Jean-Marc Morandini, CNews host convicted of corruption of minors, announced on February 9, 2026, his temporary withdrawal from the airwaves to restore calm within the newsroom. This decision follows intense controversy sparked by his definitive conviction and Sonia Mabrouk's resignation. The channel's management has taken note of the proposal.
On February 9, 2026, Jean-Marc Morandini posted a message on X announcing that he proposed to CNews management to withdraw from the airwaves 'in order to restore the calm necessary for the newsroom's work.' 'I do not want to be a problem for these teams and for the channel and group management in any way. It is out of the question for me to endanger the work done by CNews over all these years. I deeply regret having to make this decision, but I think it is essential to regain calm and serenity,' he wrote. CNews management has 'taken note' of this decision, marking the end of a controversy that had lasted a month, following the host's definitive convictions for corruption of minors and sexual harassment issued mid-January.
This affair triggered an internal crisis at the channel. Sonia Mabrouk, a star journalist, had resigned two days earlier, on the previous Friday, in reaction to Morandini's continued presence on air despite his conviction. On the morning of February 9, during a show co-broadcast on Europe 1 and CNews, MEP François-Xavier Bellamy directly told Morandini: 'Leave, resign!' Under growing media and political pressure, the situation had become untenable.
In response, CNews adjusted its program schedule starting the next day. Pascal Praud's 'L’Heure des pros' is extended by half an hour, until 11 a.m. Thomas Bonnet, the channel's political journalist, takes the 11 a.m.-12 p.m. slot with a new show titled '60 minutes info.' Pierre de Vilno keeps the 12 p.m.-2 p.m. slot, as he did that Monday.
Additionally, during the 'Les Grandes Gueules' show on RMC and RMC Story the same day, host Karine Le Marchand, invited to promote her documentary on immigration, declined to comment on Morandini's retention. Questioned by Olivier Truchot, she replied: 'What does that have to do with my work?' and 'Oh, I don't want to answer that because, whatever my response, it's going to backfire on me anyway.' She added that viewers are 'very intelligent people' and that it is up to them to choose.
