Benjamin Castaldi

Benjamin Castaldi (; born 28 March 1970) is a French television host, columnist, radio host and producer. He is the former host of Secret Story, a spinoff of Loft Story, which he also hosted.

Biography

Family

Benjamin Castaldi was born into a family of artists, being the son of actress and writer Catherine AllÃÂ©gret and actor Jean-Pierre Castaldi. He grew up surrounded by his grandmother, actress Simone Signoret, his grandfather, director Yves AllÃÂ©gret, and the adoptive father of his mother, actor and singer Yves Montand. He has a maternal half-sister, ClÃÂ©mentine Vaudaux and two paternal half-siblings, Giovanni and Paola. He is of Italian, Polish-Jewish, and Hungarian-Jewish descent.

Studies and professional debut

In the late 1980s, Castaldi, who then aspired to become a businessman, began studies in economics at Sorbonne University. He then applied for a position in a home meal delivery company, where he was finally hired as a salesperson. Castaldi then became director of the company, which ended up filing bankruptcy. Wishing to try his luck as a music producer, he moved to the United States where he tried to relaunch the career of singer Esther Galil. After this failed, in 1993, he returned to Paris. Meanwhile, in 1992, he participated as an "anonymous" candidate in the game Que le meilleur gagne presented by Nagui on La Cinq.

Personal life

Castaldi married on 22 September 1993 in Saint-MandÃÂ© to ValÃÂ©rie Sapienza, the mother of his sons Julien (born 18 September 1996) and Simon (born 20 April 2000). They divorced in 2001. On 21 September 2002, he married the television and radio host Flavie Flament who he met in December 2000 on the show Les P'tits Princes (on TF1). Castaldi has a son with her, Enzo (born 8 February 2004). They separated in December 2006 before divorcing in July 2008. On 24 November 2011, he married journalist and television host Vanessa Broussouloux in Copenhagen, Denmark. They divorced in May 2016 and on 27 August of the same year he married an interview director of the company Endemol, Aurore Aleman, met in 2015.

His eldest son Julien joined The Mad Mag on NRJ12 as a columnist in 2017.

On 22 November 2017, he revealed on the plateau of Touche pas ÃÂ mon poste ! having had a three-day affair with the French journalist Annie Lemoine.

Motorcycle accident

On 23 June 2012, Castaldi was involved in a motorcycle accident where he suffered a collarbone fracture and two broken ribs. He left the hospital the following day. At the time, he was hosting the French reality series Secret Story which led to the decision that television presenter Nikos Aliagas hosted the show while everybody waited for Castaldi's return. Castaldi returned on air on 2 July, but normality was soon interrupted. It turned out that he had six broken ribs, and his collarbone had not healed properly, he was operated with urgency. The Voice of Secret Story took over the hosting of the show.

Financial issues

In 2012, Castaldi discovered that he was ruined and claimed to be a victim of a real estate scam of the financial consulting company Apollonia. In 2017 he said he couldn't buy Christmas presents or do fun activities with his children anymore.

In December 2014, he publicly declared himself a victim of a scam that involved a notary, a promoter and a bank. He claimed six million euros in court for compensation of damages he suffered.

Career

1994Ã¢ÂÂ1997:ÃÂ Studio Gabriel with Michel Drucker /ÃÂ France 2
1997Ã¢ÂÂ1998:ÃÂ L'ÃÂtoffe des ados /ÃÂ La CinquiÃÂ¨meÃÂ
1997Ã¢ÂÂ1998:ÃÂ Drucker'N CoÃÂ /ÃÂ France 2
1998:ÃÂ Le rendez-vousÃÂ /ÃÂ La CinquiÃÂ¨me
1998:ÃÂ Fous d'humourÃÂ /ÃÂ France 2ÃÂ
1998Ã¢ÂÂ1999:ÃÂ Vivement dimancheÃÂ withÃÂ Michel DruckerÃÂ /ÃÂ France 2
2000:ÃÂ Les P'tits PrincesÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1 with Carole Rousseau,ÃÂ Sophie Thalmann, ,ÃÂ FrÃÂ©dÃÂ©ric Joly andÃÂ Flavie Flament
2001Ã¢ÂÂ2002:ÃÂ Loft Story (seasons 1Ã¢ÂÂ2)ÃÂ /ÃÂ M6
2002Ã¢ÂÂ2003:ÃÂ QI, Le Grand Test (editions 1 Ã¢ÂÂ 2)ÃÂ /ÃÂ M6 withÃÂ Mac Lesggy
2003Ã¢ÂÂ2006:ÃÂ Nouvelle Star (seasons 1Ã¢ÂÂ4)ÃÂ /ÃÂ M6ÃÂ
2003:ÃÂ Tous les opposeÃÂ /ÃÂ M6
2004:ÃÂ Permis de conduire, Le Grand TestÃÂ /ÃÂ M6 withÃÂ Mac Lesggy
2004:ÃÂ Le Pensionnat de ChavagnesÃÂ : Ils disent toutÃÂ !ÃÂ /ÃÂ M6ÃÂ withÃÂ Mac Lesggy
2005:ÃÂ Totale Impro /ÃÂ M6
2006:ÃÂ Johnny Hallyday, Flashback Tour 2006 in BercyÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2006Ã¢ÂÂ2007:ÃÂ Langues de VIPÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1ÃÂ
2007Ã¢ÂÂ2008:ÃÂ 1 contre 100ÃÂ /TF1
2007:ÃÂ Les 30 destins de stars les plus incroyablesÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2007:ÃÂ Incroyables DestinsÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2007Ã¢ÂÂ2014:ÃÂ Secret Story (seasons 1Ã¢ÂÂ8)ÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2007Ã¢ÂÂ2011:ÃÂ Le Grand Quiz du cerveauÃÂ (editions 1Ã¢ÂÂ5)ÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1 withÃÂ Carole Rousseau
2007Ã¢ÂÂ2008:ÃÂ Le Grand Music QuizÃÂ (editions 1Ã¢ÂÂ2)ÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2008:ÃÂ Qui peut battre Benjamin Castaldi ?ÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1ÃÂ Ã¢ÂÂ withÃÂ Carole RousseauÃÂ andÃÂ Denis BrogniartÃÂ
2009:ÃÂ Mes parents vont t'adorerÃÂ /ÃÂ NRJ 12ÃÂ
2010:ÃÂ Qui peut battre Philippe Lucas ?ÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2011:ÃÂ La vie de Vynzkozy /ÃÂ NRJ 12
2012:ÃÂ You Can DanceÃÂ /ÃÂ NT1ÃÂ
2014:ÃÂ Tahiti QuestÃÂ /ÃÂ GulliÃÂ
2014:ÃÂ The Winner IsÃÂ /ÃÂ TF1
2015:ÃÂ Nouvelle StarÃÂ / D8ÃÂ
2015:ÃÂ Super Million Question /ÃÂ NRJ 12
2016:ÃÂ Equidia Life AcademyÃÂ /ÃÂ Equidia Life
2016Ã¢ÂÂpresent:ÃÂ Touche pas ÃÂ mon poste !ÃÂ / C8ÃÂ
2016:ÃÂ Hold Up /ÃÂ C8ÃÂ
2016:ÃÂ Big Buzz QuizÃÂ /ÃÂ C8ÃÂ
2017:ÃÂ TPMPÃÂ ! Castaldi vs. DelormeauÃÂ : qui sera le meilleur animateurÃÂ ?ÃÂ / C8ÃÂ
2017:ÃÂ Cash IslandÃÂ / C8
2017:ÃÂ TPMP, le jeuÃÂ : C'est que de l'amourÃÂ !ÃÂ / C8
2017:ÃÂ Family BattleÃÂ / C8ÃÂ
2018:ÃÂ TPMPÃÂ ! Ouvert ÃÂ tousÃÂ / C8ÃÂ
2018:ÃÂ TPMP refait la semaineÃÂ / C8
2018:ÃÂ TPMP fait son bÃÂªtisierÃÂ ! / C8ÃÂ with Kelly Vedovelli