Colette Sauvage Reflects on 70 Turbulent Years of Marriage to Philippe Bouvard

Cannes, France, 24 August (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Colette Sauvage’s seven-decade marriage to French broadcaster Philippe Bouvard endured fame, long absences and serious marital strains, with his wife once revealing that she had even put his suitcases outside the door during difficult periods in their relationship.

The couple married in 1953 and remained together for more than 70 years, until Bouvard’s death on Monday at the age of 96. Their unusually long partnership became an important part of the personal story surrounding one of France’s best-known radio and television personalities.

Colette Sauvage spoke candidly about their marriage

Bouvard and Sauvage met at the beginning of 1953 on a train linking Paris with the Le Pecq-Le Vésinet area, where their families lived.

Sauvage later recalled that she was only 17 when they met. The couple married at Le Vésinet on 31 October 1953 and went on to have two daughters, Dominique, born in 1954, and Nathalie, born in 1964.

Their marriage, however, was not without periods of considerable tension.

Speaking to Paris Match for an interview marking their 70th wedding anniversary in 2023, Sauvage acknowledged that there were occasions when their relationship came close to breaking point.

She said: “Il m’est arrivé de lui poser ses valises devant la porte” — meaning that there were times when she put her husband’s suitcases outside the door.

Philippe Bouvard admitted marriage suffered during his career

Bouvard himself was open about his shortcomings as a husband and acknowledged that his success and demanding professional life had affected the marriage.

In the same anniversary interview, the veteran broadcaster discussed his infidelities and said his popularity had gone to his head. He also described a working life involving frequent travel and very little sleep, acknowledging that his profession had destabilised his married life.

Sauvage’s assessment of how their relationship survived was notably pragmatic. She said maintaining such a marriage required overlooking many things and considerable self-sacrifice.

Despite those difficulties, the couple remained together.

A partnership spanning Bouvard’s broadcasting career

The marriage ran alongside Bouvard’s decades-long career in French media.

He became particularly associated with RTL’s Les Grosses Têtes, which he launched and presented for decades, as well as television programmes including Le Petit Théâtre de Bouvard. His work made him one of the most recognisable personalities in French broadcasting.

Away from her husband’s public career, Sauvage pursued her own work, telling Paris Match that she had operated clothing shops for 16 years before moving into property