Dany Turcotte’s Controversial Book Sparks Tensions at “Tout le monde en parle”

At the end of August, Dany Turcotte and Guy A. Lepage celebrated the 10th anniversary of Thomas, the youngest son of Guy A. Lepage, for whom Dany Turcotte is the godfather. The event underscores the closeness of the Quebec show business community.

The reception took place at the home of Guy A. Lepage and his partner Mélanie Campeau, located in Plateau Mont-Royal. Between bites of a cake shaped like a Real Madrid jersey, Dany Turcotte discussed the book he was about to launch. Notably absent from the conversation was any mention of the book’s critical tone towards Lepage, co-producer Guillaume Lespérance, and the research team of the popular Radio-Canada talk show.

“At the party, Dany only asked if we were going to invite him on ‘Tout le monde en parle’ this fall,” Guy A. Lepage recalled in a telephone interview. Turcotte’s autobiography, titled “D. Turcotte & fils,” which releases on Thursday, features candid reflections on his former colleague Lepage, with whom he shared Sunday nights for over sixteen years.

With both a bitter and acerbic writing style, 59-year-old Turcotte laments Lepage’s neutral stance on various media, complaining about having to perform the “dirty work of the team.” Even with hindsight, Turcotte feels he was left to “drown without a life preserver,” elaborating that his colleagues passively watched him “fade away.”

The revelations in the 344-page book have reportedly left many ‘Tout le monde en parle’ team members “furious.” Researchers only discovered Turcotte’s extensive grievances and distress upon reading the book, an experience that came as a shock to them.

“I’m just really disappointed for my team, who received this like a blow to the face. What we read does not reflect the way we work with people. Dany never said he wasn’t doing well, so it was hard to guess how he felt,” expressed Guy A. Lepage, baffled by the perceived lack of gratitude from Turcotte, whose fame is largely attributed to the show.

Moreover, Guillaume Lespérance, whom Turcotte describes as the true producer of the show, was also taken aback. He noted, “We are surprised and saddened that he felt that way. He could easily communicate with us. In the evenings, when I saw Dany responding to comments on Twitter, I would call him to advise him to stop inflicting such harm on himself and remind him of the public’s affection.”

Turcotte identifies the summer of 2020 as a turning point in his declining confidence. To modernize the show, Lespérance informed Turcotte that his humorous “little cards,” traditionally given at the end of interviews, would be discontinued. Turcotte described feeling like a “declawed cat,” struggling without his usual comedic props, leading to months of despondency.

In autumn 2020, Turcotte requested a written question for each interview due to his unease. The team refused, stating it was not within his role to conduct interviews. “This cry for help was not heard. I was sinking, and no one reached out to help me,” laments Turcotte in the book.

The tension peaked on February 14, 2021, when Turcotte posed an insensitive question to Mamadi Camara during a show, which ignited backlash on social media. “Perhaps it was a desperate act to get off the air,” Turcotte speculates in his autobiography.

Turcotte resigned on February 18, 2021, after a harsh column critique. “The columnist detected blood and, in an unempathetic text, stabbed me with ease, perhaps dreaming of mounting my trophy above his mantle,” Turcotte criticizes.

Candidates for the “fou du roi” role in 2004 included Maxim Martin, Louis Morissette, and Dany Turcotte. Turcotte reflects that if auditions were held in 2024, the selection might focus on women or cultural minorities.

During a live broadcast, Turcotte appeared surprised by the hurt his words had caused. His interactions with Lepage were notably tense and awkward but provided a memorable television moment for viewers.

Lepage never considered uninviting Turcotte from the show after reading his autobiography. “The show is called ‘Tout le monde en parle,’ which means ‘Everyone Talks About It,’ and it’s a topic everyone is indeed discussing,” Lepage states.

Traditionally, the ‘Tout le monde en parle’ team and guests gather for a late-night meal after the show. Notably absent from the gathering at Rouge-Gorge wine bar on Mont-Royal Avenue was Dany Turcotte.