  A detailed knowledge of the decay properties of the so called Hoyle state in
the $^{12}$C nucleus ($E_x=7.654$ MeV, $0^+$) is required to calculate the rate
at which carbon is forged in typical red-giant stars. This paper reports on a
new almost background-free measurement of the radiative decay branching ratio
of the Hoyle state using advanced charged particle coincidence techniques. The
exploitation, for the first time in a similar experiment, of a bidimensional
map of the coincidence efficiency allows to reach an unitary value and,
consequently, to strongly reduce sources of systematic uncertainties. The
present results suggest a value of the radiative branching ratio of
$\Gamma_{rad}/\Gamma_{tot}=4.4(6)\cdot10^{-4}$. This finding helps to resolve
the tension between recent data published in the literature.
