Post by davidhr on Oct 24, 2023 6:20:26 GMT -5
Lara made an announcement this past week, and while it might not quite fulfill the promise that ‘the best is yet to come’, it sure shook up the world surrounding her. As indicated on her social media sites, Lara will be returning to France to join The Voice, the ‘kids’ version (in filming that will start next month),
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=908113157339645
As she wrote, “So happy to be joining The Voice team for the kids version this time! Looking forward to this adventure with my coach friends @slimanepatrick FioriClaudio Capéo...The best is yet to come 🎈ITV Studios FranceThe Voice : la plus belle voixTF1Nikos AliagasKarine FerriEloise Delhoume.”
Lara also put the official ‘reel’ promoting the show, with nice dynamic pictures of its coaches, on her FB site, at
www.facebook.com/reel/1039639643825302
Concerning her fellow coaches: Yes, that Patrick Fiori…and of course the media had a field day with the story. From The Closer, which broke the news (https://www.closermag.fr/tv_tele_realite/exclu-the-voice-kids-saison-10-ces-deux-chanteurs-celebres-qui-vont-remplacer-nolwenn-leroy-et-kendji-girac-3280865#item=1):
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EXCLUSIVE. The Voice Kids season 10: these two famous singers who will replace Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac
Two new coaches will arrive, according to information from Closer, in the red chairs of The Voice Kids for the next season broadcast in July 2024.
The Voice Kids will soon celebrate its tenth anniversary with an anniversary season which should be broadcast from July 2024 on TF1. According to information from Closer magazine , to be published this Friday, October 20, the red armchairs should welcome, for the occasion, two new personalities. Indeed, if Patrick Fiori, emblematic coach of the show and present since season 2, and Slimane, author this summer of a very good first season marked by his victory with Durel, Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac will, for their part, leave their place. But not to just anyone...
According to our information, it is Claudio Capéo, revealed in season 5 of The Voice in 2016, and Lara Fabian, already coach, once again, of the adult version in 2020, who will take their place in the red armchairs for season 10 of The Voice Kids. The opportunity for the Belgian singer and Patrick Fiori to come together around the same project, 25 years after their love story which ended "tragically" according to Lara Fabian in her book Je passe à table, released in 2021.
Lara Fabian in The Voice Kids: a regular in the red chair
If this tenth season of The Voice Kids will be a great first for Claudio Capéo in the famous red armchairs, this will not be the case for Lara Fabian. Indeed, the interpreter of Je t'aime is a regular on the show and its blind auditions, in France where she was a coach during season 9 of the adult version (she finished second with Gustine) but especially in Canada where she was a coach for two seasons, always among adults. However, this will be a first for the Belgian among children...
------------------------
To be clear – this is a different reality show than the one which will be broadcast later this year on TF1 called ‘The Dream Team’ that also will feature Lara interacting with kids, albeit in what was a two night feature recorded this past June. Coincidentally or not, Claudio Capeo is also a coach on that show.
Then there was this from The Public.fr (https://www.public.fr/News/The-Voice-Kids-Lara-Fabian-et-Patrick-Fiori-se-retrouveront-20-ans-apres-leur-scandale-public-1788794):
--------------------------------
“The Voice Kids”: Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori will meet again 20 years after their ‘public scandal’
According to information from "Closer" published this Thursday, October 19, 2023, Lara Fabian will be reuniting with the coaches of "The Voice" by joining the "Kids" format next autumn, alongside Slimane, Claudio Capéo and Patrick Fiori. It's an opportunity for the Quebec singer to reunite with a man with whom she shared a painful love affair in the late 90s, since she was once the woman of... Patrick Fiori!
The news comes as something of a surprise. In a few weeks' time, Lara Fabian will be making her return to the The Voice family by joining the jury for season 10 of The Voice Kids, where filming for the blind auditions is due to start in mid-November. According to Closer, the singer, who took part in season 9 of The Voice in 2020 at the time of Covid, is set to replace Nolwenn Leroy, while Kendji Girac is set to be replaced by another The Voice star: Claudio Capéo. The two new coaches are expected to sit alongside Slimane, who would be returning for a second consecutive season, and Patrick Fiori, a long-standing member who has been with the program since season 2.
Patrick Fiori's presence on the jury may come as a surprise... And with good reason: at the end of the 90s, Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori were a couple! In 1998, the two singers met and their love story quickly made the headlines. They appeared on a number of TV shows, including Vivement dimanche on France 2, but the media attention soon got the better of their relationship. Although very much in love with Patrick Fiori, Lara Fabian, then aged just 30, had to face the facts: their relationship was not going to last. On January 1, 2000, the couple separated, but the story was a painful one for the singer...
"A public scandal”
As she revealed in her autobiography Je passe à table, published in 2021, Lara Fabian found it very hard to rebuild her life and get over this love affair... Although she did not reveal Patrick Fiori's identity, the singer did mention a "young Corsican artist, about to embark on a musical that everyone was talking about" at the time. She then evoked the tragic end of their relationship, a few hours after filming a TV show celebrating the passage to the year 2000: "During a show produced by one of the pundits of French TV which celebrates the end of the year of this new era, there is one last attempt to mend fences. To no avail. The result is a public scandal.
A long-awaited reunion
Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori have not appeared together for twenty-three years now. The two former lovebirds will now be reunited on the set of The Voice Kids... Lara Fabian has been married to Italian magician Gabriel di Giorgio for ten years, and is the proud mother of 16-year-old Lou, born of a union with Italian director Gérard Pullicino. Patrick Fiori, meanwhile, has been in a relationship since the end of his affair with Lara Fabian, with Miss France 2000 third runner-up Ariane Quatrefages, whom he married in 2008. They have two children: Sevan, 14, and Gabin, 9.
--------------------------
The status of Patrick Fiori's relationships is outdated, as will be discussed later.
And more from The Public (https://www.public.fr/News/Lara-Fabian-et-Patrick-Fiori-au-jury-de-The-Voice-Kids-les-ex-seront-ils-assis-cote-a-cote-1788997):
--------------------------
Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori on the jury of "The Voice Kids": will the exes be sitting side by side?
This Monday, October 23, 2023, TF1 made official the arrival of Lara Fabian and Claudio Capéo on the jury for season 10 of "The Voice Kids". The two new coaches replace Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac, and will take their places alongside Patrick Fiori and Slimane. It's an opportunity for Patrick Fiori and Lara Fabian to reunite, 20 years after the end of their love affair... but will they be side by side?
It's now official! A few days after Closer reported that Lara Fabian and Claudio Capéo were joining the The Voice Kids family, replacing Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac, TF1 made it official on Monday: The tenth edition of the Kids format, which will start filming in mid-November, will feature a brand new jury, made up of Patrick Fiori, returning for a ninth consecutive season, Slimane, back for a second season, and Claudio Capéo and Lara Fabian. These two new jurors are no strangers to The Voice family: the former was revealed by season 5 of the program, won by Slimane, and the latter was coach of season 2020, alongside Pascal Obispo, Marc Lavoine and Amel Bent. That season was tarnished by the emerging Covid pandemic, and Lara Fabian was confined to Canada, appearing only in videos during live shows.
On the promotional poster published by TF1 on social networks this Monday, October 23, 2023, Patrick Fiori and Lara Fabian - who had a complicated love affair in the late 1990s, which ended on January 1, 2000, according to the singer's words in her autobiography published in 2021 - are spaced apart, separated by the season's other newcomer, Claudio Capéo. Typically, these promotional posters reflect the order of the coaches' chairs. Last season, for example, the poster with the blue background featured Patrick Fiori, Nolwenn Leroy, Kendji Girac and Slimane: this was the order of the coaches' chairs during the blind auditions. Similarly, for season 8, on the multicolored promotional poster, Patrick Fiori was shown next to Julien Doré, followed by Louane Emera and then Kendji Girac. This positioning was confirmed on screen.
Claudio takes Nolwenn's place, and Lara Kendji's...
We can therefore assume that the conjuncture presented on the promotional poster will be the right one: Patrick Fiori will keep his historic coach's chair, which he has never lent in nine consecutive seasons, and will be seated next to Claudio Capéo. Lara Fabian, the season's only woman, will be in chair 3, next to Slimane, who will keep the fourth chair. Last year, however, Nolwenn Leroy, the only woman in season 9, was seated... next to Patrick Fiori! The female seat has therefore been swapped this season. It's not the first time, however, that a woman has been seated in chair 3, as Jenifer and Amel Bent have also sat there. Did Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori ask not to sit side by side?
The prod chooses, the coaches comply
In a paper published by Télé-Loisirs in 2020, Pascal Guix, producer of The Voice and The Voice Kids, asserted that the coaches' seats were meticulously chosen by production, and assured us that the coaches had no say in which seats they were given: "Finally, a last detail which is important, production specifies that the coaches have never asked for a specific seat. They [the production] always have the last word", our confrères assured us. The number one or number four spot generally goes to the program's historical face, as was the case for Florent Pagny in The Voice for many seasons. The female faces are always placed in the center, and the band leaders, like Mika for example, are also placed in the center, so as to make the exchanges more dynamic.
-----------------------------------
And finally to provide a Montreal flavor, from which Lara will once again be leaving to do the show starting next month (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/10/23/lara-fabian-devient-coach-a-the-voice-kids):
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Lara Fabian becomes coach on “The Voice Kids”
After having been a coach at La Voix and The Voice: La plus belle voix , Lara Fabian will find a chair at The Voice Kids, not in England as the title might suggest, but in France.
The singer and former director of the Academy at Star Académie joins Patrick Fiori and Slimane, who will be back for the 10th season of The Voice Kids. The quartet will be completed by Claudio Capéo. The latter, who was a candidate for The Voice, and Lara Fabian replace Kendji Girac and Nolwenn Leroy.
“So happy to join The Voice team for the kids version this time! Looking forward to living this adventure with my coach friends,” Lara Fabian said on Monday on Instagram.
The Voice Kids show is broadcast on TF1. Since its beginnings, it has helped blossom the talent of artists like Bilal Hassani, Carla Lazzari, Lou and Quebecer Lenni-Kim.
-------------------------------
Not a mention of Lara and Patrick Fiori having had a relationship – of course, that happened in France, and was likely not of great concern in Montreal.
The execs at TF1 must be dancing in their seats envisioning how the ‘public scandal’ aspect of this will play out in the ratings. That depends on whether something that took place more than 20 years ago still has ‘legs’; to whatever degree it does, part of the blame/credit should go to Lara for using that dramatic term in her book “Je passe a table”/”Tout”. One wonders if she had known this was going to happen, would she have categorized it a little less sensationally…or is she happy for the ‘notoriety’? [Elsewhere, she also used the phrase “a horror film” to describe what happened].
Lara’s publicizing the book so recently, at the end of last year/beginning of 2023, helped keep the topic of their relationship alive in the minds of various reporters, some of whom were probably too young to remember what happened decades ago. Here's what Lara actually wrote in her book (as indicated in the News Update of 1-25-22):
-------------------------
My sidekick, Rick, can see that I'm doing everything I can, but my root is without water. Something should happen.
He's working with a young Corsican artist [though not named it is Patrick Fiori] who's about to embark on a new musical that everyone is talking about. He introduced me to him in a wonderful little restaurant called La Table du marché.
It was there that, for the first time in a long time, I had the feeling that my heart was breathing.
I am hungry.
The atmosphere is light, we talk about our respective islands: me, Sicily; him, Corsica. We also talk about our big and noisy families. He tells me about his many brothers and sisters; I tell him about my many cousins. Tables full of perfect food. Sundays that stretch out.
But most of all, despite our careers that swallow us up and delight us, we talk about wanting to stay with our people a little longer.
At this point, I think we are similar.
The part of me that dries up has the feeling of being fed with water from a common source.
But I am wrong again. It's one evil for another. It doesn't matter, I've already told you, I much prefer remorse to regret.
Everything is perfect when you are sincere.
Even if being sincere is sometimes very expensive.
The end of this short story is tragic and corresponds to the passage from 1999 to 2000.
At the time of a last emission produced by one of the pundits of the French television which celebrates the end of the year towards this new era, there is a last attempt to repair the broken pots.
In vain. It ends in a public scandal.
-------------------------------------------------
For his part, Patrick Fiori also had some comments this year about Lara; he was in the news concerning his relationships and the birth of a new child. This is what he said (https://www.legossip.net/lara-fabian-coeur-brise-par-patrick-fiori-ses-confidences-sur-leur-brutale-rupture/573112/):
-------------------------------
“When she released her album. I was in my car in Ajaccio and I heard “Tout”. I said to myself: 'What a voice this girl has!'. When I saw her on television, I broke down”, the singer confided about her.
The coach of The Voice Kids on TF1 is now in a relationship with Charlène, a young woman of 27 years old. “We met later, while I was working in Canada with her producer, Rick, for my album.... A real princess. I already loved her! "
---------------------------------
Most likely, the situation will end up being much ado about nothing, since, as the articles note, both have long ago moved on, and they are professionals with a job to do. Still, it makes for an interesting story…As indicated, although it will be recorded over the next few months, the program will not air until next summer.
[As a side note: this is the 13th News Update this year that has mentioned Patrick Fiori, many in conjunction with the Florent Pagny album of duets that Lara was also on. Last year there were just 3 such mentions, and for a number of years before that there was no more than one. Besides this making it seem like the reunion was ‘fated to be’
, one wonders whether there was any communication between them about this possible situation in conjunction with the Florent Pagny album and TV show.]
In more sobering news, Lara commented indirectly (presumably) on the situation in the Middle East (which could also apply to Ukraine as well), with a post, curiously on her Instagram ‘stories’ – and thus not permanent. It was captured by the Lara Fabian The Netherlands FB site, at
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=842009164599142&set=a.776990644434328
with the inscription “In a universe of peace and love, music would be the universal language…🎈” David Henry Thoreau. This has always been Lara’s point of view…
In contrast to the two highly charged topics above, one topic that has little significance concerns the state of Lara’s URL, larafabian.com. It now says, “We will be back soon. Subscribe to the newsletter below so you don’t miss anything.” There is no newsletter (except for an occasional publicity email when Lara has some commercial product), and one would be justified in doubting that they will be expending energy on this site anytime soon. The bio, as incomplete as it was, is gone, as well as any publicity for a new release or tour. The only thing about it which may still work is the ‘boutique’ store that has a few items from her last tour, most notably the ‘Lara Live’ CD. Most likely Lara has not thought about this site since that CD came out, one year ago. But the lack of any tour info, even the list of past venues, makes one wonder whether the ‘Best of Lara World Tour’ has effectively ended.
Interesting photo(s)/video(s) of the week: Of course, one would have to choose the well-known video that corresponds to the story of the week, Lara with Patrick Fiori singing “L’hymne a la amour”, and including at the end “the kiss”…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fVeanvNQV0
And here they are, singing “La difference”,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uPEOEW4P1Y
Lastly concerning this topic, there was this video discussing the story (which comes with some nice pictures of them)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mloo-wSThbY
Here’s the text:
-----------------------------------
Two decades after their painful separation, Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori are preparing for a breathtaking return to the forefront of the media, on the prestigious set of the show The Voice Kids, broadcast on TF1.
The coincidence of such a meeting on the set of The Voice Kids, almost twenty years after the explosion of their romantic relationship, will not fail to arouse the interest and curiosity of fans and viewers.
Two emblematic figures of song will join the ranks of veterans of the show's jury, alongside Slimane and Patrick Fiori, as new eminent members. Lara Fabian will undoubtedly bring her undeniable charisma, her wealth of experience and her extraordinary voice to the show, while Claudio Capéo, dynamic and passionate about music, will further strengthen this already exceptional team, as reported by Closer magazine. This unique opportunity will allow viewers to discover how these two musical virtuosos will provide their expertise and caring support to young budding artists who aspire to shine in the music industry.
However, this reunion on the set of The Voice Kids will not just be a major musical event, it will also awaken the memory of their past history. Lara Fabian also mentioned this romance in her work entitled “Tout”. In this book, she delves into the mazes of her tumultuous relationship with a young Corsican artist, dating from the years 1998 to 2000, a period when the latter was preparing to play a key role in a musical which caused a stir in the media.
Although she does not name him directly, it is obvious that she is referring to Patrick Fiori. She describes the end of their affair as marked by an attempt at reconciliation which was brought to light during a television program, an episode which unfortunately ended in a resounding public scandal.
“During a broadcast orchestrated by one of the tenors of French television, aimed at celebrating the end of this new era, a final attempt to put the pieces back together was undertaken, in vain. "It unfortunately ended in a public scandal," she wrote in her memoir, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes of their complex and tumultuous history which, in many ways, remains anchored in the annals of music and of love.
-------------------------------------
The Lara Fabian Family FB site put on a short reel of a previous time Lara ‘was in the red chair’, at
www.facebook.com/reel/262664472944963
with the caption, “Approve with elegance, lesson number 1”. In addition, from another The Voice show,
www.facebook.com/100087078295806/videos/290712467170975
And here is Lara and the other judges singing “The Show Must Go On” during her last tenure on The Voice France,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqoAJv4L4nE
Other elements aside, for Lara to once again appear on French TV with ‘The Voice Kids’ is a big deal for her, as it keeps her image alive and her name in the mind of the French public in a most effective way. To what extent her great knowledge can actually be utilized by children between the ages of 7 and 14 is hard to know, but her compassion for them will probably be very helpful. This continues the current phase established over the last year of Lara focusing her efforts (both professional and personal) in France, and Europe in general. Given that, will she stay in Quebec after Lou graduates from high school? Her sojourn there, so useful for her equanimity and career at one point, did pull Gabriel (and Lara) away from their relatives. We’ll see if any of the ‘best is yet to come’ actually involves something in ‘La belle province’.
David
http://instagram.com/p/CyvAsPmtbFJ
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=908113157339645
As she wrote, “So happy to be joining The Voice team for the kids version this time! Looking forward to this adventure with my coach friends @slimanepatrick FioriClaudio Capéo...The best is yet to come 🎈ITV Studios FranceThe Voice : la plus belle voixTF1Nikos AliagasKarine FerriEloise Delhoume.”
Lara also put the official ‘reel’ promoting the show, with nice dynamic pictures of its coaches, on her FB site, at
www.facebook.com/reel/1039639643825302
Concerning her fellow coaches: Yes, that Patrick Fiori…and of course the media had a field day with the story. From The Closer, which broke the news (https://www.closermag.fr/tv_tele_realite/exclu-the-voice-kids-saison-10-ces-deux-chanteurs-celebres-qui-vont-remplacer-nolwenn-leroy-et-kendji-girac-3280865#item=1):
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EXCLUSIVE. The Voice Kids season 10: these two famous singers who will replace Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac
Two new coaches will arrive, according to information from Closer, in the red chairs of The Voice Kids for the next season broadcast in July 2024.
The Voice Kids will soon celebrate its tenth anniversary with an anniversary season which should be broadcast from July 2024 on TF1. According to information from Closer magazine , to be published this Friday, October 20, the red armchairs should welcome, for the occasion, two new personalities. Indeed, if Patrick Fiori, emblematic coach of the show and present since season 2, and Slimane, author this summer of a very good first season marked by his victory with Durel, Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac will, for their part, leave their place. But not to just anyone...
According to our information, it is Claudio Capéo, revealed in season 5 of The Voice in 2016, and Lara Fabian, already coach, once again, of the adult version in 2020, who will take their place in the red armchairs for season 10 of The Voice Kids. The opportunity for the Belgian singer and Patrick Fiori to come together around the same project, 25 years after their love story which ended "tragically" according to Lara Fabian in her book Je passe à table, released in 2021.
Lara Fabian in The Voice Kids: a regular in the red chair
If this tenth season of The Voice Kids will be a great first for Claudio Capéo in the famous red armchairs, this will not be the case for Lara Fabian. Indeed, the interpreter of Je t'aime is a regular on the show and its blind auditions, in France where she was a coach during season 9 of the adult version (she finished second with Gustine) but especially in Canada where she was a coach for two seasons, always among adults. However, this will be a first for the Belgian among children...
------------------------
To be clear – this is a different reality show than the one which will be broadcast later this year on TF1 called ‘The Dream Team’ that also will feature Lara interacting with kids, albeit in what was a two night feature recorded this past June. Coincidentally or not, Claudio Capeo is also a coach on that show.
Then there was this from The Public.fr (https://www.public.fr/News/The-Voice-Kids-Lara-Fabian-et-Patrick-Fiori-se-retrouveront-20-ans-apres-leur-scandale-public-1788794):
--------------------------------
“The Voice Kids”: Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori will meet again 20 years after their ‘public scandal’
According to information from "Closer" published this Thursday, October 19, 2023, Lara Fabian will be reuniting with the coaches of "The Voice" by joining the "Kids" format next autumn, alongside Slimane, Claudio Capéo and Patrick Fiori. It's an opportunity for the Quebec singer to reunite with a man with whom she shared a painful love affair in the late 90s, since she was once the woman of... Patrick Fiori!
The news comes as something of a surprise. In a few weeks' time, Lara Fabian will be making her return to the The Voice family by joining the jury for season 10 of The Voice Kids, where filming for the blind auditions is due to start in mid-November. According to Closer, the singer, who took part in season 9 of The Voice in 2020 at the time of Covid, is set to replace Nolwenn Leroy, while Kendji Girac is set to be replaced by another The Voice star: Claudio Capéo. The two new coaches are expected to sit alongside Slimane, who would be returning for a second consecutive season, and Patrick Fiori, a long-standing member who has been with the program since season 2.
Patrick Fiori's presence on the jury may come as a surprise... And with good reason: at the end of the 90s, Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori were a couple! In 1998, the two singers met and their love story quickly made the headlines. They appeared on a number of TV shows, including Vivement dimanche on France 2, but the media attention soon got the better of their relationship. Although very much in love with Patrick Fiori, Lara Fabian, then aged just 30, had to face the facts: their relationship was not going to last. On January 1, 2000, the couple separated, but the story was a painful one for the singer...
"A public scandal”
As she revealed in her autobiography Je passe à table, published in 2021, Lara Fabian found it very hard to rebuild her life and get over this love affair... Although she did not reveal Patrick Fiori's identity, the singer did mention a "young Corsican artist, about to embark on a musical that everyone was talking about" at the time. She then evoked the tragic end of their relationship, a few hours after filming a TV show celebrating the passage to the year 2000: "During a show produced by one of the pundits of French TV which celebrates the end of the year of this new era, there is one last attempt to mend fences. To no avail. The result is a public scandal.
A long-awaited reunion
Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori have not appeared together for twenty-three years now. The two former lovebirds will now be reunited on the set of The Voice Kids... Lara Fabian has been married to Italian magician Gabriel di Giorgio for ten years, and is the proud mother of 16-year-old Lou, born of a union with Italian director Gérard Pullicino. Patrick Fiori, meanwhile, has been in a relationship since the end of his affair with Lara Fabian, with Miss France 2000 third runner-up Ariane Quatrefages, whom he married in 2008. They have two children: Sevan, 14, and Gabin, 9.
--------------------------
The status of Patrick Fiori's relationships is outdated, as will be discussed later.
And more from The Public (https://www.public.fr/News/Lara-Fabian-et-Patrick-Fiori-au-jury-de-The-Voice-Kids-les-ex-seront-ils-assis-cote-a-cote-1788997):
--------------------------
Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori on the jury of "The Voice Kids": will the exes be sitting side by side?
This Monday, October 23, 2023, TF1 made official the arrival of Lara Fabian and Claudio Capéo on the jury for season 10 of "The Voice Kids". The two new coaches replace Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac, and will take their places alongside Patrick Fiori and Slimane. It's an opportunity for Patrick Fiori and Lara Fabian to reunite, 20 years after the end of their love affair... but will they be side by side?
It's now official! A few days after Closer reported that Lara Fabian and Claudio Capéo were joining the The Voice Kids family, replacing Nolwenn Leroy and Kendji Girac, TF1 made it official on Monday: The tenth edition of the Kids format, which will start filming in mid-November, will feature a brand new jury, made up of Patrick Fiori, returning for a ninth consecutive season, Slimane, back for a second season, and Claudio Capéo and Lara Fabian. These two new jurors are no strangers to The Voice family: the former was revealed by season 5 of the program, won by Slimane, and the latter was coach of season 2020, alongside Pascal Obispo, Marc Lavoine and Amel Bent. That season was tarnished by the emerging Covid pandemic, and Lara Fabian was confined to Canada, appearing only in videos during live shows.
On the promotional poster published by TF1 on social networks this Monday, October 23, 2023, Patrick Fiori and Lara Fabian - who had a complicated love affair in the late 1990s, which ended on January 1, 2000, according to the singer's words in her autobiography published in 2021 - are spaced apart, separated by the season's other newcomer, Claudio Capéo. Typically, these promotional posters reflect the order of the coaches' chairs. Last season, for example, the poster with the blue background featured Patrick Fiori, Nolwenn Leroy, Kendji Girac and Slimane: this was the order of the coaches' chairs during the blind auditions. Similarly, for season 8, on the multicolored promotional poster, Patrick Fiori was shown next to Julien Doré, followed by Louane Emera and then Kendji Girac. This positioning was confirmed on screen.
Claudio takes Nolwenn's place, and Lara Kendji's...
We can therefore assume that the conjuncture presented on the promotional poster will be the right one: Patrick Fiori will keep his historic coach's chair, which he has never lent in nine consecutive seasons, and will be seated next to Claudio Capéo. Lara Fabian, the season's only woman, will be in chair 3, next to Slimane, who will keep the fourth chair. Last year, however, Nolwenn Leroy, the only woman in season 9, was seated... next to Patrick Fiori! The female seat has therefore been swapped this season. It's not the first time, however, that a woman has been seated in chair 3, as Jenifer and Amel Bent have also sat there. Did Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori ask not to sit side by side?
The prod chooses, the coaches comply
In a paper published by Télé-Loisirs in 2020, Pascal Guix, producer of The Voice and The Voice Kids, asserted that the coaches' seats were meticulously chosen by production, and assured us that the coaches had no say in which seats they were given: "Finally, a last detail which is important, production specifies that the coaches have never asked for a specific seat. They [the production] always have the last word", our confrères assured us. The number one or number four spot generally goes to the program's historical face, as was the case for Florent Pagny in The Voice for many seasons. The female faces are always placed in the center, and the band leaders, like Mika for example, are also placed in the center, so as to make the exchanges more dynamic.
-----------------------------------
And finally to provide a Montreal flavor, from which Lara will once again be leaving to do the show starting next month (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/10/23/lara-fabian-devient-coach-a-the-voice-kids):
-------------------------------
Lara Fabian becomes coach on “The Voice Kids”
After having been a coach at La Voix and The Voice: La plus belle voix , Lara Fabian will find a chair at The Voice Kids, not in England as the title might suggest, but in France.
The singer and former director of the Academy at Star Académie joins Patrick Fiori and Slimane, who will be back for the 10th season of The Voice Kids. The quartet will be completed by Claudio Capéo. The latter, who was a candidate for The Voice, and Lara Fabian replace Kendji Girac and Nolwenn Leroy.
“So happy to join The Voice team for the kids version this time! Looking forward to living this adventure with my coach friends,” Lara Fabian said on Monday on Instagram.
The Voice Kids show is broadcast on TF1. Since its beginnings, it has helped blossom the talent of artists like Bilal Hassani, Carla Lazzari, Lou and Quebecer Lenni-Kim.
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Not a mention of Lara and Patrick Fiori having had a relationship – of course, that happened in France, and was likely not of great concern in Montreal.
The execs at TF1 must be dancing in their seats envisioning how the ‘public scandal’ aspect of this will play out in the ratings. That depends on whether something that took place more than 20 years ago still has ‘legs’; to whatever degree it does, part of the blame/credit should go to Lara for using that dramatic term in her book “Je passe a table”/”Tout”. One wonders if she had known this was going to happen, would she have categorized it a little less sensationally…or is she happy for the ‘notoriety’? [Elsewhere, she also used the phrase “a horror film” to describe what happened].
Lara’s publicizing the book so recently, at the end of last year/beginning of 2023, helped keep the topic of their relationship alive in the minds of various reporters, some of whom were probably too young to remember what happened decades ago. Here's what Lara actually wrote in her book (as indicated in the News Update of 1-25-22):
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My sidekick, Rick, can see that I'm doing everything I can, but my root is without water. Something should happen.
He's working with a young Corsican artist [though not named it is Patrick Fiori] who's about to embark on a new musical that everyone is talking about. He introduced me to him in a wonderful little restaurant called La Table du marché.
It was there that, for the first time in a long time, I had the feeling that my heart was breathing.
I am hungry.
The atmosphere is light, we talk about our respective islands: me, Sicily; him, Corsica. We also talk about our big and noisy families. He tells me about his many brothers and sisters; I tell him about my many cousins. Tables full of perfect food. Sundays that stretch out.
But most of all, despite our careers that swallow us up and delight us, we talk about wanting to stay with our people a little longer.
At this point, I think we are similar.
The part of me that dries up has the feeling of being fed with water from a common source.
But I am wrong again. It's one evil for another. It doesn't matter, I've already told you, I much prefer remorse to regret.
Everything is perfect when you are sincere.
Even if being sincere is sometimes very expensive.
The end of this short story is tragic and corresponds to the passage from 1999 to 2000.
At the time of a last emission produced by one of the pundits of the French television which celebrates the end of the year towards this new era, there is a last attempt to repair the broken pots.
In vain. It ends in a public scandal.
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For his part, Patrick Fiori also had some comments this year about Lara; he was in the news concerning his relationships and the birth of a new child. This is what he said (https://www.legossip.net/lara-fabian-coeur-brise-par-patrick-fiori-ses-confidences-sur-leur-brutale-rupture/573112/):
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“When she released her album. I was in my car in Ajaccio and I heard “Tout”. I said to myself: 'What a voice this girl has!'. When I saw her on television, I broke down”, the singer confided about her.
The coach of The Voice Kids on TF1 is now in a relationship with Charlène, a young woman of 27 years old. “We met later, while I was working in Canada with her producer, Rick, for my album.... A real princess. I already loved her! "
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Most likely, the situation will end up being much ado about nothing, since, as the articles note, both have long ago moved on, and they are professionals with a job to do. Still, it makes for an interesting story…As indicated, although it will be recorded over the next few months, the program will not air until next summer.
[As a side note: this is the 13th News Update this year that has mentioned Patrick Fiori, many in conjunction with the Florent Pagny album of duets that Lara was also on. Last year there were just 3 such mentions, and for a number of years before that there was no more than one. Besides this making it seem like the reunion was ‘fated to be’
, one wonders whether there was any communication between them about this possible situation in conjunction with the Florent Pagny album and TV show.]In more sobering news, Lara commented indirectly (presumably) on the situation in the Middle East (which could also apply to Ukraine as well), with a post, curiously on her Instagram ‘stories’ – and thus not permanent. It was captured by the Lara Fabian The Netherlands FB site, at
www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=842009164599142&set=a.776990644434328
with the inscription “In a universe of peace and love, music would be the universal language…🎈” David Henry Thoreau. This has always been Lara’s point of view…
In contrast to the two highly charged topics above, one topic that has little significance concerns the state of Lara’s URL, larafabian.com. It now says, “We will be back soon. Subscribe to the newsletter below so you don’t miss anything.” There is no newsletter (except for an occasional publicity email when Lara has some commercial product), and one would be justified in doubting that they will be expending energy on this site anytime soon. The bio, as incomplete as it was, is gone, as well as any publicity for a new release or tour. The only thing about it which may still work is the ‘boutique’ store that has a few items from her last tour, most notably the ‘Lara Live’ CD. Most likely Lara has not thought about this site since that CD came out, one year ago. But the lack of any tour info, even the list of past venues, makes one wonder whether the ‘Best of Lara World Tour’ has effectively ended.
Interesting photo(s)/video(s) of the week: Of course, one would have to choose the well-known video that corresponds to the story of the week, Lara with Patrick Fiori singing “L’hymne a la amour”, and including at the end “the kiss”…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fVeanvNQV0
And here they are, singing “La difference”,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uPEOEW4P1Y
Lastly concerning this topic, there was this video discussing the story (which comes with some nice pictures of them)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mloo-wSThbY
Here’s the text:
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Two decades after their painful separation, Lara Fabian and Patrick Fiori are preparing for a breathtaking return to the forefront of the media, on the prestigious set of the show The Voice Kids, broadcast on TF1.
The coincidence of such a meeting on the set of The Voice Kids, almost twenty years after the explosion of their romantic relationship, will not fail to arouse the interest and curiosity of fans and viewers.
Two emblematic figures of song will join the ranks of veterans of the show's jury, alongside Slimane and Patrick Fiori, as new eminent members. Lara Fabian will undoubtedly bring her undeniable charisma, her wealth of experience and her extraordinary voice to the show, while Claudio Capéo, dynamic and passionate about music, will further strengthen this already exceptional team, as reported by Closer magazine. This unique opportunity will allow viewers to discover how these two musical virtuosos will provide their expertise and caring support to young budding artists who aspire to shine in the music industry.
However, this reunion on the set of The Voice Kids will not just be a major musical event, it will also awaken the memory of their past history. Lara Fabian also mentioned this romance in her work entitled “Tout”. In this book, she delves into the mazes of her tumultuous relationship with a young Corsican artist, dating from the years 1998 to 2000, a period when the latter was preparing to play a key role in a musical which caused a stir in the media.
Although she does not name him directly, it is obvious that she is referring to Patrick Fiori. She describes the end of their affair as marked by an attempt at reconciliation which was brought to light during a television program, an episode which unfortunately ended in a resounding public scandal.
“During a broadcast orchestrated by one of the tenors of French television, aimed at celebrating the end of this new era, a final attempt to put the pieces back together was undertaken, in vain. "It unfortunately ended in a public scandal," she wrote in her memoir, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes of their complex and tumultuous history which, in many ways, remains anchored in the annals of music and of love.
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The Lara Fabian Family FB site put on a short reel of a previous time Lara ‘was in the red chair’, at
www.facebook.com/reel/262664472944963
with the caption, “Approve with elegance, lesson number 1”. In addition, from another The Voice show,
www.facebook.com/100087078295806/videos/290712467170975
And here is Lara and the other judges singing “The Show Must Go On” during her last tenure on The Voice France,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqoAJv4L4nE
Other elements aside, for Lara to once again appear on French TV with ‘The Voice Kids’ is a big deal for her, as it keeps her image alive and her name in the mind of the French public in a most effective way. To what extent her great knowledge can actually be utilized by children between the ages of 7 and 14 is hard to know, but her compassion for them will probably be very helpful. This continues the current phase established over the last year of Lara focusing her efforts (both professional and personal) in France, and Europe in general. Given that, will she stay in Quebec after Lou graduates from high school? Her sojourn there, so useful for her equanimity and career at one point, did pull Gabriel (and Lara) away from their relatives. We’ll see if any of the ‘best is yet to come’ actually involves something in ‘La belle province’.
David
