Loana Petrucciani, winner of the first season of Loft Story in 2001, was found dead on Wednesday at her home in Nice at age 48. Her death, which occurred several days prior, is under investigation to determine the causes. Tributes are pouring in from French television personalities.
Loana Petrucciani, iconic French reality TV star revealed by Loft Story on M6 in 2001, was found dead at her Nice home on March 25, 2026, according to AFP and the Nice prosecutor. Aged 48, her death occurred several days earlier; an investigation into the causes was opened after neighbors called reporting no signs of life, as stated by municipal police. Exact circumstances remain to be clarified. Municipal police discovered the body following the call, as reported during the Tout beau, tout n9uf show on W9. Cyril Hanouna announced the news live at 19:38, stunning the set: “No, it’s not possible!”, Magloire reacted. Gilles Verdez described Loana as “an extremely endearing person, a star” and “fragile, but talented”. Revealed at 23 in the Saint-Denis loft with ten other contestants, Loana won alongside Christophe Mercy, making history with an intimate pool scene alongside Jean-Edouard Lipa, broadcast in continuous stream online. Benjamin Castaldi, the show's host, paid tribute: “We’re all a bit responsible because we all watched. [...] She embodied raw innocence in a world that forgives nothing.” Producer Alexia Laroche-Joubert hailed her as “a sensitive and extremely intelligent woman”. In recent years, Loana struggled with addictions, repeated hospitalizations, and mental health issues. She revealed being bipolar in 2021 on Touche pas à mon poste and testified to a rape in 2024 on the same show. Jean-Pierre Foucault, Julien Courbet, and Faustine Bollaert also expressed grief on social media.
