French people **do** say *oh là là*, *hou là là* and *houlà* quite often but it doesn't have the connotations found in English. Well, it can but rarely.

Here are examples of its use in French:

> Il est déjà sept heures. Hou là là, je vais rater mon train !

> Oh là là, elle a repris du gateau !

> Hou là là, il a du se faire mal en tombant !

A reason explaining the popularity and oriented meaning of this expression in English might be [Fifi D'Orsay][1], actress and singer born in Montreal who made all her career in the US and who made *hoo-la-la* her trademark according to several sources.  


  [1]: https://www.theharrison-press.com/opinion/fabulous-french-movie-star-visits-dog-track