It’s the end of an era at TVA and LCN: Denis Lévesque will host his very last show on May 19, ending 16 years of daily presence on both channels.
The host made the announcement on Wednesday evening, speaking of the “privilege” of having occupied this platform, which has 3,000 episodes on the clock.
This carefully considered decision is linked in particular to the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed virtual interviews – and a number of technical problems – when it was no longer possible to welcome guests in the studio. All this, we feel in the interview, weighed down the interest of the 63-year-old communicator, not to mention the redundancy of subjects associated with the virus.
“We prided ourselves on being the show with the broadest spectrum of interests,” he told QMI Agency, recalling that Denis Levesque was one of the first LCN programs when the vocation of headlines every quarter of an hour was abandoned.
“Over the past two years, I have had analysts and specialists to talk regarding [la] COVID, there was nothing else left. Now it’s war in Ukraine,” he added, aware despite everything of the importance of these issues.
“We reinvented ourselves from one season to another. With the pandemic, reinventing myself was more difficult and I decided that it was no longer my show that I was going to reinvent, it was myself.
Although he is tired and eager to take advantage of a “seasonal sabbatical” this fall in Europe with his partner, journalist Pascale Wilhelmy, Denis Lévesque says he is in great shape, he who has already had problems with invasive osteoarthritis.
He says he has also thought regarding the lifestyle he wants for the next few years, knowing that the body can suddenly let go of us. He cites Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy, who died one following the other in recent weeks, as well as two friends who died a few days apart before Christmas. “It makes you think.”
No retirement and background interviews
Unlike his friend and colleague Pierre Bruneau, who recently announced his retirement as anchor VAT News, Denis Lévesque does not want to leave work and wishes to continue to lead human and diversified interviews on TV. But it will no longer be seven days a week, 365 days a year, thanks to the retakes.
“Deciding to leave is big, but announcing it is even bigger, I think. Rock [Bruneau] came to see me in my office following I announced it and he looked 1000 pounds lighter on his shoulders.
For the 25e anniversary of LCN – the channel has been on the air since September 8, 1997 – Denis Lévesque will conduct 25 in-depth interviews with people who have made the news in the last quarter century. We can think of the ice storm of winter 1998 or the attacks of September 11, 2001. He will record a few programs before leaving for Europe, then he will complete the exercise on his return.
Once on vacation, he might imitate his companion and write a book, otherwise the two accomplices have projects together, they who have, among other things, carried a touching documentary on Jean Lapierre.
“I open the door to the universe for new projects. We also have an idea for a docu-series,” he said.
He admits to having a pinch in the heart for all the faithful who are at the rendezvous of his show, evening following evening, as well as for the technicians and the directors. He also thinks of his desk manager Bruno Genest, with whom he has worked for 20 years. “It is sure that it is full, it is emotional to leave. I worked for 20 years with Bruno, my another selfwe do it together.”
For the last, he knows he will be “emotional”. “We are going to do a special with guests well known to viewers and there will be archive footage.”
Don’t miss the latest broadcast from Denis LevesqueThursday, May 19 at 8 p.m., at LCN.
