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- Paul Amar, between Mediterranean origins and passionate commitment to journalism
- A tumultuous career before becoming a TV icon
- His major successes in journalism and commitments over the years
- Discreet private life but strong roots and unshakable bonds
- Surprising anecdotes and striking details that bring Paul Amar to life
- Paul Amar in 2025, between news, beginnings on Jewish radio and recent controversies
Ah Paul Amar, what an essential figure in French journalism! Born on January 11, 1950 in Constantine, right in the heart of French Algeria, the man is 74 years old in 2025. He is about 1m80 tall, a guy who commands respect behind his camera and microphone. Married, discreet about his private life, he still has two sons, Raphaël and Jérémie. Just that, already a nice family.
I love when people talk about his beginnings: as a kid in Algeria, he lived through difficult moments of history, not to say traumatic. Honestly, he didn’t choose comfort. He almost lost his life due to an attack, wounded by shrapnel. His family fled to Lyon in 1961, and that’s where the real start is.
He was very far from a polished journalist at the beginning, because Paul Amar started in a life full of struggle, for peace and truth. He cut his teeth at France Inter, in Phnom Penh and Washington, with this fiery desire to tell the reality, without filter or compromise. The France 2 8 PM news? He shone there too, even if it wasn’t without turbulence.
You know what? His career is like a roller coaster with big highlights but also suspensions and heated debates. This guy never leaves anyone indifferent, that’s for sure. I’ll take you to discover what shaped this exceptional journalist, and the little anecdotes that make all his charm.
Paul Amar, between Mediterranean origins and passionate commitment to journalism
So, Paul Amar is a child of Constantine, son of Charles Amar, a railway worker, and Julie Ghrenassia, from a Jewish Algerian family deeply attached to its Mediterranean roots. You feel this connection to the Mediterranean in all his interviews, in the way he asks questions.
At 11 years old, he was forever marked by the assassination of Cheikh Raymond, an emblematic figure of Algerian culture. Such an event marks a kid forever, and it can be heard in his work too: he always seeks to understand tensions, to go to the bottom of things.
His exile to Lyon marks a real break but also an opening toward a world he will analyze throughout his life. This personal journey, his childhood wounds, is what gives his career this rare depth. He is not just behind the camera, he lives what he tells.
If you dig a little on his Wikipedia biography you find details that immediately humanize the man: passionate, committed, sometimes controversial, but always as authentic. That’s Paul Amar.
A tumultuous career before becoming a TV icon
Have you ever tried selling sweaters in Parisian markets to finance your studies? Well, Paul Amar did that at 18 before getting his diploma from the Centre de formation des journalistes in 1971. Quite a start, right? It wasn’t guaranteed and yet he became a pillar of French journalism.
He started at France Inter, not easy, he covered the war in Phnom Penh, then flew to the United States as a correspondent. Just that. The first-hand experience builds a strong character; it’s far from a quiet career at all.
Later, he arrived at Antenne 2, became head of the political department, then presenter of the 8 PM news. But honestly, his suspension following the somewhat crazy debate between Le Pen and Tapie in 1994 made a big noise. I’ll let you imagine the backstage atmosphere.
You find plenty of these stories in this portrait of Paul Amar which tells you the behind-the-scenes with a pinch of irony and straightforwardness. This guy never does things halfway.
His major successes in journalism and commitments over the years
You cannot talk about Paul Amar without mentioning his shows like Recto-Verso on Paris Première, or Revu et corrigé on France 5. He moves through them with a serious but unpretentious ease, a mix few manage to master.
And then, his controversial interview with Maurice Papon, do you remember? It caused quite a stir. Amar was there to probe the man, without false modesty, and that shook a lot of people. No wonder he remains a strong voice on delicate subjects.
In the 2000s, he launched several shows that continued to position him as a journalist who doesn’t back down. Even his direction of news at i24News, the Franco-Israeli channel, was a new chapter where he still asserted his will for objectivity, despite controversies.
If you look for his latest news, don’t miss his stint at RCJ, the Jewish radio where he hosts Le Grand Rendez-vous, always in search of sharp and impactful analysis. You can also check out his page on Le Figaro.
Discreet private life but strong roots and unshakable bonds
Regarding his personal life, Paul Amar remains quite secretive, even if he shares it with two sons, Raphaël and Jérémie, to whom he is very close. His marriage is total discretion, far from studio lights.
An amazing fact is that Paul Amar is a distant cousin of Enrico Macias. Yes, the legendary singer! This family link with another cultural figure from their common Algerian land adds a poetic touch to his story.
Outside of shows, Amar also wrote several books where he opens up more intimately. Especially Blessures, where he talks about his childhood scars and this link to the Mediterranean. It really gives another dimension to his personality.
And he also attracted attention with some controversies in recent years, especially about his very firm positions, which also shows he does not fear controversy when defending his ideas. More than a journalist, a true media personality in his own right.
Surprising anecdotes and striking details that bring Paul Amar to life
Did you know that as a kid, while playing marbles in front of his school in Constantine, he almost died in an attack? It’s crazy when you think about what his life became afterward, right? That heavy past certainly forged his fighting spirit.
The famous scene where he offers boxing gloves to Le Pen and Tapie before their debate, did it strike you? For me, it’s a gesture that says a lot about his somewhat provocative style, without ever being gratuitous. He wants to make people react, shake up the monotony.
He was also once condemned for a delicate private life question during a report, proof that his job doesn’t stop at the screen, that every detail counts and can have consequences.
If you want to dive into juicy details, watch interviews where he talks about his commitments and personal battles, especially for peace in the Middle East. He doesn’t give up, that one.
Paul Amar in 2025, between news, beginnings on Jewish radio and recent controversies
In 2025, Paul Amar is still here, vibrant and passionate. At RCJ, he makes his voice heard again, but his sometimes sharp positions create talk. Whether it’s his political analyses or his critiques of the left, he does not leave anyone indifferent.
He is also followed for his posts on social networks where he relays personalities from the French right, which inevitably creates reactions. You sense the journalist is still in the fight.
His defense of colonial memory and some declarations on Franco-Algerian history spark debate and sometimes ripples in the public space. He is a character who is also built through his strong stances.
To discover a frank and often burning view, don’t hesitate to check his profile on Gala or follow his latest speeches on Voici. You’ll see a man who never stops.
What really makes Paul Amar, his essence in French journalism
Here he is, the journalist who breaks the codes, who doesn’t just “present the news”, but who seeks to shake things up, to question even when it’s uncomfortable.
His way of tackling complex subjects between Israel, the Mediterranean, France and colonial memories, he does it with rare sincerity. He is an official but also a somewhat rebellious performer.
You could almost say he is a man of paradoxes, capable of generosity in his interviews as well as calculated provocations on TV. And that makes his character very lively, you don’t want to turn the page.
So, sure, he is not unanimous, but he embodies that press that dares. A true monument, to discover or rediscover, far from conventional and always very human.
The essential shows and books of Paul Amar not to be missed
If you really want to understand his impact, you have to see:
- 📺 Recto-Verso on Paris Première, a cult show for in-depth interviews
- 📺 Revu et corrigé, his show on France 5 that decoded the media
- 📚 Blessures, his book that tells his story, his fights and scars
- 📺 19 H Paul Amar, his political analysis slot on France 5
- 🎙️ His columns and debates on RCJ, radio that gives him back the floor in the 2020s
Titles that say everything about his professional career and his permanent commitments, which you can find in this very comprehensive article.
When Paul Amar shakes up the media scene with his stances
Since his beginnings, this guy rarely goes easy. Whether by offering boxing gloves or openly criticizing political figures, Amar doesn’t seek the easy way.
His role at i24News and his statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict testify to that. He defends the truth of facts, but that doesn’t please everyone, far from it.
When he talks about the decomposition of the left or the place of certain movements, it’s often fireworks, but he doesn’t give up, and that changes the media landscape in his own way.
His frankness and heartfelt calls remain a trademark that you find in many of his interventions, visible for example on Le Figaro. It really shakes things up.
The family ties and personal impact on his professional commitment
You cannot dissociate Paul Amar from his roots. With his pied-noir Jewish family, his exile, he carries a weight that enlightens his battles and statements.
The fact that he is a cousin of Enrico Macias is no invention. These family connections nurture a bit his posture as a witness to Mediterranean histories.
I find that it gives him a legitimacy that goes beyond the simple journalist profession. He becomes a cultural and historical mediator, which is rare in today’s PAF.
His desire for peace in the Middle East? It’s not just a word, it comes from a life journey filled with wounds and hopes. That also humanizes his speech.
