Biography

Antoine de Caunes is a French television presenter, actor, writer and film director. He is the son of two prominent French personalities, television journalist-reporter Georges de Caunes and television announcer Jacqueline Joubert. He is the father of the actress Emma de Caunes.

He began his career writing theme songs for cartoons for Antenne 2 under the pseudonym of Paul Persavon, including Cobra and Space Sheriff Gavan (known in France as X-Or).

His early TV appearances included Chorus (1975), the series Les Enfants du rock, again for A2, and then his breakthrough with Nulle part ailleurs for Canal+.

De Caunes came to fame in the English-speaking world on the BBC2 television series Rapido, notable for his catchphrase, in the thickest of French accents, "Rap, Rap, Rap, Rapiiiidoo". He then went on to create the long-running adult entertainment programme Eurotrash with Jean-Paul Gaultier for Channel 4. He also presented a short-lived chat show on Channel 4 called Le Show. In addition he appeared in an advertising campaign for Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles ice lollies.

From 2013 until 2015, he hosted the daily evening show Le Grand Journal on Canal+.

He provided voices in the Aardman Animation TV show Rex the Runt.

He is a long-time AIDS awareness campaigner, fronting the organisation Solidarité sida (AIDS Solidarity).