Nathalie Marquay is a French actress, model, and author best known for winning the title of Miss France 1987 and for her long-running role as Monica in the TF1 television series Sous le soleil.
She later gained wider public attention as the wife of legendary TF1 newsreader Jean-Pierre Pernaut, with whom she shared 15 years of marriage until his death in March 2022.
Nathalie Marquay Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut |
| Born | 17 March 1967, Comines, Nord, France |
| Age | 59 |
| Nationality | French |
| Profession | Actress, Model, Author |
| Known For | Miss France 1987; Monica in Sous le soleil (TF1, 2001–2008) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m) |
| Spouse | Jean-Pierre Pernaut (married 2007, deceased 2022) |
| Children | Lou Pernaut (b. 2002), Tom Pernaut (b. 2003) |
| Net Worth | $12 million (as of 2026) |
Who is Nathalie Marquay?
Nathalie Marquay is one of France’s most recognisable public figures, known across three distinct chapters of public life: her reign as Miss France, a television acting career spanning more than three decades, and her personal journey through serious illness and widowhood.
She won Miss France 1987 on 31 December 1986, when she was 19 years old. That victory launched her onto the international pageant circuit and opened doors to French television, where she worked steadily from the early 1990s onwards.
Her private life brought her into wider national attention after she began her relationship with Jean-Pierre Pernaut, the presenter of TF1‘s 13 Heures bulletin, one of the most-watched news programmes in French history.
After his death from lung cancer on 2 March 2022, she spoke openly about grief, loss, and her continuing advocacy against cancer.
In July 2026, she gave an interview to Paris Match confirming she had not moved on romantically and remained in mourning four years later.
Early Life of Nathalie Marquay
Nathalie Marquay grew up in the North of France alongside a sister and a brother, the region giving her a grounded, family-oriented upbringing before the Miss Alsace competition brought her national attention.
Comines sits on the French-Belgian border, and the northern French region where she grew up has historically produced both strong community ties and a tradition of resilient public figures.
Nathalie Marquay Age / Birthday
Nathalie Marquay is 59 years old as of 2026, born on 17 March 1967.
Her zodiac sign is Pisces, a sign often associated with emotional depth and a strong intuitive response to the world.
She has lived through winning Miss France, surviving leukemia, raising two children, and losing her husband.
Nathalie Marquay Ethnicity and Nationality
Nathalie Marquay is French, born in Comines in the Nord department of northern France. Her ethnic background is White French.
Nathalie Marquay Height and Weight
Nathalie Marquay stands at 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 meters). Her weight is not publicly confirmed.
She maintained the build of a working model and television actress throughout her career, and her height gave her a distinctive on-screen presence across two decades of French television work.
Nathalie Marquay Career
Miss France 1987 and International Pageants (1986–1988)
Nathalie Marquay won the Miss Alsace title in 1986 at the Beaubourg Palace in Blotzheim, which qualified her for the Miss France election held on 31 December 1986 in Paris.
The evening, broadcast on FR3 from the studios at Buttes-Chaumont and presented by Guy Lux, produced a chaotic result.
After confusion over the runner-up placements, she received 42.2% of votes and was crowned Miss France 1987, receiving the sash from Valérie Pascal and the crown from Miss France director Geneviève de Fontenay.
She was the 57th Miss France and the first whose election aired on national television. Her win was controversial in the room but decisive in the national vote.
During her reign, she represented France at the Miss Universe 1987 competition in Singapore, at the Miss World 1987 competition at the Royal Albert Hall in London (where she placed sixth runner-up), at Miss Europe 1988, and at Miss International 1988 in Gifu, Japan, where she reached the semi-finals.
On 31 December 1987, she passed her title to Sylvie Bertin, Miss France 1988.
After her reign, she joined the Miss France committee and worked alongside Geneviève de Fontenay.
She later served five times as a juror for the Miss France election: in 1991, 1992, 1996, 2013, and 2020.
Television Career and Health Crisis (1993–2000)
Marquay began her television acting career in the early 1990s. She joined the cast of Salut les Musclés in 1994, playing a wrestler, and appeared in multiple episodes of Les Filles d’à Côté on TF1 that same year.
In 1994, she also played the lead in La Veuve Noire, an erotic telefilm in the Aphrodisia series broadcast on M6.
She appeared in the TF1 sitcom La Croisière foll’amour and later in Les Vacances de l’Amour in 2000, where she played Paul’s mother.
In December 1997, while living in Martinique, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia after initially being misdiagnosed with dengue fever.
She was air-evacuated to France and treated at the Institut Gustave-Roussy, a specialist cancer centre outside Paris. Her survival was described as very close.
This experience drove her to become an advocate against cancer and leukemia, a role she has maintained throughout her life.
Sous le Soleil and Continued Work (2001–2022)
Her most sustained acting role came when she joined the cast of Sous le soleil on TF1 in 2001, playing Monica, the secretary of the character Caroline, across seasons 7 to 14. She held the role from 2001 to 2008.
The series was one of the most popular summer drama serials in French television history.
In 2001, she also appeared in 2 episodes of the crime series 72 heures. In 2002, she appeared in an episode of the police series Navarro.
From March 2013 to February 2014, she reprised her relationship with the franchise by joining the cast of Sous le soleil de Saint-Tropez, the TMC spin-off, playing Jeanne in its first season.
She also appeared in Les Reines du Shopping (a Miss France special edition) in 2021.
In May 2026, she published her first crime thriller novel, Méfiez-vous des morts, through Éditions Belladone, marking her entry into fiction writing after three earlier autobiographical works.
Nathalie Marquay Books and Publications
Marquay has written or co-written five books:
- Ma bonne étoile (2004, autobiography)
- Le cancer en face (2005, autobiography)
- Mes secrets (2006, autobiography)
- Piège à Matignon (2012, political satire, co-written with Jean-Pierre Pernaut and Jean-Claude Isert)
- Régime présidentiel (2016, political satire, co-written)
- Méfiez-vous des morts (2026, crime fiction, Éditions Belladone)
Nathalie Marquay Husband: Jean-Pierre Pernaut
Nathalie married Jean-Pierre Pernaut on 23 June 2007.
They had met on 8 December 2001, during the Miss France 2002 election at the Salle de la Filature in Mulhouse, where Pernaut sat next to her in the audience. He was 17 years her senior.
Pernaut was the presenter of TF1’s 13 Heures bulletin from 1988 to 2020, holding an audience of between seven and eight million daily viewers across his 33-year tenure.
He had previously been married to Dominique Bonnet, with whom he had two children: Julia and Olivier. Nathalie and Jean-Pierre’s two children, Lou and Tom, made Pernaut a father of four.
In 2018, Pernaut announced he had cancer of the prostate, which he overcame. In late 2021, he disclosed that he was battling lung cancer in both lungs.
He died on 2 March 2022, aged 71. Nathalie announced his death to AFP on the day of his passing.
As of 2026, she has stated publicly that she has not considered a new relationship and sees any future love as something that would feel like a gift from Pernaut.
Nathalie Marquay Children
Nathalie and Jean-Pierre Pernaut have two children. Their daughter Lou was born in 2002, and their son Tom was born in 2003.
Tom Pernaut has pursued a racing career in Formula 4. Lou Pernaut is active on social media.
Both grew up alongside their older half-siblings Julia and Olivier Pernaut from Jean-Pierre’s first marriage.
Nathalie Marquay Net Worth
Nathalie Marquay’s estimated net worth is $12 million as of 2026.
Her wealth reflects a career spanning more than 30 years across pageants, television acting, book publishing, and media appearances.
Her long-running role on Sous le soleil across 7 seasons from 2001 to 2008, plus her return in Sous le soleil de Saint-Tropez in 2013, represents the core of her acting income.
She has also earned through publishing, with six books across autobiography, political satire, and crime fiction. Her recent novel Méfiez-vous des morts (2026) opened a new commercial avenue in fiction.
She has also worked as a television presenter and panellist on talk programmes, adding broadcast income to her book and acting earnings over the years.
Nathalie Marquay Social Media
Nathalie Marquay is active on Instagram under the handle @nathalie_marquay_pernaut.
She uses the account to share personal updates, reflections on Jean-Pierre Pernaut’s memory, and posts connected to her children Lou and Tom.
She also works as a presenter on Forum FM radio, where she hosts a morning show.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Nathalie Marquay?
Nathalie Marquay is 59 years old as of 2026. She was born on 17 March 1967 in Comines, Nord, France.
Who was Nathalie Marquay married to?
She was married to Jean-Pierre Pernaut, the longtime presenter of TF1’s 13 Heures bulletin, from 23 June 2007 until his death on 2 March 2022. He died from lung cancer at the age of 71.
What is Nathalie Marquay’s net worth?
Her estimated net worth is $12 million as of 2026, built through three decades of acting, book publishing, pageant work, and television presenting.
Does Nathalie Marquay have children?
Yes. She has two children with Jean-Pierre Pernaut: a daughter, Lou, born in 2002, and a son, Tom, born in 2003. Tom has pursued a career as a Formula 4 racing driver.
What happened to Nathalie Marquay’s health?
In December 1997, while living in Martinique, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia after initially being misdiagnosed with dengue fever. She was air-evacuated to France for treatment at the Institut Gustave-Roussy and survived. She has since been an active advocate against cancer and leukemia.
What TV series is Nathalie Marquay known for?
Her most notable acting role is Monica, the secretary of Caroline, in Sous le soleil on TF1, a role she held across seasons 7 to 14 from 2001 to 2008.
Conclusion
Nathalie Marquay’s public life spans four decades: from winning Miss France 1987 at 19, to surviving leukemia, to building a sustained television career, to widowhood after Jean-Pierre Pernaut’s death in 2022, and into a new career chapter as a crime fiction author in 2026.
Her first novel, Méfiez-vous des morts, signals that she continues to reinvent herself rather than retreat from public life.