Macron’s hairy chest picture picked up by US TV host

American comedian and television host Jimmy Fallon has used a photograph of President Emmanuel Macron with his shirt open and chest hair on display in a sketch on last night’s The Tonight Show (April 20). 

The photo was taken by Mr Macron’s official photographer Soazig de la Moissonnière, in a ‘behind the scenes’ shot from his campaign visit to Marseille on Saturday (April 16). 

It shows the president-candidate sitting on a sofa with his shirt partly unbuttoned, laughing at something out of shot. 

Emmanuel Macron réagit avec humour à sa photo chemise ouverte : "Il faisait très chaud à Marseille" (VIDEO) https://t.co/wCxmcrPJc7 pic.twitter.com/5fVdR3NQDY

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In his Tonight Show sketch, Mr Fallon appeared as Mr Macron, complete with beret, baguette and glass of wine, and sang a ‘campaign song’ which went: “Bonjour, it’s me, with my chest hair you see. Do you think I’m sexy?

“I sure hope you say ‘oui’. I have good policies for the economy. I shall make my VP (vice president) Emily in Paris.”

Since its publication, the photo has been doing the rounds on social media, and has also been picked up by the British media, with The Times publishing an article on “the great chest hair debate.” 

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The article opened: “What do you look for in a politician? Honesty? Integrity? Or a thick rug of chest hair worthy of a Pantene ad (and possibly a screen test for a new production of Tarzan)?”

The Telegraph, for its part, questioned whether this “strategy” was “acceptable”.

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