Last chance, golden opportunity… “Love is in the meadow” always makes the hearts of farmers beat faster

M6 is preparing to unveil the portraits of the fourteen new farmers of the 18th promotion of “Love is in the meadow”. Parlie them, some see the show as “a last chance” to find someone to accompany them in their life in the countryside.

Despite the emergence and rise of dating sites and then dating apps, loneliness still weighs heavily on these professions. While some have never known love, others, cornered by the workload incumbent on them or isolated from their animals, fail to bounce back after several decades of celibacy.

“An unexpected chance”

“For me to participate in “Love is in the meadow” is an unexpected chance, it’s an opportunity that almost no one has in their life”, confides Romeo to 20 minutes. This 46-year-old farmer is delighted to discover his face on his television screen, surrounded by his friends. For his part, David evokes “one last chance”. This 42-year-old suckler cow breeder has only had a brief love affair and has been single for most of his life. “I know that we can trust the production because they manage everything upstream, so there are no bad surprises,” he rejoices.

Despite their attempts, these two farmers fail to find a woman to accompany them in their life punctuated by work on the farm. Disillusioned but full of hope since knowing that they will participate in “Love is in the meadow”, David and Romeo illustrate the distress of certain farmers in the great field of love. “When we select the profiles of singles, we always ask ourselves the question of how they could find love without the show,” explains Déborah Huet, director of programs for Fremantle France, which produces the show.

Since the launch of the program with the first portraits broadcast on September 8, 2005, the number of applications received by the team in charge of selecting single farmers has never decreased.

“When you say you are a farmer, they run away”

And this despite the rise of dating sites that flourish on the Internet, then applications designed to overcome the loneliness of some agricultural professionals. “Often, they live in villages, sometimes very isolated, so it’s difficult to meet new people”, explains Déborah Huet. Working hours on the farm can also be a hindrance to certain encounters. “Often, they have long days, almost no holidays or weekends… This limits evenings and outings. »

“Dating sites and social networks, I don’t really like that. Taking pictures, telling what I do, it’s not my thing, ”explains Clément, 26 years old. This young farmer says he has “never really known love” and hopes that the M6 ​​program will give him the meeting he is waiting for. For his part, David has already created a profile on several platforms. “The few girls who came into contact with me weren’t good girls,” he recalls. They asked me for money and were not sincere, I quickly saw that they were trying to trick me. »

On his farm located about 40 kilometers from Lyon, Romeo says he has already tried everything. Sites such as Meetic or Badoo, where he “has nothing to hide because [il] is not Brad Pitt”, to marriage agencies. “The few women who dare to speak to you, when you tell them that you are a farmer, they run away. » Is the profession of farmer unattractive at first glance? “It may not be a job that throws off, there are a lot of clichés about us”, recognizes Clément. During confinement, Romeo went so far as to register with a marriage agency in Russia, thinking of maximizing his chances abroad. Hope appeared when a Russian came to spend a week on his farm. But it is the disillusion that has been at the rendezvous. “With hindsight, I tell myself that when things don’t get done, it’s because they shouldn’t have been done and if it had worked, it would be very complicated today with what is happening in Ukraine. “, relativizes this bon vivant.

“Finding someone is the ultimate goal”

So many brakes to which are sometimes added life events causing a tumble in self-confidence. “At some point, they withdraw into themselves, saying to themselves: ‘How can I seduce? I no longer have the keys!’ “, testifies Déborah Huet who has rubbed shoulders with dozens of them for four years.

For 18 seasons, “Love is in the meadow” has been the starting point for unexpected stories, even when the situation seemed hopeless. In season 14, Didier had never known love or even kissed a woman before participating in the show. This 56-year-old Aveyronnais farmer had only received two letters. Among them, that of Isabelle with whom he then experienced several years of tenderness. Same thing for Hervé who ended season 17 as a couple with Stéphanie while he confided that he was still a virgin to Karine Le Marchand in his portrait, released several months earlier.

So many examples that make the eyes of the new promotion shine. “I really hope to find someone,” apprehends Clément. Even if he had to leave this experience alone, Romeo is already looking forward to “widening his circle” by meeting the participants in previous seasons and does not despair of catching the eye of a viewer afterwards. “Perhaps women from my area or elsewhere will say to themselves: ‘This guy, he’s not bad.’ “For the shy David, being on the show can only be beneficial. “If I can’t find anyone, maybe that will give me a little more courage for later,” he smiles. It may make me want to risk more and help me for a future relationship. »

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