Published: 10:03, October 10, 2024 | Updated: 10:15, October 10, 2024
Macron: 'Emily in Paris' must return to ... Paris
By Reuters
Actress Lily Collins arrives at the premiere of "Emily in Paris", in Rome, on Sept 10, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron said he would fight to ensure Emily - the heroine of Netflix's hit series Emily in Paris - returns to the French capital from her sojourn in Rome.

"We will fight hard. And we will ask them to remain in Paris! Emily in Paris in Rome doesn't make sense," Macron told Variety magazine, in an interview published on Wednesday.

The fourth season of the series saw American expatriate Emily - played by actress Lily Collins - move from Paris to Rome for work. The success of the series, which took off after debuting during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, has been such that Macron's wife Brigitte had a cameo appearance in the last season.

In this file photo dated April 19, 2023, people walk past the "Boulangerie Moderne" ("Modern Bakery" in English) in Place de L'Estrapade, Paris. The immense success of the Netflix series "Emily in Paris" has transformed a quiet, untouched square in the French capital into a tourist magnet. (PHOTO / AP)

"I was super proud, and she was very happy to do it. It's just a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment for her," said Macron, regarding his wife's cameo.

"I think it's good for the image of France. Emily in Paris is super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country," he added.

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The program has won fans with its idealized and romanticized version of life in Paris, but has also been criticized for often bearing little resemblance to the reality of life in the capital, and for avoiding Paris' poorer areas.