French author axed from state TV 'over remarks on Nicholas Sarkozy, wife'

London, May 8 (ANI): A French political author who described Nicolas Sarkozy as a 'child king' and dubbed his wife Carla Bruni a 'maneater' has seen his state television show shelved, sparking rumours that the French President was involved in the move.

Franz-Olivier Giesbert claims Sarkozy threatened to 'smash his face in' after he advised him not to introduce his wife to any handsome men.

Then, last week Remy Pflimlin, Sarkozy's personal appointee as head of France Televisions, axed Giesbert's weekly chat show, 'Semaine Critique' (Critical Week), on France 2 - their equivalent of BBC1, reports the Daily Mail.

Giesbert, 62, the director of the weekly magazine Le Point, is the author of the best selling M Le President, a biography of Sarkozy.

In the book published last month, Giesbert brands the French President a 'child king' who is 'drunk on himself' and 'immature'.

Previously, Giesbert wrote an article '24 tips to the president ahead of his marriage to Mademoiselle Bruni', which, he says, earned him a 40-minute telephone tirade from Sarkozy.

"This article is filth and I should smash your face in. You'll see what I'm going to do to you, you'll see," Sarkozy allegedly threatened Giesbert.

Interestingly, Guillaume Durand, another presenter who is said to support Sarkozy's right-wing rival Dominique de Villepin, also had his programme on France 2 shelved. (ANI)