Grichka Bogdanoff, French TV Personality, Dies at 72

Grichka Bogdanoff, who was a well-known French TV personality along with his twin brother Igor, died on December 28, 2021. He was 72.

The twins were considered to be heartthrobs in the 1980s. They hosted “Temps X,” a French science program, from 1979 to 1987, and they produced other shows as well.

While growing up in France, they learned to speak German, Russian, and English, in addition to French. They had royal connections by birth and, in the case of Igor, by marriage. Both twins earned doctorates — Grichka studied mathematics, while Igor studied theoretical physics.

Controversy followed the twins throughout their lives. In an incident known as the “Bogdanoff affair,” the two allegedly wrote nonsensical academic papers about the Big Bang that were published in reputable journals.

The twins also claimed that they helped develop the source code for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, along with Satoshi Nakamoto. Their claim inspired internet rumors and memes.

Over the years, the twins had many cosmetic procedures, including Botox, lip fillers, and cheek implants, which altered their looks considerably. In 2020, they appeared on the French version of “The Masked Singer,” disguised as parrots.

Grichka Bogdanoff died of COVID-19; sources say he had not been vaccinated. Sadly, his twin Igor is currently battling the same virus at the same hospital.

UPDATE: Igor Bogdanoff also died of COVID-19, on January 3, 2022.