“I was not very happy with last season of ‘Fort Boyard'”

In 2012, Alexia Laroche-Joubert participated for the first time in “Fort Boyard”. Since then, the producer has taken over the reins of Adventure Line Productions, which produces the famous France 2 game. It is therefore with astonishment that viewers will find her this Saturday evening alongside Frédérick Bousquet, Candice Pascal, Guillaume Pley, Julien Febreau and Hugo Manos. Explanations.

TV MAGAZINE. – How did you find yourself a candidate?
Alexia LAROCHE-JOUBERT. – Out of opportunism. In fact, there was a problem with a candidate who missed his train. I always come to the fort for three days and, by a combination of circumstances, I was there at that time. As I loved participating in 2012, I always told the producer that if he had a problem with a candidate, I would do it. It turned out like this. I was taken a little off guard.

Who is the personality you had to replace?
I will not say it out of discretion and because I hope we will have it next year.

Read also“I find them very good”: Alexia Laroche-Joubert defends the 3D tigers of “Fort Boyard”

Why didn’t you call on another personality? As was the case with jeremstarwho, in 2020, left filming in disaster?
Because the last minute is rarely a real last minute. It can fall to four or five days of shooting. During the Covid period, candidates were asked to be tested and we had a lot of people who knew they could be contacted at the last minute. There, it was not the case, it was a real last minute. I think it was more respectful that it was me.

The show is transparent about your participation. Who had this idea?
We talked about it with Guillaume Ramain, the producer, and we did it as it really happened. The problem is that I am president of Adventure Line Productions so I am aware of certain things in this case the identity of the mystery warrior. That’s why I asked not to be in discussions with the other candidates on my team.

Did the production have to review the allocation of the proofs?
I had proofs that do not always correspond with my size. I think they changed one of the proofs but I don’t know which one.

“It’s a big success! We did not expect such a success of audience “

Alexia Laroche-Joubert on the 33rd season of “Fort Boyard”

Knowing that you are responsible for the show and therefore for the filming, were there no problems with the insurance?
I admit that we did not have time to ask ourselves this question.

Have you given instructions to your teams? Do you know ” threatened » ?
Yes very clearly! When you have the power, you shouldn’t hesitate to use it (laughs). I told them that if they messed with me, I’d quit the game immediately and then they’d hear from me.

Do you suffer from ophiophobia (fear of snakes, editor’s note)?
Every year, I go to see the animal attendant at the fort and I ask him to pet snakes. Because in my character, I can’t stand being afraid of something. A few days ago, I was in the Philippines for the filming of “Koh Lanta”. I went to visit a cave with lots of bats. I had been warned that there was also a huge python. I thought I wasn’t going to get in there.

In the end, were the film crews more lenient with you?
On the contrary, I suspect them of having loaded the Phantom Train a little with animals. Same for the Rodeo Dino. I found that the dinosaur moved a lot! At the end of the shoot, one of my collaborators said to me: “Damn, they didn’t miss you”. I think they had a good laugh. But they don’t know who they attacked (laughs).

How did you approach your role as a candidate?
I am a “kicker”. I love to have fun. I did it like all the people who participate in “Fort Boyard”, that is to say thoroughly. I laughed, I felt useless, I felt a big responsibility.

How did you find the experience as the producer of the game?
It was very funny to do it because I love “Fort Boyard” and I hope I gave it my all with the team. And at the same time, it was interesting to be inside the program that I produce. This is exactly what happened to me when I was doing “Star Academy”. There are plenty of things that you can’t see from the outside and that you become aware of once inside.

“I don’t understand his exit. I have to call him to talk about it”

Alexia Laroche-Joubert on Vaimalama Chaves

Have you noted any improvements to be made?
I have a pending email that I planned to send after the last episode aired in which I listed all the things that could be changed as part of the candidate management.

Like what ?
I arrived a little after the candidates’ brief, but one of the things that I missed was doing stretching exercises. I find that the muscles should be warmed up before certain events. We would be more serene with small exercises. I plan to implement this next year. I also find that we expect a lot between two races.

What is your assessment of this 33rd season?
It’s a big success! It’s a season of records. We did not expect such a success with the audience. I was not very happy with last season. I found that there were somewhat gratuitous sequences. For example, there was kind of a slowdown with the Cage. This year, we have made many changes that are not necessarily noticeable. The most important thing for us was to differentiate each program and find an identity and a theme for it. We also put Father Fouras back in the center of the program and reworked the narration. The teams led by Guillaume Ramain worked extremely well.

Does that mean that new things from this season will come back next season like Father Fouras’ assets?
Yes. We have not yet made the artistic assessment. Last year, I set up a huge seminar in which all the producers take part.

Shortly after his participation, Vaimalama Chaves charged the production, considering that she had forced her to do a proof…
I wasn’t on set when she was there. I saw what she posted on Instagram. I don’t understand his output. I need to call him to talk about it. Vai is rough around the edges, she expresses herself as she feels. We made a mistake with Teddy Riner and since then, frankly, the teams have been hypervigilant. If we hadn’t given her a choice and if she had given up in the face of the ordeal, I understand that we would have put her in a dishonest situation, but that is not the case.

Read also“We don’t force anyone”: the production company of “Fort Boyard” responds to Vaimalama Chaves

“The Tuesday box is a complicated box. And for once, “Koh-Lanta” is doing very well! »

Alexia Laroche-Joubert

A few days ago, you returned from the Philippines where the filming of season 24 of “Koh-Lanta” is taking place. What can you tell us?
I don’t have much to say because we are bound by important confidentiality. Only that it goes wonderfully well. We are very happy. For this new season, we have implemented a new mechanic with a lot of twists.

Is this a way to restore audiences?
What is interesting is to see what happened on Tuesday with “Mask Singer”. The Tuesday square is a complicated square. And for once, “Koh-Lanta” is doing very well! We have dropped compared to “La Légende” but it was the 20th anniversary edition and we were still in the middle of Covid. We must put the hearings into perspective and not compare the hearings on Friday with those on Tuesday. The good comparison is to compare with what was broadcast before Tuesday. We doubled all the numbers in the box! I made this comparison because I myself, at one point, asked myself questions. And in the end, it kind of reassured me.

Nevertheless, didn’t you prefer “Koh-Lanta” to come back on Friday?
It is a choice that does not belong to me and on which I have no say. We are also here to meet challenges. However, I find that changing the habits of viewers after 20 years is either courageous or risky. In the end, it’s not too bad but I still think I have a lot of children watching us.

“I had to change certain things that are also linked to my own career, my own life experience and societal evolution”

Alexia Laroche-Joubert on Miss France

In October, it will be a year since you were named president of the company miss France…
I am very happy. The ceremony is artistically prepared. We have validated the theme of the evening. In a few days, I will receive the first drawings of the costumes. It is an immense pleasure for me. I fought for this program. We recovered the company in a financially complicated state but it is a huge satisfaction artistically.

By taking over the Miss France company, you have upset a few rules, in particular the one authorizing the participation of married candidates and/or mothers…
When I took over the company, I interviewed all the Misses so I must have had around thirty of them. I think I had to change certain things that are also related to my own career, my own life experience and societal evolution. It’s interesting because last week we received an e-mail from Miss Universe informing us that they also adopted this rule.

A word on the rumors of departure from Sylvie Tellier…
I have nothing to say. I have said enough about it.