« Paname, it’s totally wild !» This Thursday, May 1st, Jamel Debbouze went viral by filming a rather surreal scene in Paris: live fishing of a catfish over 2 meters long. The 46-year-old comedian was enjoying a stroll with his family along the Quai d’Orléans, on the south side of Île Saint-Louis (5th), when he came across a man facing off against a particularly stubborn fish on the banks of the Seine.
Cette ville est un film 😭🐟 pic.twitter.com/rR8ZByicxD
— Jamel Debbouze (@DebbouzeJamel) May 1, 2025
« This city is a movie »
The video, packed with comedic potential, was published on X with the description « CThis city is a movie ». For 5 long minutes (it almost feels like a short film), Jamel Debbouze humorously compares the situation to Jaws, chatting with a fisherman... who is anything but an amateur. He actually crossed paths with the biophysicist and marine animal specialist Bill François, taking advantage of his holiday to conduct a « scientific study », which means counting and measuring the catfish, a fish he calls « remarkable creature ». All of this unfolds under the astonished eyes of passersby.
🐟 C'est le plus grand habitant de la Seine actuellement. Il est reconnaissable notamment grâce à ses moustaches, qu'il arbore comme ses autres cousins de la famille des poisson-chats. Bill François biophysicien, naturaliste et écrivain nous présente le silure. pic.twitter.com/C9JaFoXHXE
— GEO (@GEOfr) July 30, 2024
A Fish Named Jamel
« Need a hand ? What do you think you've caught ? », Jamel asks the fisherman, who is struggling with a catfish that seems to shock the few onlookers. « It’s going alright for now », the fisherman replies, before adding, despite the struggle: « But I’d love to get a signature afterwards, I really admire what you do ». « If you get it out, sure (...) I also love what you’re doing so far », the comedian replies, clearly impressed.
One of the passersby, Laurent, finally puts on gloves to grab the catfish by the mouth, which turns out to measure 2 meters 17. « We’ll be able to find out how many centimeters it has grown since last year It's definitely a new catfish in the area… It will be called Jamel ,” confirms the biophysicist. A remake of Sous la Seine which has sparked many reactions, including from personalities like Philippe Lacheau, Michael Youn, Alex Lutz, and Bérengère Krief.
© Instagram Screenshot
