said on Saturday, confirming a statement from the host in Le Parisien. “We are unfortunately not able to offer the live broadcast this week because Charline Vanhoenacker has been put to rest and cannot be present,” France Inter told AFP.
Le Grand Dimanche evening, which brings together a group of columnists around the host including Guillaume Meurice, is usually recorded in public. A rebroadcast of the October 1 broadcast will be offered on Sunday. This Sunday show, which is a ratings success, is at the heart of a controversy since a humorous post by Guillaume Meurice comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Nazi. This outing earned him accusations of anti-Semitism, death threats and a warning from his management, which he wants to challenge in court. Charline Vanhoenacker has also been targeted by death threats and “at the heart of multiple pressures” since the emergence of the controversy, those around her told AFP, counting on a return to the air “as soon as possible”.
In this tense context, his presence at the head of the show proved “indispensable”, hence the decision not to record the show with another presenter at the helm, said this person close to him. Last Sunday’s show was exceptionally recorded without an audience, for security reasons.