"I can't see myself doing "Koh-Lanta" again, once is enough for me": Maxine Eouzan becomes host of "The Junior Treasure Map"

Two years after her victory in "Koh-Lanta, the secret weapons" on TF1, Maxine Eouzan becomes a host for France Télévisions. The young journalist, a former champion of acrobatic gymnastics, takes the reins of the junior version of "The Treasure Map" on France 4 with two first issues broadcast on May 18 and 19 from 18 pm.

To discover

• Survey - Who is your favorite columnist in "TPMP"?

Filmed in Chantilly and Compiègne, in the Oise, the two shows oppose two pairs of children aged 9 to 12 in a series of puzzles to solve to find the "Rose des vents" and access the treasure. No helicopter or cars to get around as in the adult version of the program but bikes, canoes and running.

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LEFIGARO. - What memories do you have of your adventure in "Koh-Lanta" two years ago?
Maxine EOUZAN. - My adventure had been incredible from beginning to end, I had won events and experienced exceptional comforts. I met fabulous people I still meet today, including Laure whom I consider the sister I never had. Without her, I would never have been able to win "Koh-Lanta". We see each other all the time.

Did you want to share your winnings of 100,000 euros with your accomplices of "Koh-Lanta"?
During the adventure, we told ourselves that whoever wins the game will not owe anything to anyone. But that doesn't stop me from spontaneously inviting Laure to go on holiday with me for example because it makes me happy. I also invited other candidates to spend a big weekend in Marseille after my victory.

What did you do with those 100,000 euros?
When I won "Koh-Lanta", I wanted to do two things: offer my parents a trip and we went to Miami. And invest my money to buy an apartment with my darling (professional tennis player Benjamin Bonzi, editor's note). It is also done since we will become the owner of a home in Marseille, we recover the keys on July 7th.

Has your participation in "Koh-Lanta" changed your daily life, what have you been doing for two years?
It didn't change my job because I'm still a journalist. But it has brought me many opportunities, I work with partner brands of the Olympic Games in particular. "Koh-Lanta" was a nice spotlight. I feel more listened to when I present a project. With my best friend, we will release a show called "Medalists, after games without filter" and which will soon be broadcast on L'Equipe Explore. Since I won "Koh-Lanta", I love my life too much, I am very fulfilled.

"My body was very damaged after 'Koh-Lanta'"

Maxine Eouzan

How did this opportunity to animate the junior version of "The Treasure Map" come about?
It was Alexia Laroche-Joubert who proposed it to me last September, she thought of me to embody the show. She saw me in this version with young people. Everything happened very quickly, I was delighted to take part in it and to play this role of big sister. It was a great opportunity, I met the casting director and the production manager and then two months later I was shooting. It's a job that I'm discovering, I had never hosted a game show before that. I had two days of filming that were as intense as they were rewarding.

Does this make you want to continue TV animation?
For the moment, I have not had any concrete proposals but I want to know other experiences. There are many different things to explore in this profession, in television as in the animation of sporting events. I hope there will be more issues of "The Junior Treasure Map." France 4 is very happy with the result.

What are your other activities?
I am finalizing "Medalists, after games without filter" for L'Equipe Explore, we still have a show to shoot and the broadcast should take place at the end of July. I still have my shows on the Sport en France channel, a weekly on set and one on the field called "Les pépites de Maxou". I have projects to host events, I hosted the Olympic and Paralympic days last year and I hope to do it again this year. It's going to be a very rich year until the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Will we see you again as a candidate in games like "Fort Boyard" or in an all stars of "Koh-Lanta"?
For "Koh-Lanta", this is not planned. It was a great experience, I won but it was so difficult. I struggled the weeks after filming because I had lost a lot of weight and then I gained a lot of it. My body was very damaged after the adventure. I don't see myself doing "Koh-Lanta" again, once is enough for me. I have nothing more to prove. When I went there, I needed to find myself and prove things to myself. It's done and now I enjoy following the new candidates.