It's come full circle for Mosimann. Eighteen years after winning Star Academy , the Franco- Swiss DJ and producer will take over the reins at the Château de Dammarie-les-Lys. He succeeds Michael Goldman, who is leaving the show after four seasons at the helm of the TF1 talent competition.
Mosimann officially announced his appointment on Monday, September 7th, on the set of Quotidien , on TMC. The new season of Star Academy will begin on Saturday, October 10th, 2026 on TF1, still hosted by Nikos Aliagas .
Mosimann succeeds Michael Goldman
The change is significant for the program. Michael Goldman had been in the director's chair since the return of Star Academy in 2022. After four seasons, he decided not to continue the adventure.
His departure had sparked speculation about his successor. Laurent Ruquier had notably confided that he could see himself one day directing Star Academy , while specifying that his schedule prevented him from holding the position this season.
TF1 has finally chosen a former student, and not just any former student: the winner of season 7.
From candidate to castle director
Mosimann knows the house perfectly. In 2007, still known as Quentin Mosimann, he joined the seventh season of Star Academy . He won the final on February 15, 2008, the day after his 20th birthday, against Mathieu Edward.
Eighteen years later, he returns in a completely different position: that of the man in charge of mentoring new students and running the school where his own career took off.
On the set of Quotidien , Mosimann explained that he had thought long and hard before accepting. "I thought about it a lot ," he confided, believing that "it was time to come full circle . "
The artist also recalled what the show had given him: "I arrived with dreams, and I left with a profession."
A real career built after Star Academy
Mosimann's selection, however, is not based solely on his status as a former winner. Since his victory, the Franco- Swiss artist has built a career primarily focused on production and electronic music.
A DJ, composer, arranger, and producer, he has made a name for himself in the electronic music scene and has worked with several French artists. He composed and arranged a large part of Mesdames , Grand Corps Malade's 2020 album, and has also collaborated with Slimane and Patrick Bruel.
He has also been a coach on The Voice Belgium and is already familiar with the mechanisms for supporting young artists.
Mosimann had never completely left the world of Star Academy . When the show returned in 2022, he notably participated in the musical production of the new generation of the program.
A largely revamped Star Academy
His arrival comes as TF1 prepares for a major overhaul of its teaching staff . Michael Goldman isn't the only familiar face from the show's return to leave the castle. Marlène Schaff and Lucie Bernardoni have also announced they won't be participating in this new season. The teaching team surrounding Mosimann will therefore be partially renewed.
The new director will, however, be reunited with a familiar face from the program: Nikos Aliagas . The presenter had recently hinted that he already knew the identity of Michael Goldman's successor, describing a man "very passionate about music" and who "knows the show well . " The clues did indeed point directly to Mosimann.
The return to the castle, 18 years later
The symbolism is particularly powerful. Mosimann had entered the gates of Dammarie-les-Lys castle as a candidate in 2007. He returns in 2026 as director.
He will now have to support those who occupy the place that was his almost two decades ago, as former Star Academy contestants try each year to transform their television exposure into a real musical career.
After Anisha Jo , Pierre Garnier , Marine and Ambre, the 2026 class will in turn try to clinch the victory. For the first time since the program's return to TF1, it will no longer be Michael Goldman who welcomes them to the school's directorship, but a former student who, eighteen years after his crowning, has become the new head of Star Academy.
