We forgive her because she is a certain age: for her centenary, Miss France appears on TF1 with a good eight minutes late, at 9:13 p.m.
A direct that begins in emotion, with the parade of former beauty queens: Sonia Rolland, Iris Mittenaere, Linda Hardy, Muguette Fabris, the oldest consecrated, in 1963 ...
The 29 candidates of this 2021 election will follow them on the disco of "We Are Family".
"The Misses are a big family," said Sylvie Tellier, patron of the organization, by way of introduction, after recalling that this ceremony respects a very strict health protocol because of the Covid-19 epidemic. .
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There are only 86 people in the audience.
Whatever, the show is on the huge stage and it is the historic master of ceremonies who launches it, Jean-Pierre Foucault in a suit of light, a sparkling tuxedo jacket which makes Sylvie Tellier happy: "You are from a chic tonight!
She slips.
A deluge of colors and flames
Here we go for the show: videos presenting the candidates (interspersed with very kitsch paintings).
Their names are Lara, Laura, Léa, Julie or Diane and want to become a doctor, dancer, lawyer or journalist.
Many evoke the "challenge" (not very French, that) that this evening represents.
And they tell of their sometimes battered journey: thyroid cancer, bullying, overweight ...
After a video summary of their stay in Versailles, comes the table of regions.
Which reminds us that we are in Puy-du-Fou (Vendée): the Misses follow one another around a swimming pool where fire-eaters are unleashed, where junk musketeers bang hard on golden drums, where dancers snort on a track covered with water.
A deluge of colors and flames to wait before the start of serious business.
It is not yet 11 p.m. and the 29 candidates are still in the running ...