Karine Le Marchand
Karine Mfayokurera, known as Karine Le Marchand—born on August 16, 1968, in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle)—is a French television presenter and producer.
She is best known for hosting the show *L'amour est dans le pré* (*Love Is in the Meadow*) on the M6 channel since 2010. Within the same media group, she also presents *Une ambition intime* and *La France a un incroyable talent* (*France's Got Talent*), in addition to hosting various documentaries, game shows, and entertainment programs.
Biography
Childhood and education
Karine Mfayokurera was born on August 16, 1968, in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle). Her mother was French, from the Lorraine region, and her father was a native of Burundi; he left the family when she was a year and a half old. She was raised alongside her older sister, Agnès, by her mother—an executive secretary—and her maternal grandmother. Her grandfather was a master engraver and a recipient of the *Meilleur Ouvrier de France* (Best Craftsman of France) award. It was not until much later—while filming a report in Burundi for TV5 Monde—that she re-established contact with her father, a former director of Burundi’s national television station, just two years before his death.
During her school years, she studied the harp and the transverse flute at the Nancy Regional Conservatory, alongside her sister, Agnès. After completing the French *baccalauréat* examinations, she left her hometown in 1986 and moved to Paris. She enrolled in the final year of secondary school (*terminale D*) at a Parisian *lycée*, while also aspiring to pursue a career as a singer. Initially working as a model, she began her broadcasting career in radio at RMC, where she was subsequently offered an opportunity to work in television. She adopted the pseudonym "Le Marchand" (the surname of her partner at the time)[1] just minutes before her first live broadcast—at the insistence of the program director—while hosting the show *Midi Pile* on France 3 Paris Île-de-France.
Career
In 2004, she succeeded Maïtena Biraben as host of the show *Les Maternelles* on France 5.
Starting in September 2007, she hosted and produced the social-interest program *Les Tabous de...*, which explored—with the help of specialists, experts, and various witnesses—the prejudices and taboos surrounding topics such as homosexuality, female pleasure, prostitution, and money. Due to inconsistent ratings, the show was dropped by France 2, with the final episode airing in January 2008.
In September 2009, following five successful seasons at the helm of *Les Maternelles* on France 5, she moved to the private channel M6, where she took over as host of the show *L'amour est dans le pré* (the French version of *Farmer Wants a Wife*).
On January 14, 2010, on the same channel, she also began presenting *C'est ma vie*, a social-interest program aired on Saturday afternoons.
For the 2010–2011 season, M6 entrusted her with two additional programs: *Espoir de l'année*—a major national competition for top young craftspeople (such as hairdressers, florists, and pastry chefs), which premiered on November 16, 2010—and, starting November 29, 2011, *On ne choisit pas ses voisins*, which she co-hosted with Stéphane Plaza.
In 2013, she took part in *Toute la télé chante pour Sidaction* on France 2. She also co-authored the book *L'Amour est tout près* with Alix Girod de l'Ain, published by Éditions Philippe Rey.
In 2014, she became a regular panelist on the revived version of *Les Grosses Têtes*, hosted by Laurent Ruquier on the radio station RTL.
In the autumn of 2016, she began hosting the political program *Une ambition intime* on M6.
In 2020, she succeeded David Ginola as the host of *La France a un incroyable talent* on M6. Starting on January 11, 2021, she hosted the program *Opération renaissance* on M6.
Commitments
On December 19, 2018, more than 70 celebrities joined a campaign organized by the association *Urgence Homophobie*. Karine Le Marchand was among them, appearing in the music video for the song "De l'amour" .
In 2020, she served as the patron for the "imPACton" public debate, intended to assist the government in developing a national strategic plan—a document France was required to submit to the European Commission by the end of 2020 as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform .
Designated an "ambassador" for the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) region, with a focus on agriculture and eco-responsibility, she purchased a building in Aix-en-Provence. Claiming—according to *Marsactu*—that the renovation was an "educational project" to be shared with the public via social media, she secured €117,460 in funding from the PACA region to cover a "preliminary study for the renovation work" . Feeling "exploited by journalists," she ultimately renounced the subsidy, though she remained a paid ambassador for the region .
In September 2025, following the sentencing of Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy in the Gaddafi affair , she expressed her support for Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, stating that she "did not understand this justice system" . In her video, she demonstrated a clear lack of understanding regarding several key aspects of the case.
Privacy
She has a daughter, Alya, born in 2002. From 2005 to 2006, she was in a relationship with the singer Passi. From 2007 to 2013, she was a couple with former footballer Lilian Thuram. In 2018, she had a romance with JoeyStarr. Their affair lasted a few months and ended explosively. She posted on Twitter: "The most annoying thing when you break up with someone is having to edit all the photos to replace his face with an old testicle."
Summary of his/her audiovisual activities
Television
- 1994: *Musiques-Musiques* on TV5: contributor
- 1995: *Midi pile* on France 3 Paris Île-de-France Centre: contributor
- 1996: *24 H en direct* on TV5
- 1996: *Télé séries* on M6: co-presenter with Stéphane Evanno
- 1998: *Comment faire ?* and *Comment faire plus ?* on France 2: co-presenter with Bruno Fuchs
- 1999: *Les Rituels de l'amour* on France 2: presenter
- 1999–2000: *Les Forges du désert* on France 2: co-host with Jean-Luc Reichmann
- 1999–2000: *Super Loto* on France 2
- 2000: *Ça va faire mâle* on France 2: co-presented with Marine Vignes
- 2001–2004: *À vos quartiers* on France 3 Paris Île-de-France Centre
- 2004–2009: *Les Maternelles* on France 5
- 2004–2005: *Encore plus libre* on France 2
- 2006–2008: *Les Molières* on France 2
- 2006–2009: *On n'est pas que des parents* on France 5
- 2007–2008: *Les Tabous de...* on France 2
- 2009: *Générations famille* on M6
- Since 2010: *L'amour est dans le pré* (from season 5 onwards) on M6
- 2010–2014: *C'est ma vie* on M6
- 2010: *Espoir de l'année* on M6
- 2011–2014: *On ne choisit pas ses voisins* on M6: co-presented with Stéphane Plaza
- 2012: *Le temps d’un poème* on Disney Junior
- 2012: *Joyeux anniversaire M6!* On M6: Co-hosting
- 2013: *Vocation Médecin* on M6
- 2013: *Un air de star* on M6
- 2014: *Les 30 ans du Top 50* on M6: Co-hosted with several other M6 Group presenters
- 2014–2016: *Qu'est-ce que je sais vraiment ?* on M6: Co-presented with Stéphane Plaza
- Since 2016: *Une ambition intime* on M6: Host and producer
- 2017: *30 ans de M6 : l'anniversaire surprise* on M6: Co-hosting
- 2019: *Etam Live Show 2019* on W9
- Since 2020: *La France a un incroyable talent* on M6: Host
- 2021: *Opération renaissance* on M6
- 2021: *Braqueurs* on M6
- 2022: *Ma maison éco-responsable* on M6
- 2022: *Enfant transgenre : que faire ?* on M6
- 2023: *Nouvelle Star, 20 ans* on M6
- 2023: *Familles de paysans : 100 ans d'histoire* on M6
- 2024: Special edition of *Le 12.45* on M6, from the Paris International Agricultural Show, with Dominique Tenza
- 2024: *Agriculteurs, la crise : édition spéciale* on M6
- 2024: *Les Français, l'amour et le sexe. Comment tout a changé ?*
- 2026: *Les nouveaux Français, 100 ans d’immigration*
Radio
- Since 2014: *Les Grosses Têtes* on RTL: regular panelist
- 2020–2021: *On ne répond plus de rien* on RTL, with Laurent Baffie (2020–2021) and subsequently Jeanfi Janssens
- 2024: *Agriculteurs, la crise* (Farmers: The Crisis) – special edition on RTL
- 2026: *Parlons Amour* (Let’s Talk About Love) on RTL
Filmography
Film and television series
- 2011: *Scènes de ménages*: Dolores, a football coach and friend of José
- 2019: *The Secret Life of Pets 2*, an animated film by Chris Renaud: the cow (voice)
- 2020: *Baron noir* (TV series): herself
- 2022: *Scènes de ménages* (M6 35th anniversary special: *Tous en scène !*)
Music videos
- 2018: "De l'amour" by the organization Urgence Homophobie – participation in the single and the music video
- 2020: "Et demain ?" by the collective "Et demain ?" – performance on the song and appearance in the music video
Legal cases
Allegation of domestic violence
On September 4, 2013, she filed a complaint against Lilian Thuram for domestic violence, which she withdrew a few days later. Lilian Thuram denied the accusations, claiming that they stemmed from a request for "compensation" that he had refused to grant her. The television presenter subsequently filed a new complaint for defamation—having been publicly called a liar—but the court acquitted Thuram, citing his "good faith"; the court ruled that, while the remarks were indeed defamatory, they were "restrained" and expressed in a moderate tone.
Attempted extortion against him/her
In 2020, she filed a complaint against "paparazzi queen" Mimi Marchand for attempted extortion: Marchand had demanded €3,000 to block the publication of photos showing her minor daughter leaving police custody—where she had been held in connection with cannabis—as part of a scheme involving a photographer and police officers. In July 2025, Mimi Marchand was sentenced to an 18-month suspended prison term and fined €25,000; Karine Le Marchand was awarded €1,600 in reimbursement and €1,500 for moral damages.
Controversies
In 2018, in an interview with the newspaper *Le Parisien*, she remarked—referring to a contestant on the show *L'amour est dans le pré*—that he was "very far from the clichés often attached to gay men by those who don't actually know them—namely, being very effeminate, loud, and flailing their arms about." These comments triggered a wave of reactions from internet users, who argued that she was invoking a homophobic stereotype without any sense of irony.
In February 2026, she was accused of making racist remarks on the channel CNews. Following these statements, members of parliament Ersilia Soudais and Léa Balage El Mariky filed a formal complaint with Arcom.
Decorations
- Officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit (2023). Knight (appointed 2013).
- Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (September 22, 2025).
On February 28, 2013, Karine Le Marchand—then host of the show *L'amour est dans le pré* ("Love is in the Meadow") on the M6 channel—was awarded a medal in the Order of Agricultural Merit (at the rank of Knight) by Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, for her contribution to "placing farmers back at the heart of society."
Ten years later, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Marc Fesneau, promoted her to the rank of Officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit, in the presence of, among others, Nicolas de Tavernost, Chairman of the Executive Board of the M6 Group.