Thierry Guillaume, the producer of
“Pékin Express”
, and his teams are teasing.
Every year, they invent new rules to surprise the candidates and add a little spice to this recipe that has been proven for almost two decades.
To discover
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M6 will launch, on February 8, season 18 of its adventure program called “In the footsteps of the golden tiger”.
It will take place in Asia with a route crossing three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, and a final event in Hanoi.
Last year, the show signed its second best ever season among those under 50, attracting an average of 2.7 million viewers.
Also read “Beijing Express”: discover the journey of the next season of the M6 adventure game
The white flag to spice up the game
Building on this success, the production racked its brains to bring new twists and turns.
It thus implemented the “White Flag” rule: the team which has it in its possession at the finish of the stage will be exempt from the final duel.
“Production is there to destabilize the candidates”
Stéphane Rotenberg
But the difficulty will be to keep it throughout the day because if the holders are spotted, they can have it stolen by another pair.
“It starts big games of hide and seek.
Artistically, it's gold for us
, laughs
Stéphane Rotenberg
, the presenter of the show.
The candidates know the program very well and try to prepare for everything.
Production is there to destabilize them.”
A new feature that replaces “The secret choice” introduced last year.
Also read “I lost 8 kilos…”: what do the “Beijing Express” candidates really eat during their adventure?
Talking with ten marshmallows in your mouth
The other rules which traditionally punctuate the program will always be present such as “The red flag”, which stops the teams, “The black flag”, which imposes the final duel on the pair who holds it or “The infernal roulette” .
Filmed by the presenter, the latter imposes constraints on the pairs such as remaining silent for a certain time or speaking with ten marshmallows in their mouths, a new feature this year.
“The forbidden car”, “The chili express” and “The express quiz” will also be present this season.
“We want to offer family entertainment so that viewers have fun.
We always try to return to childish things in our events that will speak to and amuse as many people as possible
,” explains Thierry Guillaume, the game’s producer.
Also read: Céline and Xavier winners of “Pékin Express”: “We weren’t in the strategy”
Twins and a grandfather and his granddaughter among the candidates
Like every year, the main novelty remains the candidates.
Sixteen participants, aged 19 to 67, are taking part in this season 18. As always, the profiles and links prove to be varied with a grandfather and his granddaughter, colleagues, twin brothers (the third since the launch of the show), a father and his daughter, sisters and two pairs of friends.
The pair of strangers, uniting a sports coach and a bon vivant, promises to be particularly funny and explosive.
Quite rare in the program, there are, however, no couples among the candidates.
Etienne and Vanessa back...
The latest novelty will arrive in the second part of the evening.
This time, M6 will not offer the traditional “Itinéraire bis” during which former candidates set off on an adventure again but will launch “Debrief Express, return to the race”, a program in the vein of “L’amour vu du pré” broadcast after “ Love is in the meadow".
Participants from the current season but also ex-pairs of the program will watch today's episode and react to the strongest sequences.
The program will also offer new moments and bloopers.
The inimitable Étienne - who abandoned during season 15 - and his partner Vanessa with whom he formed the pair of unknowns will participate in this program just like Julie and Denis, the winners of the All Star show in 2020, or even Thomas and Mathieu, the lumberjack brothers from season 12.