Orly Airport.
That morning, the group did not go unnoticed.
Thirty young women dressed in striped sailors head for the Air Caraïbes counter.
Destination Pointe-à-Pitre, in Guadeloupe, to prepare for the
Miss France
competition .
All the candidates for the election, which will be held on Saturday December 17 at MACH 36 in Déols, near Châteauroux, hope to win the crown.
"
Good luck girls
", shout the travelers who meet them on their way.
The phones are focused on the merry troupe when
Diane Leyre
, Miss France 2022, trains them to interpret the anthem of the stay, a cover of the Champs-Élysées by Joe Dassin.
“
Oh 2023… An adventure like Koh-Lanta, except that we sleep in beautiful sheets
“, they sing around the dynamic Parisian of 25 years.
To discover
Miss France 2023: discover the official photos of the 30 candidates
Read alsoSocial networks, alcohol, cigarettes, diet, boyfriends… What are the rules for candidates for Miss France 2023?
Change of tempo on arrival, eight hours later.
Tam-tam and dancers are present to welcome the delegation whose family photo on the tarmac will be unique and symbolic.
This year was marked by the handover at the head of the competition between Sylvie Tellier, who announced her departure at the end of the summer, and Cindy Fabre, chosen to succeed her.
The two former Miss France descend side by side, accompanied by Alexia Laroche-Joubert, the president of the Miss France society.
The atmosphere is cordial and soon the three women join the regional Misses dancing on the red carpet set up in front of the plane.
The Miss France 2023 promotion upon its arrival in Guadeloupe Laurent Vu / Sipa / TF1
Night work for Diane Leyre
The trip begins under the 30 degrees displayed on the mercury.
But this stay is far from resembling a vacation.
Getting up at 6 a.m. and going to bed at 10 p.m., beauty queens have a tight schedule between photo shoots, visits and sports activities.
Diane Leyre is not unemployed either.
At nightfall, she locks herself in her room to participate live in the morning show of Virgin Radio, which she has co-hosted since September with Guillaume Genton and Fabien Delettres.
The five-hour shift obliges, she is still up between 1 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.: “
There is no other female presence than me
, she justifies herself.
I didn't want to be replaced
."
Tireless, Miss France 2022 also wants to retake the general culture test.
“
I am a free candidate!
“, she proudly launches before the evaluation, the third day of the stay, within the Club Med of Sainte-Anne, vacation resort of the promotion.
Fifteen minutes after the start of the test, she returns her paper and obtains the mark of 19/20.
A near-flawless performance that surpasses its score from last year, even if it refuses to give us any details.
“
I had had the average
”, she agrees to answer.
The result of his protégés brings back memories: the winner being Miss Normandy, for the second time in a row, with an excellent score of 17.5/20.
To read also "Cyrano de Bergerac, it's Molière, right?"
: the debrief of the general culture test with the candidates for Miss France 2023
The Miss France 2023 promotion during the general culture test Laurent Vu / Sipa / TF1
Plugs and Aya Nakamura
What about Cindy Fabre's touch during the stay?
It was during the course of Jérémy Côme, alias "Mr. Good Manners", that she spoke.
“Never say bon appétit before a meal
,” teaches this specialist in French manners.
The candidates can't believe it.
“
Oh good?
No need to bring a gift to a dinner party?
Not even flowers or a bottle of wine?
“, is surprised Sarah Aoutar, Miss Lorraine, taken aback.
"
Lorraine, you're playing Santa Claus at a party, are you?"
“reacts the coach mischievously.
He who, like the rest of the staff, calls the Misses by their scarf and not by their first name.
A rule naturally applied by the girls among themselves as well.
Read also“If I see one make a slice of foie gras or butter…”: how good manners are instilled in candidates for Miss France 2023
The new boss of the competition is passionate about this master class, asking a multitude of questions.
At the end, she shares, as an aside, an observation with Jérémy Côme.
"
The course is a little too formal and would be more appropriate in a situation
," says Cindy Fabre.
A change is already visible this year, on the official photos where no candidate poses hands on the hips.
“
Over, the pose Miss!
“, confirms Frédéric Gilbert, artistic director of the television show.
It is during this stay that the candidates, observed and supervised by two chaperones, reveal themselves or, on the contrary, fade away.
“
They are still shy
“Summarizes Arnaud Sol Dourdin, hairdresser and makeup artist of Miss France.
Their shyness suddenly disappears when returning by bus one evening.
To pass the time in traffic jams, a blind test is improvised.
When Aya Nakamura's song
Pookie
sounds, the girls exult and sing the hit at the top of their voices.
The video then lands on social media.
Jérémy Côme giving a lesson in good manners to the class of 2023 of Miss France Benjamin Decoin / Sipa / TF1
Social media, of course.
During the stay, the news feed of the Misses is flooded with their selfies.
A habit that contrasts with the promotion of Diane Leyre, deprived of Instagram because of their significant alterations.
The class of 2023 takes advantage of its privilege to thank Miss Guadeloupe and her gift addressed to each one, a knit top.
"
I wanted to offer them something original, not just spices
," says Indira Ampiot.
It took me two months to make, in front of the TV, a top requiring four hours
, “says the 18-year-old student, delighted to welcome her competitors to her home island.
Relaxation of the rules
Among the vagaries of the stay, Bérénice Legendre, Miss Picardie, will be bitten in the face by a mosquito.
A minor but disabling accident.
Allergic, the 26-year-old Miss saw her eye double in size, which prevented her from participating in a photo shoot the next day.
Not enough to despair the 26-year-old Amiens, who, a year ago, could not have been there.
The relaxation of the new regulations wanted by Alexia Laroche-Joubert, in particular the abolition of the age limit, now allows her to compete.
Same observation for Miss Languedoc and Miss Nord - Pas-de-Calais, both tattooed.
The latter, Agathe Cauet, unveiled hers during the group photo, immortalized on the beach of Sainte-Anne.
Located on the right groin and representing an arch of flowers, this tattoo, kept secret until then,
has special meaning for the 23-year-old nurse.
"
I had a tumor at 17, a borderline of 9 kg.
And now I have one less ovary.
This tattoo represents him
”, confides the interested party, relieved at the final clap of the photographer.
Before leaving, the young women take a fashion design course.
How should a Miss France dress?
What are the missteps to avoid?
So many questions answered for the first time by Aurore Donguy, the travel stylist for seven years.
Black and green on television are thus prohibited for the elected Miss.
"
There are often green screens and sometimes the presenters are superstitious
", explains the fashion enthusiast, who dresses Chris Marquès in "Dancing with the stars" and Karine Le Marchand in "Love is in the meadow".
From January, this 37-year-old expert will follow the winner to dress her during all her performances.
Aurore Donguy giving a stylist course to the Miss France 2023 promotion in Guadeloupe Laurent Vu / Sipa / TF1
Something to make girls dream.
The day before departure, Éva, 10, dressed in a long sequined pink dress and a scarf, strolls through the Guadeloupe hotel complex in search of the regional Misses.
His mother accompanies him.
“
We knew they were sleeping here and I wanted to surprise my daughter
”, tells us this resident of the archipelago.
The band of Misses spotted, a group photo is organized around the restaurant.
“
That's it, I'm retired
,” jokes Diane Leyre, before addressing the blonde: “
When are you coming?
In 2033?
" The succession is assured.