Tuesday May 17, 2022, TF1 broadcast a new episode of Koh-Lanta, The Cursed Totem. The adventurers still in contention were divided into five pairs. Together they win and together they lose. Louana paid the price for this rule of the game. Indeed, at the council, it was Maxime who was eliminated. But, being in a duet with him, the young woman was dragged into this fall. Near Purepeople.com, the adventurer with a fine track record confides in this experience. The betrayal of Amber and François, her complicated relationship with Maxime or her complicated return to reality, Louana balances without filter.
How did you experience your departure?
Obviously a little sad to leave. I still had some in reserve and I had the mentality to go further. I had a feeling of incompleteness. I also had a feeling of betrayal because I thought the green alliance was very strong. I was head of the reds, I was at the ambassadors, I assumed my role. So I had a big disappointment. François told the council that he preferred to save two beautiful people (Fouzi and Géraldine, editor’s note). It is Koh Lanta ! It’s a strategy game, sporty but also human and sometimes we make choices based on feeling, feelings more than merit, that’s how it is.
What goes through your head when the ballots in Maxime’s name multiply?
I quickly understand that it is Maxime who will be eliminated. Because we had done the calculations before and there shouldn’t be so many ballots in his name. After the third, fourth, I understood.
Did you resent François and Ambre for having voted against your partner?
At the time, of course. I felt betrayed, disappointed, pissed off. I did not understand. Before the council, the time is very very long: we have a whole day, the evening and the next day. We were all exhausted and I went to see François in the forest earlier. I said, “Tell me things. I don’t want to mess around looking for a necklace all day. Tell me if I’m in danger or not.” And there was manipulation, betrayal. It’s part of the game and they played very well. But I resented them because I was still their ally and I would have done everything to protect them. They looked me in the eye making sure I was protected.
Why do you think your classmates eliminated your duo?
There are several parameters to consider. I don’t pretend to say that I’m strong on the tests, but I think it counts. We know very well that the strongest adventurers, those who really stand out, are in more danger than others. I do not pretend to say that it is for that, but it must be taken into account. Also, at the ambassadors, I was spokesperson for the reds. I was supposed to protect Colin. The reds did not keep the word I had given, so inevitably when Colin was eliminated, the yellows, especially Olga and perhaps Bastien, were angry with me. It fell on me, I was put in the wrong position. And then I was in pairs with Maxime, who had been in the hot seat for several councils.
Why did you choose to give the black vote to Nicolas?
We had to go very quickly. I had trouble thinking. It was unthinkable for me to give it up to Ambre or François after their betrayal. And at that time, I didn’t know that Nicolas was aware of this strategy, I thought that he was actually following me to save me. I saw him as the only one who hadn’t betrayed me. But at the time I had no lucidity.
You don’t seem to get along with Maxime from the start. What happened ?
I won’t say that. The editing gives a lot of the impression that I don’t get along with Maxime. But I want to make it clear that there was real communication between us. We were like dog and cat. There were a lot of tensions, we sometimes had trouble communicating but we managed to put things straight. When I was struggling in front of the screen, I was also struggling with him in the forest face-to-face and we put things back in place. Today, he is the person I have most regularly on the phone. We kept in very good contact, we call each other all the time. Maybe the best friendships start with a bit of animosity (laughs)!
On social networks, you are described as “hypocritical”, “unbearable” especially towards Maxime. What do you think ?
I receive 95% of benevolent messages. The rest is criticism. It has to happen, we all go through it. If I eliminate Yannick, I have his fans on my back etc. If you think I’m a hypocrite, fine. I prefer to let go. I believe I have been honest with my values, respectful. I stayed more or less straight in my boots, I think. Editing also plays a role, I’m far from the only one playing this game with Maxime. I remind you that Pauline and Ambre had a hard time supporting it and beyond the girls, Fouzi also made thoughts about Maxime. Today, I get on very well with Maxime, but in the camp, there were times when he was difficult, Mr. Touche à tout… He took up a lot of space and that tended to annoy. Maybe he had trouble with hunger, with managing emotions too. If Jean-Philippe hadn’t gone out because of his feet, Maxime would never have continued the adventure. And he is aware of it.
What was the hardest part of the adventure?
Without hesitation, hunger! The weather comes second. The humidity, the rain, it’s true that it’s very tiring. It is even the worst enemy of an adventurer on Koh Lanta. But hunger is terrible. I’d rather eat a burger in the rain than have sunshine but nothing to eat. Food really recharges the batteries. Real real hunger comes after about 12 days. We start to walk like zombies, to no longer have lucidity… Even tying our shoes becomes complicated. It’s also terrible for the mind because you only think about that. I dreamed of a Koh Lanta with a little more comfort at this level.
What was your first gesture on the way back?
Eating my favorite dish, pasta with salmon!
How was the return to reality?
It was very complicated in terms of noise. I had a hard time reacclimating myself to the world. Everything was too loud: the weather, the people, the lawn mower outside, the ambulances, the traffic… All sound was very aggressive for my ears. So when I got back, I left Paris to spend a short week with my mother in her house in the South of France, in the countryside. I tried to get back to green a bit and take it slow.
Did your mom honor the shopping list you made on the phone during the game?
Of course, my mother had bought everything I wanted! I was freewheeling from the end of filming in November until January! There are many friends who came with whole dishes, we did all-you-can-eat buffets… I just ate, ate, ate and enjoyed my loved ones. In addition it was the Christmas holidays, so I took advantage of my meals! I lost 6 kilos during Koh Lanta. It’s not huge, but I’m a small frame. I am 1m65 and I weighed 55 kilos before the shoot, I had gained a little weight on purpose. So 6 kilos is a lot for my weight and height. And then I regained my ideal weight, I may have a little extra weight but I’m fine with it. I went back to sport in February, with the summer coming…
You are in a relationship with a certain Maxime. How did he experience the separation during the game?
He was a bit sad to be alone. The production sends weekly news to say that everything is fine, but without further details. He was impatient. Afterwards, when he saw that I wasn’t coming back, he was still super happy and proud of me to see that I passed the reunification. You should know that he has absolutely no idea how far I’m going in the adventure, I haven’t told anyone. So he was sad because two months is a long time and he missed me. But he was also happy because he knows that Koh Lanta is a dream for me for years, I had already passed the casting in 2018. And today I feel a lot of pride in his eyes during the broadcast.
What are your projects ?
On the pro side, I took a step back. I am passionate about real estate, I don’t want to change branches. But I’m self-employed, so let me slow down. I want to enjoy my summer and resume from September. I have sports plans like going on vacation with adventurers, doing the GR20 in Corsica in August, the sand marathon next year, the gazelle rally with an adventurer… I also plan to go two weeks in October in Senegal to help a humanitarian association. For the moment, nothing is concrete in terms of dates. But one thing is certain : Koh Lanta gave me even more thirst for adventures. So inevitably, a next Koh Lantait speaks to me too.
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