Nicolas Canteloup (born 4 November 1963) is a French comedian and impressionist. He began his career as a host at
Club Med
Club Med SAS, commonly known as Club Med and previously known as Club Méditerranée SA, is a French travel and tourism operator headquartered in Paris, specializing in all-inclusive holidays. Founded in 1950, the company has been primarily ow ...
in the early 1990s, later transitioning into radio and television. Known for his impersonations, Canteloup gained prominence through appearances on French television shows such as ''Les Guignols de l'info'' and ''C'est Canteloup''.
Biography
Early life and career
Canteloup was born in
Mérignac, Gironde
Mérignac (; Occitan: ''Merinhac'') is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The 20th-century historian Robert Étienne (1921–2009) was born in Mérignac.
It is the largest suburb of the city of B ...
. He studied at Fernand Daguin High School before attending the UCPA center in
Segonzac, Corrèze, where he earned a horse-riding instructor certification. During this time, he started performing imitations for friends and neighbors. In 1991, he joined Club Med in
Pompadour as a "Gentil Organisateur" (G.O.), working in entertainment.
He is a graduate of the l'
École nationale d'équitation de Saumur and remains an avid equestrian.
1995–2011
From 1995 to 2011, Canteloup provided voice impressions for the satirical puppet show ''
Les Guignols de l'info
''Les Guignols'' (, ''The Puppets''), formerly ''Les Guignols de l'info'' (, ''The News Puppets''), is a popular satirical latex puppet show on the French television channel Canal+. The show, which ran daily, was created in 1988 and drew insp ...
'' on
Canal+
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
, impersonating over forty personalities. His television debut came on ''Drôle de scène'' in 2001. He later appeared regularly on Michel Drucker's ''Vivement dimanche prochain'' on
France 2
France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...
. He performed live shows, including appearances at the Olympia in Paris.
Starting in 2005, he became a regular on
Europe 1
Europe 1, (''Europe un'') formerly known as Europe nº 1, is a privately owned radio station created in 1955. It was owned and operated by Lagardère News, a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group, it was one of the leading radio broadcasting s ...
's morning show with ''La Revue de presque''. The sketches were written by Philippe Caverivière, Laurent Vassilian, and Arnaud Demanche, and produced by Jean-Marc Dumontet.
2010s
Canteloup gained his own television show, ''Après le 20H c'est Canteloup'', on
TF1
TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network.
TF1 is part ...
in 2011, co-hosted with
Nikos Aliagas
Nikos Aliagas (, ''Nikólaos "NÃkos" Aliágas''; born 13 May 1969) is a Greek-French journalist and entertainer, known for being the host of the French reality program ''Star Academy'' and ''The Voice – La plus belle voix''.
Biography
Both o ...
. The show satirized current events. Despite a contract dispute with Canal+, the show was a success and was rebranded as ''C'est Canteloup'' in 2013.
In 2012, he joined the charity music group
Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés (, "The Tossers" or "The Bastards") is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur. Founded at the initiative of Coluche in 1986, a year after the Restaurants du Cœur, ...
.
In 2017, he faced criticism for a controversial sketch perceived as homophobic, for which he later apologized.
2020s
On 22 July 2021, Jean-Marc Dumontet announced Canteloup’s departure from Europe 1 after 16 years. His exit was speculated to be linked to changes in the station's management following the arrival of media mogul
Vincent Bolloré
Vincent Bolloré (; born 1 April 1952) is a French billionaire businessman. He was the chairman and CEO of the investment group Bolloré until his retirement from the family business in 2022. In January 2025, his net worth was estimated at US$ ...
.
Despite this, ''C’est Canteloup'' continued airing into its 13th season in 2023–2024.
Equestrian
In 2016, Canteloup became vice-champion of France in eventing for competitors over 40 years old.
Awards and honors
*
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...
(2007)
Selected works
Stage shows
* 2001: ''Tous des guignols''
* 2002: ''Méfiez-vous des imitations''
* 2004–2005: ''Nicolas Canteloup au palais des glaces''
* 2008–2010: ''Deuxième Couche''
* 2011–2013: ''Nicolas Canteloup n'arrête jamais''
Television
* 2020: ''I Love You Coiffure'' (TV film by
Muriel Robin
Muriel Robin (; born 2 August 1955) is a French actress and comedian. She won an International Emmy Award for Best Actress in 2007 and received a nomination for a César Award in 2001 and six nominations for a Molière Award.
Early years
Murie ...
) – role: Mr. Pralon
External links
Official website: http://www.nicolascanteloup.fr/index.php
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canteloup, Nicolas
French comedians
French impressionists (entertainers)
1963 births
Living people
French radio personalities