He wasn’t the favorite but he won. The day after his victory in the 2026 edition of “Dancing with the Stars”, on TF1, Samuel Bambi answered questions from 20 Minutes. The comedian’s first words are for his dance partner, Ana Riera.
Far from the image of a slightly crazy troublemaker that viewers may have had of him during the game, Samuel Bambi praises the work and the trials he went through during the three months of the show.
The day after your victory, what is your predominant feeling?
I’m just very happy to see that our work is being rewarded with Ana. It was an extremely long adventure, lasting more than three months, a real journey made of sweat and doubts…
When did you start to believe victory was possible?
To be honest, I never thought about winning, not for a single second. Neither Friday evening, nor before. My only goal, each week, was to have fun on the floor and above all to honor Ana’s hard work.
You’re talking about Ana Riera, your partner. We felt a very strong connection between you.
Ana is an incredible girl, so passionate. She fully deserves this victory, it is hers above all. If you had seen us in rehearsal… We were bickering all the time! We had such a desire to be demanding that we sometimes left aside politeness and kind words. We were going straight to the point. To accomplish great things, you have to work, and we were perfectly on the same page on that. I liked this raw frankness, it allowed us to move forward more quickly.
You already had a “showman” image. Did this help you learn ballroom dancing?
In my show, I talk about Michael Jackson, the moonwalk… I always put a little dance in the show, I like the rhythm. But be careful, it was never at this level of requirement! Ballroom dancing is a completely new discipline, a world apart. What really helped me was when I played a bit of a character in the paintings.
You say you worked very seriously but on the bonuses, you were rather relaxed…
Once arrived at Prime, after having worked a lot, the objective was relaxation. There is no better performance than when you combine technical mastery with fun. We must not forget that it is entertainment, a game. Camille Combal is hilarious, so I just had fun passing the ball back to him. And with the other candidates, we became a family. We’ve been going through the same adventure together for three months, we know what everyone’s going through. When we discovered other people’s dancing, there was real moral support, especially when we all found ourselves a little unsightly at the start of rehearsals (laughs). We all wanted to offer the most beautiful finale possible to viewers.
Just before the final verdict, we felt you tense. How did you manage this pressure?
The pressure suddenly increased. But I managed to find the relaxation necessary to savor the moment rather than endure it.
Does this victory change anything for the rest of your career as a comedian?
I feel a new focus on myself and my work. It’s rewarding, but it’s also a responsibility. I have to return this affection to the public by making even better shows. This victory is a driving force for the future.
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