After 40 days of adventure, Jacques bows out. The 38-year-old professional dancer did not qualify for the poles. Indeed, at the end of the orienteering race, Cécile and Jacques were ousted. Near PurepeopleJacques returns to his . He talks in particular about the famous orienteering race but also his role as a strategist, his frustration at not climbing the posts and his return to reality after the game.
Why did you choose to head towards the white tree area and not another?
It appealed to me visually. I thought it would be easier to find a tree. It called me.
It happens that some adventurers tell each other in advance not to encroach on the other’s zone, as an agreement… Was that the case here?
No, I don’t remember that. I headed to this place really by choice. I haven’t watched Koh-Lanta enough to know that it was happening.
You, like Cécile, seem lost in the research. What happened?
I was convinced that it was going to happen like that. I get lost when I’m on the street near my house. There was no way I was going to get away with it in the forest. I easily and quickly found the remarkable tree and then lost it. Afterwards, it was hell. 40 days of adventure, fatigue, I had almost three sleepless nights… I was no longer in control of my body or my brain.
When you finally find the beacon, Cécile decides not to return to the orientation table. What do you think of this behavior?
It’s a game. It may have offended me a little at the time. But I let it slide because we realize that there is no longer a minute to lose, that one or the other will end up finding it. Stress takes over. To save time, she followed me… I understood, I didn’t feel betrayed.
How did you feel when Charlotte found the last dagger?
When I saw it coming, I told myself that it was going to be even more complicated and that I had to hurry! Then at the precise moment when she finds the dagger, I am disappointed but so proud of my journey that I congratulate her. I tell myself that I have no right to complain since I got there when I originally thought I would last three hours. Just pride. But today, it’s very complicated for me to accept that I lost at that moment, for a stupid mistake. I found the remarkable tree, the marker but I was wrong, I counted the steps in another place… It’s terrible because I know that behind me I would have reached the posts. So I blame myself.
What would have been your strengths on the posts?
Honestly, balance is my life. There are people who have fragile or unaccustomed feet. This is not my case. , my feet are used to contact with the ground, to suffer. I won the star test. I don’t want to be pretentious and say I’m sure I would have won but there was a good chance.
After the orienteering race, you have a word for Frédéric. What role did he play in your adventure?
He is a big brother to me, my godfather of adventure. Frédéric is an extraordinary person. I dedicate my longevity in the game to him because it’s thanks to him. He gave me a lot of strength, he lifted me up when I was down. He also gave me a lot of advice. It’s thanks to him that I fought so hard.
What do you say to those who call you “hypocrite“and of”faux” ?
People are so stupid that it doesn’t shock me at all. We’re in a game, we have to make alliances and strategies, that’s all I can say. I was loyal to the team to which I made a promise. I didn’t promise anything to others. People just need to remember my journey, what I put in place to win. If there had been promises on my part that I didn’t keep, I would have been able to hear the criticism. There, I don’t understand. But it’s part of a world with haters, jealous and hateful people. I’ve been dealing with this since I was little so I’m used to it.
…
Yes, absolutely, it’s true. This is the only small downside of my adventure. Very quickly, it was decided to create a strategy. I was discovering adventure, I didn’t know that alliances had to be made so early. And then, very quickly, with Frédéric, we realized that we had made a mistake and we retraced our steps. In my journey, I have been loyal but there is this small and only moment where I made a mistake. I kept explaining myself to my comrades who told me that they understood and that ultimately it wasn’t so bad to have done that.
What was the hardest thing for you on the island?
The hardest part was the lack of food, not being able to eat as much as I wanted. I am a high level athlete as a dancer. The body becomes weak and exhausted, the mind too. But I held on mentally, I felt super strong and determined. On the other hand, the body does not. Not having to eat was a torture, a horror.
How did the return to reality go?
The noise, the people, the telephone, that didn’t pose a problem for me. What was really difficult was eating again. I was completely crazy. I’m not binge eating at all anymore – because that’s actually what I had at the end of my adventure. I couldn’t control my food intake. I was very sick afterwards because I ate so much. During the game, I lost between 7 and 10 kilos, I don’t remember exactly.
As a professional dancer, have you regained your previous physical condition?
No, I didn’t get my body back from before. Because I took a break, I chose not to continue straight away. After Koh LantaI promised my friends who have boutiques that I would help them for the summer. A promise that was made six months in advance, when I didn’t even know that I would participate in Koh-Lanta. I like to take a little break from my life as an artist, on stage, every summer with them. Then I spent some time with family. There, I am in Marseille. I’m going to slowly return to sport and get back into shape. It’s true that I haven’t done much since the end of the game (laughs), sportingly speaking I mean.
Among the three finalists, who do you want to see win and why?
At this precise stage of the adventure, I am waiting to listen to their speeches, to retrace their journey a little with their strengths, what they did on the camp, the tests… The three deserve their place but I don’t really have a favorite, may the best win!
What has changed in your life since then? Koh Lanta ?
I have gained confidence, I have grown, I am able to manage my fears. I tell myself that all the dreams I may have buried within me, I can achieve them with determination and work. At the same time, it’s a bit what I’ve been doing my whole life. But it transformed me into someone stronger, more determined, better.
What are your projects?
I would like to make films, get roles, make people laugh, do TV, continue in this television world. I dream of doing Dancing with the starsit would be to close the chapter of the dancer. It’s a career that ends early, I’m reaching the end. I would love to do Fort Boyard because it’s not too far from where I live and it’s a show that I’ve always watched and love. In summary, I would like to pursue this career as an artist, actor and humorist.
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