The eloquence contest, Le Grand Oral, will take place this evening on France 2. This year, the show highlights characters with astonishing backgrounds. Michel Field, director of the culture and live entertainment unit of France Télévisions, explained on Tuesday, at the microphone of Philippe Vandel, why the show will dwell so much on these "life paths".

We decipher

Tuesday evening the program Le Grand Oral will return to France 2. For the occasion, Michel Field, director of the culture and live performance unit of France Televisions was invited Tuesday in Culture Media alongside Bill François, physicist and winner of the first edition of the Grand Oral, which took place last year.

>> Find all of Philippe Vandel's programs in replay and podcast here

More than an eloquence contest, Le Grand Oral will highlight "life paths", according to Michel Field. After welcoming a deaf young woman who had moved the public last year, in 2020, Le Grand Oral will once again give pride of place to minorities.

"I became a lawyer because I was told it was impossible" - Virginie # LeGrandOralpic.twitter.com / O8Eff4chs3

- France 2 (@ France2tv) February 19, 2019

Nicolas, who is a stutterer, will tell his story full of pitfalls with humor. "I remember all these bullying that developed in me, very young, a strong feeling of injustice. No need to tell you all my troubles in a box", can we hear in an extract from the program broadcast in Culture Media . "And the number of times I left the baker's house with a damn baguette because I couldn't say I wanted a quiche from Lorraine," he adds, causing laughter from the audience.

Make heard "the people who never have a voice"

"We wanted to move away from pure rhetoric. These are really things linked to people's experiences," comments Michel Field, who specifies that a former prisoner will come to tell his experience. In the same vein, one of the candidates will explain how her father, who had left her mother, later revealed to him that he was gay. A young immigrant student from Togo and an eleven-year-old child from Mayotte will also share their stories, while a football supporter will defend his rejection of homophobia.

For Michel Field, bringing in anonymous people highlights "a whole section of the population who never has a voice". "In order for this to resonate and for Le Grand Oral to correspond to the missions of the public service, the program welcomes a crossroads of important social themes: the social reintegration of prisoners or even homoparentality", explains Michel Field.

“My name is Anna, I am 20 years old, and I live with two fathers. "

Poignant open letter from Anna in the 2nd edition of our great eloquence contest, to see Tuesday evening! # LeGrandOralpic.twitter.com / ow41Lq5kX8

- France 2 (@ France2tv) February 3, 2020

Applicants will face a jury of six members. Among them: the lawyer Bertrand Périer, the ex-lawyer converted into humor, Caroline Vigneaux, Éric Dupond-Moretti, the humorist Kheiron and finally the actress Isabelle Nanty. Three tests will decide between the candidates, who will compete in solo, duo and trio. With the key, a publishing contract with the house Fayard.