Interview – Mac Lesggy (E=M6): “I really do have this little flair for Madeleine Proust”
It’s a Sunday night date, that date “Declare the end of the weekend”, but what Mac Lesggy has enjoyed serving for nearly 32 years. with E = M6The product popularizes science. Those related to key topics, such as the environment, to everyday life: from the effect of sugar on health to the effectiveness of new diets, including the effects of lack of sleep. Far from competing with Jimmy Gourmaud (This is not rocket science)imagine a Crossing. “I will like it”slide to Gala during an interview. Challenges he wants to face For its popularity without forgetting His childhood memories of The Sundayshost trusts.
Gala: I was on top E = M6It is the oldest science show on the small screen. How do you explain longevity?
MacLesggy: By two things. First of all, there is the public interest, which has not been denied for 30 years, in the deciphering of the scientific world. The French are curious. And then through the stability and concern of the M6 management to always present the programs at the same times to retain the viewers.
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GALAfr: Over the years, the public has also become attached to you. One day, she will certainly be Madeleine Proust for a generation.
MacLesggy: Madeleine Proust has never made mine, but that’s no mistake. Yesterday I saw a person who works in a company that works in the field of energy, and he told me: “I’ve been watching you since I was little. Thanks to you, I got interested in science and today I’m an engineer.” I already have this little taste of Madeleine Proust for people who looked at me 10 or 20 years ago.
Gala: Talk about your role in E = M6is your iconic pair of glasses a TV prop?
MacLesggy: At first I had extravagant glasses than today. Now they are classics. It has become my trademark, but I only have one pair. I’ve never had a special pair to offer. Being nearsighted and slightly presbyopic, I wear them every day.
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Gala: The comparison to Jimmy Gourmo is easy. Could you like the idea of a crossover?
MacLesggy: We work for very different channels, and this is not on the agenda. To get to know him a little bit, I think that would make him as happy as I am. It is quite possible, we will do it with great pleasure.
Gala: Have you ever wanted to go somewhere else?
MacLesggy: I have no desire for another place. It’s very nice to be supported for 32 years by a channel that gives me so much freedom in dealing with topics. I don’t know if I would find such a relaxing environment elsewhere. I’m very good at M6.
Gala: I was the first producer for Christina Cordola. Have your relationships remained professional, or have they become friendly over time?
MacLesggy: Over time, she became friends anyway. We’ve been together for a very long time, since I discovered her on TV.
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GALA.fr: During your career, you went on archaeological excavations, on a volcano, and went on stage during a rap concert for fun. Are there any other challenges you would like to take on?
MacLesggy: Not so long ago, I was offered to board a combat aircraft. I told myself this was not a challenge I wanted to take on. One thing I like to do, and do a show about, is watch a rocket take off. It seems like an unusual experience.
GALA.fr: Your programs popularize everyday science. Recently there have been bonus diets. Does this topic interest you?
MacLesggy: Like everyone else, I was impressed. We talk about everyday life and what interests the French. Besides, I am currently one of the styles we have presented in this show.
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Gala: Which?
MacLesggy: Ah, I don’t know if I can say that (laughs). I’m trying intermittent fasting. It is a way of eating that has implications for our health and longevity. I didn’t have a specific weight loss goal, but I’m very happy with it
GALA.fr: Exactly, have you ever had a fear of aging?
MacLesggy: Not much. There is a discussion of pensions. I started watching and I have to work late (laughs). Will I still want to work after that? I’m lucky to be in a profession where there are no real age limits, so we’ll see. I still feel like I started showing last year. I know I spent more time on the E=M6 header than I will in the future. However, I don’t see time fading away, and I still have the same enthusiasm and the same curiosity. I do not introduce myself in “better than before” or “This is the end.”
Gala: Do you have an opinion on the ongoing discussions about reforming the pension system?
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MacLesggy: It’s a very technical fix that I haven’t dived into. He still passes me. There are many subjects on which I have an opinion, but I am not at all qualified to be for or against this reform. I don’t understand why it is the state that you take care of. This should be managed by pension funds, unions, employers, etc. It’s technical, so I don’t want to.
Gala: Have you stayed attached to your roots in the Southwest?
MacLesggy: I am very attached to my Landes roots. I have a home there, and I try to get back there often. In 30 years, I’m clearly more Parisian than Basque-Landaier.
Gala: We also know that you are the father of three children: Julie, Emily and Victor. are you close?
MacLesggy: Oh yeah, I hope so! By the way, I’ll see them tonight. They are old now. Staying in touch and getting close to them is extremely important to me. I tried to get one of my children to do boarding studies like me. I took them to the Palais des Découvertes, to the Cité des Sciences, but none of them chose a scientific or technical profession. I understood that the important thing is that they thrive in the jobs that interest them and that we shouldn’t try to force choices.
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Gala: Would you like to be a grandfather?
MacLesggy: Quietly waiting for this. I’d say she’s shivering.
Gala: You are a figure that is talked about in the schoolyard… Have your children suffered from your bad reputation?
MacLesggy: I don’t think it had an effect. I’m not a global star (laughs). In everyday life, as soon as children see you on TV and you being told nice things on a train platform, they rehearse it very quickly. My little hearing is living very well, and my wife doesn’t complain about it. I don’t think anyone around me was affected.
GALA.fr: In 2020, you participated in the show Everyone is in the kitchen On the M6 with your new companion Carol. How did you meet each other?
MacLesggy: At the time of the show, we were not married. My girlfriend doesn’t know the world of television at all, so sharing was a lot of fun. We simply met with mutual friends. We got married in the meantime, she became my wife. She has three kids and I’m fine.
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GALA.fr: We find you every Sunday on the M6, as an appointment not to be missed. What do you remember from Sundays as a kid?
MacLesggy: It is true that many people say to me: “You remind me of bad memories because when we were kids you were synonymous with the weekend. The last show we watched before we went to bed.” I’ve been told that hundreds of times (laughs). My memories are not very funny because on Sunday morning we were going for a walk in the mountains, but the afternoon, I spent not on the beach, but doing my homework. My mother kept the articles she showed me. I was still doing 16 or 20 pages, with very tight writing.
GALAfr: Today, you have no more writing to submit for Monday, so what will your Sundays look like?
MacLesggy: Oh no I don’t have more! Sundays are mainly sports and cycling in Paris, and less often a fair.
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Gala: And your Sunday dream?
MacLesggy: I take the train back to the Basque Country where I tend my garden (laughs).
Image credits: COADIC GUIREC / BESTIMAGE
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