His book, his private life, his TV projects... The confidences of Laurent Maistret

After “Koh-Lanta”, “Dance with the stars”, “Ninja Warrior”, “District Z”, “Fort Boyard” or even “Le Meilleur âtissier”,

took up the challenge of “Mask Singer” on TF1.

If we knew him to have great dancing skills, he was able to bluff the public as well as the jury of investigators with relatively successful vocal performances.

Hidden in the costume of the knight, the one who has just released a book of advice to take care of his body and his mind (

, published by Marabout) was eliminated, without demerit, at the end of the fifth evening. .

To discover

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LE FIGARO.

- How did the idea come to write this book?

I joined an agency, Match Agency, with which I do various collaborations and which accompanies me in my work.

During the broadcast of "Koh-Lanta, the legend" in November 2021, the proposal was made to me to write this book.

This is something that had already been suggested to me four years ago but I still didn't know what to do.

The goal was not to write an autobiographical story because I don't really like talking about myself.

I thought about what I would like to tell and share.

On my social networks, people often ask me about my sports programs and how I manage to keep smiling all the time.

So I wanted to answer these two questions.

How did the construction of this book go with your publisher, Marabout?

We got along very well.

We gathered our ideas by talking a lot.

It was important for me to be accompanied in this book by someone who was both my coach and my physiotherapist, Xavier Zenatti.

I talk about me and my sports programs, I deliver advice that has all been read and validated by Xavier.

You talk a lot about the importance of your mother, whom you recently lost, of your sisters but very little about your father...

I talk a little about him... I have a lot to tell about him though , I participated in "Koh-Lanta" thanks to him, to please him and show him that I really had the niaque.

He often told me that it was important to be brave.

I wanted to show him, through the show, that of course I didn't have the baccalaureate and I didn't study for a long time, but that I am capable of having courage, of surpassing myself and of go very far.

I talked more about my mother because I lived with her a lot more after my parents separated and she passed away recently.

My "smile" comes more from

Today, is your father proud of you and your career?

He's never really 100% satisfied, but he's proud of me.

Whenever I participated in “Koh-Lanta” or other shows, he talked about it to everyone around him.

My dad is my biggest promoter!

(Laughs.) I like him a lot, he brought me a lot of things.

His way of upbringing was maybe a bit harsh but that was a good thing.

I might have taken a wrong turn if he hadn't been there.

“Initially, I had to participate in “Mask Singer” with a hamburger costume”

Laurent Maistret

Between the broadcast of “Koh-Lanta, the legend” a year ago and the filming of “Apprentice adventurers” in Thailand for W9, when did the proposal for “Mask Singer” arrive?

The filming of “Mask Singer” took place in July and the production contacted me in May to ask me if I would be tempted to participate.

I never accept anything on the spot, I always take the time to reflect and see what benefit I was going to be able to draw from this experience.

The challenge of singing while being disguised with the possibility of being able to have fun finally pleased me.

I was going to be able to exploit my showman side by dancing to music that I like, that of the 80s. My goal in life is to have new experiences and have fun.

At the time of filming, you were broadcasting on W9 with “Les Apprentis aventuriers”, were you able to talk about it beforehand with the M6 ​​group?

No, insofar as my participation in “Mask Singer” had to remain confidential.

I figured that wasn't going to be a problem and it turns out there wasn't.

With the M6 ​​group, I work as an animator and, on TF1, I was simply there as a candidate, as was the case in "Le grand concours des animators" with Arthur or in "Fort Boyard" by the past on France 2.

How was the reflection for the choice of the costume?

Initially, I had to participate in “Mask Singer” with a hamburger costume!

(Laughs.) It was fun but I was moderately hot.

I didn't have a range of outfit choices available because it's a lot of work.

I was offered a costume that was available and it turned out that I was very limited to perform in this hamburger outfit.

And finally, the production came back to me with this proposal for a knight from a somewhat dark universe that allowed me to dance as I wanted.

Compared to the other candidates, I have a less magical and sympathetic outfit.

I liked to differentiate myself by being both “dark” and funny.

In my portrait, it

To hide your involvement in the "Apprentis Aventuriers", you made your Instagram followers believe you were on a diving course abroad.

What was your strategy for “Mask Singer”?

During the broadcast, I always fled the subject a little and diverted what could be said about me.

It amused me.

No one was aware of my involvement in "Mask Singer" and I did not have to do anything in particular to preserve this secret.

I said nothing, even when my relatives ended up burning me watching the show.

I was surprised that so many people managed to recognize my voice and my body language.

I was happy to see that I was able to mark the public in a certain way.

“I hope that what I have been able to do and accomplish will give my son a taste for challenge and adventure”

Laurent Maistret

How did your son Liam experience your participation in "Mask Singer"?

He was like a madman, he watched everything!

This is really the character he would have chosen.

He really likes the Marvel universe and

, like me he likes the roles of the bad guys.

Liam will soon be 11 years old and, since very young, he has seen me in all my adventures.

It really pleased him that I chose this dark knight.

I hope that what I have been able to do and accomplish will give him a taste for challenge and adventure.

My goal has never been to make television, but to try things that are out of the ordinary.

How did you feel

It took a long time to arrive and I had a panic attack.

It's as if you were caught red-handed when doing something stupid.

From the start, I asked myself how I should behave so as not to be burnt out.

I tried to confuse them by doing break dancing to make them believe that I was maybe Brahim Zaibat or Philippe Candeloro movements.

But, all of a sudden, my name came out!

One of the clues in your portrait suggested that you were a singer...

Yes, I said you could find me in record stores because I was part of a disco group in 2006, Disco Factory.

We were four to embody this group but we did not sing, we were only dancers.

We had done two tours, we had sung with Patrick Hernandez and great singers of the 80s. Very few people knew that I had done that.

My first TV was with Disco Factory, I had been on a show hosted by Cauet.

"'Dancing with the Stars' is the highest-grossing show"

Laurent Maistret

Your elimination from “Mask Singer” seems to have left you with a bitter taste at the time,

...

It was in a humorous tone.

I was especially disgusted not to have been able to do my choreography on a title of Michael Jackson.

But I accepted it without bitterness.

Between “Koh-Lanta”, “Dance with the stars” and “Mask Singer”, which show brings in the most money?

Without hesitation "Dancing with the stars", especially since I had gone to the end of my season by winning it at the end.

In any case, it is certainly not “Koh-Lanta”!

(Laughs.)

Will your experience as host of “Apprentis Aventuriers” be followed up on W9?

It was the first time that I held the reins of a show alone, I trained a lot beforehand and it went very well.

I found myself facing candidates who are used to doing TV and want to be talked about so it could have been complicated.

But I handled it well and it went really well.

I had a lot of fun and the challenge was met.

I would love to do it again and there should be a sixth season of “Apprentis Aventuriers” on W9, a second with me hosting.

I would also love to one day be able to host a fun show with my friend Claude (Dartois, editor's note) made up of enriching encounters.