Close to Her Audience

She’s very close to people and is known for hosting shows that sometimes make us laugh, sometimes cry, but always think. In her own words, humanity is her passion. Enjoy this interview with someone who’s as friendly over a cup of coffee as she is on TV!

When I was 30, I remember thinking that I’d walk the Camino de Santiago at age 50. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that because I have things going on in my life right now, but for me, at 50, it’s time to take stock so I can give myself motivation for the rest of my life. I always thought to myself: “Once I turn 50, I’m going to do what I want!” It’s a time to reap what you have sown. You develop a form of wisdom and patience in life, since you’ve experienced so much! This is also an age where you start losing loved ones. Your parents are getting older. Life becomes even more precious. It’s a real eye-opener.

I’ve noticed that people tend to repeat the same things, but if you really listen to them, they stop repeating themselves. People who tend to repeat themselves often don’t feel heard. They need to be listened to and validated. I like to listen to others and be listened to. Nowadays, we’re always in a hurry. We ask people how they’re doing, but don’t really listen to the answer. To be authentic, you first need to be heard. Otherwise, you just want to rush and not live in the moment. That’s why knowing how to listen, for me, is fundamental in life.

Similarly, when you tell a story and hear it being told, you find solutions. In interviews, some people tell me: "I just figured something out!" They always knew it, they just hadn’t heard themselves say it.

No, I have no regrets. I often hear people say “If only I had known...” I think we can do anything. When you want to do something, you might not necessarily do it the way you imagined, but you can at least try. I’d say that my only regret, if I have one, is that I didn’t study psychology at university. One day, a guidance counsellor in college told me that my math grades were too good to be studying psychology. So I went into economics. That’s the only regret I have because I let someone else make that decision for me. I should have made it myself. In the end, it was my daughter who did that degree. And with Deux filles le matin, it’s like studying psychology!

I learned how to let things go, because when you’re stuck in bed, no matter how much you think about your dishes, your household and how your daughter will dress, you can’t move! So you have to let go and accept that the life goes on without you. It feels good to know that everything will be OK without you, even if things aren’t done the way you would have done them. I’m glad I learned that at 30. It felt good to write this book. I realized how much I had changed in that year.

It’s really a coincidence. I gave an interview to Tout le monde en parle to talk about our lives, with Mario Dumont and me. For the first time, I was able to talk about myself and things that are close to my heart. I think my candor and authenticity drew some attention. The next morning, some TV producers called me. I was thinking: “This has to be one of my brother’s pranks!” I thought it was odd, but no, they were real producers! They asked me to work on Deux filles le matin. I was supposed to take a sabbatical year, but never took it! And I learned to become a host over time.

Everyone on the team wants to do something good for our viewers. We really have a great relationship with them. Every year, I worry that I’m repeating myself or that I’m no longer the right person, but then I think about the special relationship I have with the audience and feel like I’m still part of the family. As soon as we finish a season, I’m already thinking about the next one!

Last year, I wanted to start a project other than Deux filles le matin, which has become very comfortable for me. I wanted to meet people in the field. As soon as the production company told me about going to see the relatives of missing persons, I immediately said yes. We worked out the project together, then presented it to TVA and they accepted it.

It’s a project that’s really about sensitivity, fragility and the unknown. We worked very hard to do six episodes, and we’ll be doing six more for the second season. Each story stands alone. The only common point is the disappearance, but the circumstances are different and we’re not talking to the same people. Où es-tu? is a very serious show. I’m proud of how it turned out.

Absolutely! You think about losing your own child for a moment and you panic! But this is their reality. They see someone and think “What if that’s my child?” It’s terrible! You’re constantly alert, constantly on edge. And these people have been incredibly generous with us. They were happy to talk about their missing loved one. They were in control. We heard and listened to them. I’m so happy to have a second season! We’ll be giving six other families a chance to be heard.

Thank you for sharing with us, Marie-Claude. What a pleasure to listen to you!