"You have to know when to stop": iconic judge on the show "The Best Pastry Chef" on M6, Mercotte is going to hand in her apron

Presenter Mercotte, soon to be 83 years old and a judge on the cooking show "Le meilleur pâtissier" on M6 since 2012 alongside chef Cyril Lignac, will be leaving at the end of the next season, which will air in the fall, she announced to TV Magazine.

"I think you have to know when to stop. I'm having a lot of fun during the shoot, I'm really happy and delighted, but given my advanced age, I think it's a question of ethics," she said, a few weeks before her 83rd birthday at the end of September.

Broadcast from September 10 (9:10 p.m.), the 14th season of "The Best Pastry Chef" will therefore mark "Mercotte's last participation as a judge," M6 confirmed in a press release.

A return as a special guest in future seasons?

Her accomplice, Cyril Lignac, assured that he "respected her choice", which he "did not expect": "I easily understand that at some point, she might want to stop and do something else. Especially since filming the show takes two full months" , he told TV Magazine. The show, which consists of a baking competition between anonymous people, has been hosted since 2024 by Laëtitia Milot.

Cyril Lignac and Mercotte have been the judges since its debut in 2012. Although she will be leaving this role at the end of season 14, "Mercotte could well return for a short visit (...) as Cyril Lignac's special guest for season 15," M6 pointed out.

Broadcast every Thursday at 9:10 p.m. between October and January, season 13 attracted an average of between 1.5 and 1.8 million viewers per show (2.2 million including replays), according to the specialist website Puremédias.