At 11:55 local time, Entrée des artistes kicked off at French television, searching for 4 national final participants. The show was hosted by Pascal Sevran. Today the first show just presented the 18 entries for this part of the Eurovision Song Contest selection in France.

The selected contestants are;

� ANTHONY (24) Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-dôme)
� ARNO (22) Marly-la-Ville (Ile De France)
� CLAUDIA (18) Paris (I.D.F.)
� ELODIE (17) Pierrefeu (Var)
� FABIEN (20) Six-Fours les Plages (Var)
� FRANCK (21) Saint Pierre de Plesguen (Ille et Vilaine, Bretagne)
� GAETAN (24) Saint Julien des Landes (Vendée)
� GLADYS (20) Quevert (Côtes d�Armor, Bretagne)
� KATHY (19) Le Cannet (Alpes-Maritimes)
� LAETITIA (17) Wambrechies (Nord)
� LAURA (18) Cahors (Lot)
� LAURE (20) Albens (Savoie)
� MATEO (19) Bouloc (Haute Garonne)
� MELODY (17) Morisel (Somme)
� MICHAEL (22) Héricourt (Haute Saône)
� THOMAS (20) Paris (I.D.F.)
� VIRGINIE (26) Saint Montan (Ardéche)
� YORRICK (18) Teyran (Herault)

The four winners of Entrée des artistes will be joined by the 13 regionally selected singers of the France 3 selection and the four participants from the selection overseas (RFO).

Patrick de Carolis, president of French public television, said that France will do the best possible in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.