INTERVIEW – The ambitious manager of a sports store in Nîmes is aiming for the final victory in the Philippines by playing intelligently on several fronts with the ex-Yellows and ex-Reds. A participation in the adventure game that almost never happened.
The events of this « Koh-Lanta, the cursed totem » take us back to the time of the very first seasons of the adventure game when, after reunification, the numerically majority tribe eliminated its competitors one by one. On the 23rd day of filming last fall in the Philippines, eight ex-Reds (Louana, Maxime, Fouzi, Géraldine, François, Pauline, Jean-Charles and Ambre) joined six ex-Yellows (Anne-Sophie, Colin, Olga, Nicolas, Bastien and Yannick). Apart from Pauline, eliminated directly after an immunity test, Colin, Yannick and Anne-Sophie paid the price for the unchanging solidarity of the ex-Reds on the councils.
” READ ALSO – Maxime (“Koh-Lanta”): “I cling to the alliance of the ex-Reds”
In this unbalanced duel, Nicolas is the only adventurer to play discreetly on both counts by remaining officially in solidarity with his ex-Yellow partners while discreetly playing informant with the boys of the ex-Reds. A way for the friendly 39-year-old Gardois to preserve his place in the game as long as possible and to hope to reach the orientation test where, from then on, everything will become possible.
Results of the third reunification council:
– Anne Sophie: 7 voices (Maxime, Louana, Fouzi, Géraldine, François, Jean-Charles and Ambre)
– Maxim: 5 votes (Anne-Sophie, Nicolas, Bastien, Olga and Olga’s black vote)
Anne-Sophie joins Colin, Pauline and Yannick on the final jury. Olga was awarded the black vote for the third time in a row.
» READ ALSO – Setha (« Koh-Lanta »): « I’m happy that Colin is eliminated, it’s karma »
LE FIGARO. – What was the motivation of your registration to “Koh-Lanta”?
Nicholas BELLON. – This program will be 20 years old and I will be 40 this year. I’ve been watching this show since the beginning, it’s a symbol of adventure and personal challenge. You push your limits both physically and mentally. I was 20 years old when I opened my sports store in Nîmes, I wanted to register but I was in a period of my life when it was not easy to be able to do so. I started two years ago because, on the one hand, I now have employees capable of replacing me in my absence and, on the other hand, because I got out of a serious health problem. .
What happened to you?
After an injection in my knee, I got an infection that started in my right arm so much that I almost lost the use of it from my fingertips to my shoulder blade. When I was told that I would never recover 100% use of my arm, I used “Koh-Lanta” as a goal to get out of it. It had become the engine of my recovery. Mentally, I didn’t give in. I have a healthy lifestyle, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I do a lot of sports.
In your portrait of « Koh-Lanta », you present yourself as a “potential candidate for victory”…
Because I have a recent experience that showed me that anything is possible when you really want to believe in it. When you are selected in this game among thousands of applications, if you do not believe in your chances of victory, it is better to stay at home. I like all challenges, I practiced several sports such as athletics, karate, skiing then racket sports, tennis, badminton, padel tennis and now squash.
“I was sorry to lose an ally like Setha”
In the Philippines, the beginnings of your Greens team were complicated with several defeats and Franck’s voluntary abandonment…
I have made great friends with everyone at the Greens (Jean-Philippe, François, Pauline, Ambre, Franck, Louana and Lili, editor’s note), the first color you wear in the game is often the one that counts most. Several of us came from the South of France and Franck is from Biarritz. He is someone I greatly appreciate and we all enjoyed having him with us. We did everything to dissuade him from leaving the adventure. For him, so that he wouldn’t regret it later, and for the team he was putting in difficulty. It’s his choice. At the time, we were very angry with him but, with hindsight, we can understand that the difficulties of the game prompted him to give in. I just hope that today he does not regret anything.
Were you calm during the meeting of the ambassadors between Colin and Louana?
When Colin leaves, he assures us that he will go no matter what to the black ball. So, in our mind, it was either him or Louana or an ex-Red who was going to come out. We told ourselves that we risked nothing even if a part of doubt is still there. I sweated a lot seeing them come back with a confident Louana, it smelled like bad lemonade. I immediately felt targeted, it was me and Setha. I was sorry to lose an ally.
Since the reunification, the ex-Yellows and the ex-Reds oppose each council but you are a discreet ally of the opposing team. Were you surprised to be the only ex-Yellow not to be told about Olga’s immunity necklace?
This is part of personal tactics and strategies. As Setha was able to do with this immunity necklace that she claimed to have but in fact did not have, everyone does as they feel according to their affinities. Olga found a necklace, she spoke about it to her best adventure friend Anne-Sophie then to Bastien… I don’t blame her for not telling me, it was surely a way of preserving maximum secrecy.
“At no time was I influenced in my votes by the ex-Reds”
Why did the votes of the ex-Reds focus on Anne-Sophie rather than Olga or Bastien?
Since the reunification, I really consider myself as white while knowing that ex-Yellows and ex-Reds appreciate me. Even if we give each other information with the ex-Reds, I have always followed the voting choices of the ex-Yellows. The decision to release Anne-Sophie belonged solely to the ex-Reds, it was their bet and I knew nothing about it. They alone are able to explain their choice.
What discussions did you have in secret with the boys of the ex-Reds?
My goal was to make sure I could go as far as possible. I knew I was appreciated by the ex-Reds but everything remained fragile. These discussions allowed me to maintain a certain margin of safety but at no time was I influenced in my votes.
The archery challenge where you make Francois earn your share of cassava until the end of the game, is that a way to immunize yourself with him?
No, François is an adventure buddy and it was just a fun little challenge to decompress. There was no ulterior motive on my part.
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