“Koh-Lanta, it was a great experience for me”. After 25 days of survival, Pauline is far from having lost her smile despite her elimination in the immunity test against Anne-Sophie. However, nothing predestined the 24-year-old communications manager to experience such a destiny.
From the first days of adventure in the archipelago of Palawan (Philippines), Pauline Pourchaire did not expect to inherit the black bracelet. A real poisoned gift given by Lili, the first eliminated from Koh-Lanta, The cursed totem. “It was difficult because I did everything to avoid this bracelet. After only 24 hours, I have it on my wrist”, regrets the candidate to Planet. “I was a little under pressure with this bracelet, but I tried to get out of it as best I could”.
Despite this obstacle on her path, the karting champion and third runner-up to Miss Côte d’Azur 2017 was not afraid to take up this new challenge. “With my brother, we were brought up like that”, admits the sister of the F2 driver Théo Pourchaire, both encouraged by their parents since their childhood. “As long as we have something in mind, they motivate us every day to surpass ourselves”.
Only there, thousands of kilometers from France, Pauline had to fight alone to survive. And, above all, save his place with the greens, then the reds (Cadlao). “To get out of it, I had to be able to enter into strategies and sneak in when necessary, talk to others,” says the candidate. Of a discreet and homely nature, the ex-pilot preferred to bet on strategy to go the furthest. “I was really more of a strategist than a sportsman”, believing that “my sociable side helped me to go as far as reunification”.
The hour of reunification sounded like a new beginning for Pauline, freed from her black bracelet. The opportunity to finally be able to live a different adventure and find your allies. “I found adventurers with whom I got on very well and I didn’t think that would happen to me at all,” agrees the karting champion for Planet.
Like his friendship with a former member of the green tribe. “The person I was most looking forward to meeting was Nicolas. We had forged very strong ties with the Greens”, concedes Pauline. “He’s really a nice and upright person”. This did not prevent the manager of a sports store from making his comrades laugh with his mischievous and quirky humor.
“Nicolas’ jokes are still incredible. He could do a one-man show,” laughs the sublime blonde, remembering their first days of catastrophic adventure. “Nicolas was up all night telling us jokes that can’t be aired”, revealing an unusual moment never seen on screen. “We really burst out laughing. That’s kind of what saved our morale.” No wonder the candidate hopes (secretly) to see a former member of the green team win this Koh-Lanta season.
For Pauline, the laughter gave way to tears after her failure in the immunity test. A blow for the former beauty queen, torn between two feelings. “We are a little relieved somewhere, but in fact, it’s really a weird feeling. Our current daily life stops and we go back to everyday life, it’s quite brutal. It hurts on the moment”, estimates the shipwrecked apprentice with Planet.
For several months, the Koh-Lanta adventure has allowed the former student of the European Institute of Journalism to receive the support of many fans. But also former Misses, school friends and race opponents. “People continue to watch what we do, they see our evolution and they are happy for us”.
An incredible popularity that Pauline sometimes struggles to achieve, going so far as to steal the show from her little brother. “The last time, we were walking in a shopping center, there are 2-3 people who stopped me to take a picture with me, and not with my brother”, she smiles. “It made me feel weird, it’s often the children who really recognize me because they are fans of the show”.
In addition, Pauline is already thinking of new objectives thanks to her passage in the adventure game of Denis Brogniart. “I decided to open a YouTube channel to make programs on motorsport, follow my brother’s career and introduce athletes to my environment”. Perhaps a future career as a videographer or Automoto animator looming on the horizon…
