Guy Jodoin returns to TV with Rocamboulesque, a wild outdoor competition show on Crave

Guy Jodoin is returning to television after stepping back from hosting duties, with Rocamboulesque, a new outdoor competition series set to premiere on Crave in November.

The show pairs Jodoin with celebrity teams of three competing through three challenges per episode, each requiring them to move a 12-foot-tall giant ball through obstacles. The catch: players must stay within 5 metres of their ball and cannot see what lies ahead, forcing everyone to move at roughly the same speed—a deceptively complex coordination puzzle.

Jodoin, who departed from the game-show quiz format of Le Tricheur, said he missed outdoor broadcasting. "I love turning in the outdoors. It's something I've missed since Sucré salé," he explained while on the set at Parc Maisonneuve last week.

Filming is physically demanding. Episodes are shot at different Montreal landmarks—including the Vieux-Port in heavy rain and the Stade olympique esplanade during a heat wave—with early morning starts and late finishes. In one episode, two contestants were injured badly enough to declare forfait. Camera operators, chasing the action, reportedly logged an average of 30,000 steps on the first shooting day.

The giant balls were even held at the Ottawa border during customs clearance, forcing production to reschedule the premiere shoot.

Among the first-season participants are Éléonore Lagacé, Pascale de Blois, Billy Tellier, Mathieu Dufour, Varda Étienne, and Alex Perron. Jodoin moves around the set on an electric scooter, which has become part of the show's identity.