After Star Academy Defeat: Masséo Has to Work at McDonald’s

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents After Star Academy Defeat: Masséo Has to Work at McDonald’s.

Masséo Gayez-Banzept must work at McDonald’s from Monday after his elimination from Star Academy. The 20-year-old singer shared this on TikTok. At the same time, he explained that he was going through a period of severe financial hardship and was trying to find money to live and invest in his musical projects.

His story thus brings together two sides: His journey through the famous talent show did not end in a classic, and the following seven singles have not brought an end to his financial problems either. The full report from Paris Match shows how Masséo continues to hold on to his dream of singing while also having to secure his day-to-day life financially.

Masséo’s Star Academy Run Ended After Seven Weeks

The expectations were high

Masséo became known in 2024 at the age of 18 through the casting show Star Academy on TF1. In the twelfth season, he competed against musically strong candidates such as Marine, Marguerite and Ebony. After seven weeks, he was eliminated and was therefore not allowed to take part in the show’s tour.

The fact that a selection of viewers had appreciated him did not change this decision. Star Academy was not a direct leap into a secure career for Masséo. He did remain involved in music and has released seven singles since the end of the twelfth season, but even his latest release has so far received only limited attention.

“Life is hard for everyone.”

The song is not the problem

Masséo’s latest title, “À moitié”, recorded only 5,000 plays on Spotify. In his TikTok video, he therefore spoke not only about the job he is taking on the side. He also explained how expensive it is to make music. Producing music, recording a song and filming a clip are all “astronomically expensive”.

Why Masséo Is Selling His Clothes

He is missing a reliable source of income

Masséo told his small fan base that many people believe anyone who appears on social media or has been on television is automatically rich. He disproved that impression. He also explained why he was offering his clothes for sale through Vinted: He was short of money in the short term and needed to finance his living expenses and his projects.

“People’s financial hardship is not funny,” he said. His words show that the job at McDonald’s is not a convenient side task for him. He is starting on Monday because he has to find ways to earn money – first to live like everyone else, and additionally to continue investing in his music projects.

His public work is therefore focused on an understandable point: He does not want to hide the fact that he is in a precarious situation. At the same time, he is trying not to turn it into a public spectacle. His community knows him from social media and should understand that fame alone does not protect against economic problems.

Seven Singles After the Show – and Still No Breakthrough

His musical journey continued

Masséo did not give up his dream of becoming a singer. After his elimination from Star Academy, he released seven singles, with “À moitié” being the most recent. Despite these releases, he said he was struggling with a heavy financial burden.

That is precisely where the tension in his story lies. On the one hand, Masséo did not take the end of the twelfth season as a final verdict on his career. On the other hand, his own work has apparently not yet generated enough income or audience to create a stable foundation. That is why he is temporarily falling back on a regular job at McDonald’s while continuing to work on his musical plans.

The strongest objection to an overly negative interpretation would be to see the job at McDonald’s as a definitive ending. Masséo’s own explanation points more toward a pragmatic intermediate step: He earns money to live, but he also wants to channel the income into his projects. What is established is not how long the employment will last or how much it will bring in. The only certainty is: His start at McDonald’s is imminent.

The Show Moment Was Short, but the Costs Remain

Masséo’s case reveals a difference that Star Academy itself cannot resolve. Taking part can bring fame, as it does for some former contestants. In Masséo’s case, the show initially led to seven releases, but not to financial security.

The hardest facts therefore remain closely intertwined: seven weeks until elimination, seven singles afterward, 5,000 Spotify plays for the latest title and a start at McDonald’s on Monday. Added to this are the costs of the songs and clips that Masséo describes as “astronomical.” His path shows how quickly the visible show moment can be over while the bill for one’s own project continues to mount.