He can be heard at the start:
Normally presenters speak clearly, but I struggle to understand this man, Christophe Hondelatte. To me he sounds like he has several plums in his mouth.
Could native French speakers please tell me their impressions e.g. is the accent regional or posh, is it clear, does it sound affected, is he trying to make a statement with his style etc.
I think native speakers, which I am not, can follow the man well. He speaks quickly, and the point is to recognize the meaning (not the translation) of the quickly spoken words. That only works after years of experience with the language. A problem is the references to all kinds of geographical indications, which are probably a piece of cake for the Frenchman, but not for the average language student.
I can understand faster speakers, but to my ears he slurs his words and mumbles.
A lot of comprehension is based on prediction and not understanding every syllable, yes it requires many years of experience.
In this article he states that he has developed polyps on his vocal cords. You can sometimes hear the pain in his voice when he speaks:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Christophe+Hondelatte+“cordes+vocales”
He was a television host and radio presenter for years before his voice changed due to the polyps. He may be a heavy smoker, which can contribute to the problem. I can understand him – I guess I got used to all kinds of voices while I was living in France. People smoked like chimneys there back in the 1980s.
My French is very lacking, but I don’t struggle much more to understand him. I think it’s just a matter of getting used to that speech impediment. He reminds me a lot of RFK, maybe not the easiest to follow along for English learners.
Thank you, that makes sense.