Thomas Sotto was excluded from the presentation of the political show Élysée 2022 after the revelation of his romantic relationship with Mayada Boulos, a close advisor to the Prime Minister, Jean Castex.
The host of the new TéléMatin formula on France 2 was also forced to leave his post as a replacement for the political interview with the Four Truths. A shelving that must last for the entire presidential campaign. A regrettable decision for Thomas Sotto.
“It’s a difficult decision and in a way quite unfair. But I must take into account our time, which has become very violent and which tends to hysterize everything. The suspicion is widespread. A lot of people set themselves up as prosecutors. As a matter of principle, even before having opened my mouth, I would have been considered guilty, even if I was professionally irreproachable. I do not want to accept the slightest ambiguity and take the risk of weakening the work and the perception of the editorial staff of France 2 to which I am viscerally attached, ”he told the newspaper’s website The Parisian.
Who is Mayada Boulos?
Daughter of an Egyptian journalist and writer, also known for her activities as a communist militant, Mayada Boulos was born in France on July 7, 1981. The family subsequently moved to London, before returning to live in Egypt, in Cairo, where she spends his adolescence. After obtaining her baccalaureate at the French lycée in the Egyptian capital, she returned to France after the death of her father to continue her studies there. Mayada Boulos holds a DESS in political and social communication, a Masters in political science and a DEUG in law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
In 2002, she began her professional career in a communications agency for public institutions, before joining the HALDE in 2005 as deputy communications director with Louis Schweitzer. In 2010, she was appointed communications manager for the Cité des Sciences and the Palais de la Découverte to its president, Claudie Haigneré. Two years later, she became the communications and press advisor to Marisol Touraine, then Minister of Social Affairs and Health.
In 2016, Mayada Boulos joined the Havas agency, and became a specialist in crisis communication, media relations and management advice, with international expertise. It is in July 2020 that she joined the team around Jean Castex who, subsequently, will find himself in the front page of Paris Match, and will participate in the program C à vous on France 5.