A poker dealer, Stephanie knew she would have to fight her opponents strategically in Koh Lanta. Eliminated at the end of episode 5, she tells us about her journey in an interview.
Aware of her limits, perhaps too much, Stéphanie was eliminated during episode 5 of Koh Lanta, the cursed totem broadcast on March 22, 2022. A poker croupier in life, the 35-year-old candidate relied on her mind to go far in the adventure, she ended up leaving the camp of the Yellows who considered her too unreliable physically. However, Stéphanie has had little opportunity to prove her sporting value since she has shot the black ball three times, putting it out of play during as many events. On the survival side, however, she will have been one of the few candidates to make fire this season. During episode 4, she was lucky by shooting the white ball against Benjamin, eliminated at the end of the suspense in a council under tension. Opposed to the trio of ex-Blues on the camp, Stéphanie proudly played her shot but did not manage to stay longer in the Philippines. She tells us about her journey in Koh Lanta 2022.
Why did you choose to participate in Koh Lanta?
I dreamed of participating in Koh Lanta because I love adventure. I have a list of 101 things to do before I die (laughs) so I spend my life trying to do some exceptional things because life is short. Doing Koh Lanta is my life’s dream. I think this is the ultimate adventure.
In what state of mind did you arrive on the adventure?
It was complicated because I was still shocked because I really thought I would never be taken. I arrived not being ready in my head and then I found myself on a boat with only golgoths so I was a little freaked out, not to say terrified. I saw them all arrive with their big muscles, their abs and their “Hello, I’m French champion of thing and thingy”… I felt like a very small thing.
What was the hardest for you?
I go back to the nights a lot because I’m someone who loves his sleep. I also love to eat but the nights were particularly horrible because it rains all the time, the clothes are wet, because we had to sleep on bamboo because of the snakes so we couldn’t sleep flat on ground. Sleeping an hour a night for almost 15 days was horrible.
What memories will you keep of this adventure?
There is fire ! Being the one who made the fire this year in Koh Lanta is a great pride for me. I loved that my little Anne-So called me the queen of fire. It’s really a good memory.
You have been hit by the black ball several times. It must have been very frustrating for you.
Everyone around me makes jokes about the black ball. It’s true that in life I’m a little sticky so I saw it coming a little but I didn’t think it would be repeated so much. I had three black balls in a row and was stopped by the doctor once so I failed four tests. At least I hit the right ball on the board against Benjamin. The sequence of black balls rushed me a bit towards the exit. In any case, it makes people laugh a lot that it’s the croupier who draws the black balls.
Did these twists of fate cost you your adventure?
Yes. I needed to prove myself in this adventure. I had sunk myself a lot by telling them that I was not athletic and that I was less good than the others when that was not necessarily the case. By having shot myself in the foot, I needed to show twice in events that I was not at all the draw they imagined. And the fact of preventing me from proving myself at each event, it completely led me to the exit.
Does that also explain why you were very active on the camp, especially when the team obtains the fishing kit?
Yes and no. Spearfishing is something I absolutely wanted to do on Koh Lanta. I find that absolutely brilliant. Afterwards, now I know how hard it is physically. Arming a harpoon, only men have managed to do it, and not all of them! It was really physical, I didn’t think. I was super excited to be able to use the harpoon. I was like a child with a new toy. I absolutely wanted to do it. I arrived on Koh Lanta saying “guys, this year if there is a harpoon it’s for me.” It was a dream. But yes, I was doubly active in the camp by making the fire, by going to get food because I love survival but also because, not being present in the trials, I had to show them that I was helpful. I struggled twice for that.
To save yourself, you also tried the strategy aspect. Pointing the finger at the blue trio came from a real danger that you felt or it was purely a strategy to save you?
When I set up the strategy against the Blues, I was killing three birds with one stone. On the one hand, I save myself, because you have to eliminate someone other than yourself. On the other hand, I found this blue trio to be far too close, far too close to each other and far too dangerous. And, icing on the cakeI had no affinity with Alexandra so for sure it was a winning combo for me.
We feel Yannick quite receptive to the idea. Before the council, did you think you had a chance to stay?
I had high hopes before the council. I talked about it to whoever wanted to hear it. Apart from Yannick who told me “it’s true, you’re right” and Anne-So who hesitated because she wanted to keep athletes in the team and the two others who had been evasive… I had clearly hopeful.
Tensions appear more and more on the yellow camp. Have you felt them too?
Surprisingly, no. I didn’t expect at all what happened at the council precisely because the blue trio was very secretive, very close to each other and very tight-knit. So they were talking to each other. So it didn’t come out of the Yannick thing that annoys them. This kind of tension there, I did not see them coming, especially since I was not on the camp when it farted. I was looking for a necklace in a cave so I missed all the action, I was a little pissed off. I understood on returning to the camp that they had fought and that they had told Yannick that he was not active and that they did not want him to give orders. That, I knew very well, but from there to what was said at the council… Olga saying that she was afraid, I didn’t see it coming.
And you, what was your feeling vis-à-vis Yannick?
Me, I’m team Yannick. I’ve been friends with him since day 1, I love him. We’re the same age, we’re big mouths. We got along right away. This guy, he is full of benevolence, kindness and I really don’t see what could scare Yannick. I understand that it is impressive, because it is a sacred piece this boy! But in terms of character, he’s so nice that I admit I didn’t understand.
We can see it, moreover, he is surprised by all this unpacking at the council. Like you, I imagine.
Clearly, poor Yannick! Even I was a little stunned. Afterwards, in my head, I said to myself that I should have defended him. But it’s hard to defend someone and say to an Olga “no, you don’t have to feel that way.” People feel what they feel. We are not in their sneakers, we are not in their head, I have nothing to say at this level. It is true that, the poor, I understand that he fell from the skies. The guy is ultra involved, motivated. He’s the guy who’s there for the team, so that we can be the best and even when we lose, he’s super benevolent. I think he must have been shocked.
Do you have any regrets in your adventure?
I have a big regret, it is that of not having been a strategist, of having arrived saying that I was useless and that I was less strong than everyone else. If I had spoken in the opposite direction, I think I could have gone much further.
In the end, your behavior was the opposite of that of Alexandra who, according to you, put herself forward a lot with the others. Could you have done the same?
If they put me back in the same place with the same emotions, I would do the same bullshit again. Of course it’s not like me to arrive saying “I’m strong in this, this and that” but it sure would have been much smarter. Should have done that in Koh Lanta. This is where I was very natural and not enough in the game. It’s a shame but I like the fact of having been natural because people recognize me on screen. It’s cool. I was afraid that my family wouldn’t like what it looked like on screen, but they said “oh yes, it’s you, we recognized you!” I’m happy that people see my character and who I am. On the other hand, I was not intelligent on the tactical side. It is sure that an Alexandra who really put herself forward. Even a Yannick, huh. These are people who really put themselves forward. She was strong because when Anne-Sophie said to me “no but Alexandra, I hesitate because she is still very strong”. Me, I was there, I said to her “but Anne-So, Alexandra, she is strong in swimming and the swimming events are over. And then she made us lose two events!” I didn’t understand why they said that. She doesn’t know how to make a fire, she doesn’t know how to build a cabin. I said to them “but why do you keep repeating that she is strong?” Now that I have hindsight, I understand that she spent her days saying that she was strong. My regret is that I underestimated myself and said it out loud.
Did the Koh Lanta adventure bring you what you were looking for before leaving?
At the adventure level, yes, 100%. I wanted to experience something out of the ordinary and frankly I experienced it. The fact of having lasted two weeks like that in the adventure is huge. I was afraid to last less. With the weather conditions, I really feel like I’ve experienced a real Koh Lanta. People tease us with our comfort, but wait, you haven’t experienced a thousandth of what we’ve experienced before. I’m happy, I had a crazy adventure. It was tough. I am very happy to have experienced it. It gave me information about myself that I really liked.