Europe 1 6:26 p.m., March 02, 2022

Guest of Europe 1 on February 16, 2021, the former historic presenter of the 1 p.m. newspaper of TF1, who died on Wednesday, returned to the most significant events of his long career at the head of the JT.

He remembered in particular the attacks of September 11, 2001, but also of a life lesson given by a peasant from Auvergne.

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Jean-Pierre Pernaut, former star presenter of 13H of TF1, died at the age of 71, announced Wednesday to AFP the agent of his wife Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut.

"Tom, Lou, Olivier and Julien's father died of lung cancer" Wednesday afternoon, she said, a few minutes before TF1 confirmed the journalist's disappearance.

For 33 years, Jean-Pierre Pernaut had established himself as the king of midday news, with a formula based on proximity, often criticized but still very popular.

In February 2021 at the microphone of Anne Roumanoff on Europe 1, he told us about his best moments of JT.

Here is the article we published at the time.

Jean-Pierre Pernaut and "The Deserted Streets of New York"

"There were plenty of events", recalls Jean-Pierre Pernaut, citing in particular the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States, with "the deserted streets of New York" two days after the tragedy, or even the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, "the Geiger counters crackling everywhere", and an abandoned city, Prypiat.

"When you discover this deserted city, it gives chills."

Unsurprisingly, the journalist, always very popular, also remembers strong moments linked to the DNA of his newspaper, namely the proximity and topicality of the regions.

He thus remembers "a live diary with gypsies in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, who started dancing, singing. I was immersed in their culture, their family. It was awesome".

"A very simple gentleman who talks about his roots"

But the moment that Jean-Pierre Pernaut remembers the most is a meeting with an old Auvergne peasant, Monsieur Boudon.

"His oxen were pulling the plough, he turns to the camera, and says, 'Any man who doesn't turn back to his roots is a lost man'".

"It's a great moment, because he's a very simple gentleman who talks about his roots. It gave me chills, and I still have them when I talk, when I look at the pictures", concludes Jean -Pierre Pernaut.

Since his last news, presented on December 18, the one who will continue to carry projects within the TF1 group, confides that he naturally has "a different rhythm of life", but has "had no trouble dropping out".

And to evoke "the desire to tell ourselves that at my age, we can pass on the baton, tell ourselves that we have done the trick", without forgetting that at one point, "health can play tricks on us ".

All these elements, he says, "helped me to get off the hook, and I did well, because I was replaced by Marie-Sophie Lacarrau, who is brilliant".