Laura and Alexandra were eliminated at the gates of the 'Beijing Express' season 17 finale.
The two young women lost to the duos formed by Alexandre and Chirine and Céline and Xavier.
The pairs present in the semi-finals were all in possession of a black envelope and that belonging to the two sisters proved to be eliminatory.
Combative and very athletic, the two young women were formidable candidates throughout the competition.
They talk about their journey and their adventure.
TV
MAGAZINE.
- How did you experience your elimination?
LAURA.
-
The closer we get to the final, the more we believe in it.
During the last race, we were so happy not to have a black envelope that we regained hope, so it was very hard.
Afterwards, we made the choice not to do the bungee jump and, if we didn't want this envelope, we had to jump.
ALEXANDRA. -
Our main competitors were Clément and Émeline and when they were eliminated, we allowed ourselves to believe in our luck.
Each pair had an envelope so we really hoped that the envelope would not be eliminatory… In general, we are lucky.
We fell from very, very high.
Read alsoNathalie and Angie eliminated from “Beijing Express”: “There was a lot of racism”
Do you regret not having bungee jumped?
A. - I really thought about it and I really wouldn't have been able to do it.
Already at 20 m it was hell, so at 50 it was beyond my strength.
I was disgusted.
But before leaving, I had told Laura that I would do everything except bungee jumping.
L. - It was his only condition for three years that we postulated.
In the previous episode, Alexander and Shirin protected you from the red flag. Do you understand the outrage of viewers?
L. - When you see the episodes, you can understand except that there was also an alliance between Xavier and Céline and Clément and Émeline.
If they had had the flag, it would have been the same.
So yes we were criticized but the flag is there to be played.
In the episode, we don't see everything because there isn't time, but there are strategies that haven't been shown.
Clément and Émeline made sure that Xavier and Céline arrived last, we didn't see that either.
How was your alliance born?
L. - The alliance was created with the Narbonnais cousins with whom we fell in love and who were on the ballot from the first secret choice.
They got along well with Alexandre and Chirine so the three of us started to be together.
We got on really well with Angie and we took her and Nathalie into the alliance.
“We said to ourselves that if we won, we would give part of our winnings to Alexandre and Chirine”
Laura, candidate for “Beijing Express”
If you had gone to the final, would you have shared your winnings with Alexandre and Chirine?
L. - We didn't talk about sharing with them but with Alexandra, we said to ourselves that if we won, we would give part of our winnings to Alexandre and Chirine.
As it was Angie's dream to go to Brazil, we wanted to pay her a trip there.
We were also thinking of taking a ticket to Paris for the young woman who was our handicap.
What relationship do you have with the other candidates?
L. - We all really have very strong ties, even outside of our alliance.
The proof, when Clément and Émeline were eliminated, they gave us their amulets.
Xavier and Céline came to Paris recently and we all met in the evening in a restaurant to see each other for a few hours.
We also went to Béziers at Clément.
A. - On social networks, people say that there are a lot of alliances this year and that nobody is nice but frankly everyone got along well.
Everyone knew the difference between what happened during the game and outside.
Read also“It would be unbearable”: Bruce Toussaint and Marc-Olivier Fogiel, next pair of “Beijing Express”?
What did "Beijing Express" mean to you?
L. - It's our childhood dream.
We've been watching the show since the first season.
At the time, we were 8 and 10 years old.
It's been three years in a row that we presented ourselves at the casting.
It was the adventure of our life.
A. - More than winning, the important thing was to be able to take part in the show.
We have no regrets because we went to Rio, we lived the whole adventure which was incredible.
Were there things that surprised you that were harder than you imagined?
L. - Everything!
We did not realize how complicated the search for accommodation was.
The first night, it took us three and a half hours to find accommodation.
We were cold, we hadn't eaten all day, there was the altitude, fatigue and stress... We ended up sleeping two on the ground, without having had dinner.
The next day, during the immunity test, Alexandra passed out… It was 100 times harder than we imagined.
A. - On television, we see the human dimension more than the difficulties.
We really thought we were going to fly over the adventure, that it would be quiet.
We didn't expect it to be so difficult.
What were your assets in this adventure?
L. - The love we have for “Beijing Express”!
We're a fan and we wanted to do it for so long that we outdid ourselves.
A. - Our complicity was our strength but also the Spaniard.
I speak well because I lived six months in Colombia during the college years.
At the beginning, we were told that the cars stopped because we were women, but what really helped us was being able to explain well what we wanted.
What did you learn about yourself and your sister?
A. - In everyday life, I take care of everything, people count on me a lot.
There, I really saw that I could rely on Laura and that did me good.
Thanks to this adventure, we are more tolerant towards each other.
L. - We understand each other better.
In life, we are really dog and cat.
We are constantly banging our heads.
While during “Beijing Express”, we quickly realized that as soon as we argued over events, we were not moving forward.
Today we argue less too.
How was your return?
L. - It was very strange because we left for a month and a half and we lose habits, we pick up new ones.
My first reaction when I got home was to tell myself that I was hungry, I had lost the reflex to go get something from the fridge!
A. - Me, I feel like I got used to my old life again in two seconds as if nothing had happened…
L. - What was funny is that, as soon as we got back, we all wanted to see each other again.
I saw Angie, Alexandre and Chirine again before best friends, the day after our arrival.
“I received death threats, really violent things.
»
Laura, candidate for “Beijing Express”
What bond have you forged with Alexandre and Chirine?
L. - It's like our family.
If I don't see them for a week, I'm not well.
We've known each other for six months but it feels like it's been forever.
A. - It usually takes time to trust people and become friends.
There, we were in situations where we see immediately if the person is there for you or not.
How do you live notoriety?
L. - It's weird because we know we're nobody and there are people who ask us for photos, children who come with stars in their eyes... It's nice.
A. - I just came back from India and a lot of people recognized me on the plane and at the airport, it's weird.
I also have patients who tell me
“did I see you on the show?”.
It's pleasant.
To read also "I will not worry about girlfriends": after his return to "Beijing Express", Étienne balances on Angie and Nathalie
You are a very criticized pair, how do you live it?
L. - The production and former candidates like Laetitia (season 12) and Rose-Marie (season 14) had warned us that the female duos have plenty of haters every year.
As soon as our profile came out, we were called the female dog and pussy sisters.
What is hard is that we said that we were favored by the production.
Last year, the Belgian brothers won all the events and no one told them they were boosted.
Two strong women bother… At first, it bothered me but in the end, it's a tiny part of the population that takes the trouble to criticize and then, you end up getting used to it.
The people we meet are happy to see us.
A. - It annoyed me because frankly we fought as best we could.
After all, you can't be loved by everyone.
What mattered to me was that my loved ones recognize me in the adventure and find me good.
Did you expect so many reviews?
L. - We knew there would be criticism, but not to this extent.
I even received death threats, really violent things.
In these cases, we always have the psychologist at our disposal if we need to talk.
Laetitia told me that there were even people who came to her work, took pictures and sent them to her.
I was afraid for Alexandra because her practice is very easy to find.
But the production and the former candidates told us that people talk a lot but do nothing.
A. - Our adventure ended tonight, people will find someone else to criticize.
And at least, with our defeat, people will see that we are not boosted!
