“I feel like people know who I really am”

The return of Karine Le Marchand looks loaded on M6. In addition to hosting the 17^e new season of “Love is in the meadow” which begins this week, the presenter is producing a documentary on transidentity. She will also go into comedy. Meeting with a woman of challenges.

TV MAGAZINE. – How does this new season look like?
Karine LE MARCHAND. – This year’s participants are looking for a mature love, a serene relationship that lasts a long time. They took stock of themselves, reflected on what they aspired to and stick to it. But there are still favorites and surprises. We are witnessing some great stories, some of which already seem very solid.

Read also“Love is in the meadow”: discover the 13 single farmers of season 17

Thierry “fate rascal” try your luck on the show. Why ?
With the production, we remained very close to him. He had touched the viewers a lot, everyone was sad to leave him on a disappointment. For seven years, he has made a real personal journey and changed expectations. We therefore offer him a new chance.

For two years, you have been attending speed dating, what has this role changed for you?
It’s exciting ! I am always amazed by the intensity with which the love is palpable. It is magical, not only for the one who experiences it, but also for the one who sees it. So I’m lucky…

The show enters its 17^e season, what are you most proud of?
For having brought together couples who love each other and helped people to come out of loneliness. I am also proud to have changed the image of farmers, even if this is not yet the case for decision makers. We don’t take enough care of them… That’s my fight.

You are just preparing a documentary on agriculture. What do you want to show?
I want to show that farmers are the playthings of a political system which, since the post-war period, has led them by the nose without considering them. Through the story of six families, we will retrace the evolution of agriculture over the past hundred years. This will also help to understand people’s malaise, extreme poverty and the difficulty of being heard. We will follow them over four seasons. Filming begins in September.

“It’s up to us to change mentalities because the image speaks louder than words”

Karine Le Marchand

You are ranked fifth, and first woman, of our survey on the favorite animators of the French. How do you live it?
It affects me ! I feel like I’m understood, that people know who I really am. It is the same for Stephane Plaza. He is generous and genuinely interested in people. We strip ourselves emotionally all the time, so we are more sensitive to the gaze of others. Being loved without cheating is still very rewarding.

You are producing and presenting a documentary on transidentity which will soon be broadcast on M6. Why this desire?
It’s a phenomenon we talk about, about which I know nothing and about which I, like everyone else, have preconceived ideas. To be born into a body that you don’t recognize as your own must be very painful. I needed to understand from the inside by giving voice to people who have experienced it. We follow three witnesses from different generations. A debate will be organized after the broadcast.

Television helps to convey messages. Is it important to be a pioneer?
It’s up to us to change mentalities because the image speaks louder than words. As we made them change on homosexuality in agriculture, we can do it on many other subjects. It is our responsibility.

What themes would you like to explore?
I’m going to make a documentary on new love behaviors. We will discuss everything that has changed with dating apps, the evolution of consent, #MeToo…

Would you like to act in a fiction?
I have a project with Alain Kappauf, the producer of Scenes of households, that I love. We are adapting a novel. The idea is that I play the main character of a comedy series. I like to put myself in danger and get out of my comfort zone and that’s going to be the case!

Read also“My sun”: Karine Le Marchand reveals the face of her daughter with a message of hope

A word about “France has an unbelievable talent”, whose filming for season 17 begins soon…
What excites me about this show is the passion of people who believe in their art. The jury is very nice and it’s the same production as “Love is in the meadow” except that, this time, I’m warm, dressed as a girl with clean shoes (laughs). As during speed dating, they will install me this year in a small living room to comment on what is happening. I think they like my punchlines!

Why did you put an end to your show on RTL?
I did it with regret, but I had no more time. This year, for the first time in seven years, I went on vacation without work. The Covid also passed through me. I’m tired of working 17 hours a day. I want to live, go on weekends, enjoy my evenings.