Solène Delinger / Photo credit: AFP 16:11 p.m., November 20, 2023

On Monday, November 20, the Academy announced the name of the actress who will preside over the César Awards ceremony on February 23. This actress has already been awarded three statuettes during her career. And, she has also been master of the ceremony on several occasions.

After choosing Tahar Rahim in 2023 to preside over the César ceremony, the Academy has set its sights on a very popular French actress to take on the same role. Valérie Lemercier has been appointed president of the 49th César Awards.

Valérie Lemercier, an inseparable figure in cinema

"Valérie Lemercier will preside over the 49th César Awards on February 23rd. Winner of three César awards, she is an inseparable figure in cinema, theatre and television, but also in the history of the Césars, she who has worn the costume of master of ceremonies three times," reads a message shared on social networks by Canal+, which will broadcast the ceremony free-to-air.

A joke about Juliette Binoche that didn't go down well

As the encrypted channel reminds us, Valérie Lemercier has already been master of ceremonies at the César Awards, solo in 2006 and 2007, then in duo with Gad Elmaleh in 2010. That year, the actress made a joke about Juliette Binoche who had gone down very badly with the main interested party.

Convinced that she would be boycotted from the César Awards because of this sketch, Valérie Lemercier declared in the columns of Marie-Claire in 2012: "After the ceremony and the broadcast of the sketch, which Juliette Binoche did not see because she was absent, her agent yelled at me. She said she hadn't looked at him. She will never be able to see it, as it was censored in the DVD of the ceremony. The people in the industry who were laughing at the rehearsals distanced themselves from me. As a result, since then, I've been a tricardin at the César Awards. It's stupid, I liked to present the evening."

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since this little misunderstanding 14 years ago, and Valérie Lemercier is not shying away from her pleasure! Please note that she will not be in charge of hosting the ceremony. Like last year, the Academy will choose a collegial presentation with five masters and four mistresses of ceremonies whose names should soon be revealed...