Brussels, 30 August (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Former RTBF presenter and sports journalist André Remy has died at the age of 89, bringing to a close a broadcasting career that made him a familiar figure to generations of French-speaking Belgian viewers.
Belgian public broadcaster RTBF announced his death on Sunday, with Belgian media reporting that he died during the previous night. Remy was also a former sports director at Canal+ Belgium and later became closely associated with political satire through Sois Belge et tais-toi!.
Why was André Remy well known in Belgian television?
Remy became particularly recognised for presenting RTBF television programme Feu vert alongside Jacques Careuil. His career also reflected his passion for sport, particularly football, and he later held the position of sports director at Canal+ Belgium.
Historical accounts of his career say he began working in educational television in 1963. During the 1980s, he helped develop football coverage incorporating pre-match interviews and half-time technical analysis. His work on the 1986 World Cup programme Mexigoal was recognised alongside the RTBF sports team.
Away from conventional broadcasting, Remy worked with his son, journalist Baudouin Remy, on Sois Belge et tais-toi!, a satirical show built around Belgian politics, politicians and public life.
Reflecting on what comedy meant to him during a 2009 appearance, Remy said that making people laugh was about “l’envie d’être aimé” — the desire to be loved — and creating an emotional connection with audiences.
What legacy does André Remy leave behind?
The death of André Remy removes one of the personalities associated with several decades of French-language Belgian broadcasting.
His partnership with Baudouin also developed into a significant political satire project. In a previous interview about their collaboration, Baudouin described Sois Belge et tais-toi! as “un spectacle écrit à quatre mains et à deux cerveaux” — a show written with four hands and two brains.
The production’s roots stretched back to school-based sketches in the early 1980s before evolving into political satire. The father-and-son team continued adapting the material to Belgian current affairs, using impersonations, songs and sketches to examine the country’s political divisions and personalities.
How will André Remy be remembered?
Remy’s work crossed television presenting, journalism, sport and live political comedy, giving his career an unusually broad reach within Belgian media.
RTBF’s confirmation of his death has renewed attention on the programmes and performances that shaped his public profile. His association with Feu vert, football broadcasting and Sois Belge et tais-toi! leaves a substantial record of his contribution to Belgian television and entertainment.
His death at 89 marks the end of a career closely connected with the evolution of French-speaking broadcasting in Belgium and with a style of political humour that remained central to his later years.
