His repeated “It’s screwed up” and “I didn’t understand anything” made the faithful of Beijing Express during season 15 broadcast last year. His abandonment, at the end of the third episode, then upset them, because his departure also involved that of his teammate, Vanessa… Be that as it may, Etienne has become a figure in the M6 adventure game. The 54-year-old Antibes doctor will return to the show for a show, this Thursday evening, as a “disability” of the pair of unknowns.
Nathalie and Angie remained in the competition despite their defeat in the last final duel because the event was “non-eliminatory” but they are not completely out of the woods. In this new episode, their place in the program will depend on Etienne’s performance. It is he who will have to stop and find accommodation for them on the way to Paraguay… 20 minutes contacted this iconoclastic candidate to ask him how he experienced this particular role but also how he manages his television notoriety.
When the production called you to come back to “Beijing Express”, what did you say to yourself?
That was normal (laughs). It made sense given what happened last year. They always talk to me about Beijing Express and I am associated with the program enormously, although I have only made three appearances. So I had other things to do on this show. I liked the idea of coming back. There, I knew the concept and it was not in the same circumstances as last year. This time it was more a game than a competition and it suited me better.
You return as the “handicap” of the unknown pair. Your role will be to lead their race for them. Were you instructed to stop them?
I didn’t go there to be the “handicap” – the term doesn’t matter to me – but to play. I did as I felt or as I could.
How was your cohabitation with Nathalie and Angie?
I especially adapted to them. Nathalie is very talkative. It doesn’t necessarily suit me because it’s like “We’re in our fifties and we’re going there, we’re moving in all directions” and that’s not really my thing. Angie was more withdrawn. She didn’t say anything but she was seething so much that I felt everything she could think of and it didn’t necessarily match.
In particular, you had to hitchhike for them. Without saying too much about what happens in the episode, were you comfortable in this exercise?
The stop, in Beijing Express, it’s something that needs to be changed a little bit, I think. I must be too nice. I’m not aggressive enough. For me, it either works or it doesn’t. We are trying to move forward, but not at all costs. When a driver tells me “no”, I don’t insist. I don’t speak three words of Spanish and I hate that language, so I didn’t make an effort.
Returning to “Beijing Express” was a way of exorcising your abandonment last year?
Last season has nothing to do with this one. What I shared with Vanessa was more complicit, we were together 24/7. We got along well because we had a good spread. And we had the same sense of racing. Vanessa is also not a very big competitor. She was taking her time. In finding cars, she wasn’t much better than me.
Do you regret giving up?
Oh well yes! I really like the concept of Beijing Express but it’s hard psychologically. With Vanessa, we arrived in the last each time and, for me, it was complicated to live. You have to go there with more mentality than I had last year. We must remain a big boy, valiant and continue.
Your participation in the show has had a strong impact on the public. How do you manage this notoriety?
It is very funny. I lend myself to the game, I take selfies, I respond to people on social networks. I did Beijing Express for me, not for others or TV. I wanted to experience very different things, I was very happy about it, even if the return was psychologically difficult. During the broadcast, with the first two episodes, I made people laugh, and as long as they had a good time, it was the most enjoyable for me. Even if they don’t give a damn about me, as long as it’s not mean, I find it rather pleasant. I knew that the third episode was going to displease and that was more difficult to manage. The abandonment marked but since the Beijing Express of celebrities was programmed in stride [la saison 16, sous-titrée « duos de choc », avec des personnalités a été diffusée cet été]it settled down.
Do you think the show misrepresented you to the public?
Well, I don’t care. People made me the image they wanted! We are not responsible for the sequences that are broadcast. Maybe this year I’m going to be completely ridiculous and not funny – I’m not funny all the time. But I am myself, I do not play a role.
Have you kept in touch with Vanessa?
Yes. She’s the one who sends me messages rather than the other way around. We each have our lives, our constraints, we don’t have the same age or the same rhythm or the same desires… We haven’t seen each other again but we WhatsApp each other from time to time. There, since my return to the show was announced, I haven’t heard from her so I don’t know if she’s happy or not. I didn’t call her either, it must be said… There, I already receive messages from people saying that I was a bastard and that it was not fair that it was me who came back, that Vanessa should have been in my place…
Would you be ready to participate in an “all stars” edition of “Beijing Express”?
it depends on what the production wants in the all stars. If she only wants warriors, I won’t be selected, that’s obvious (laughs). But I would happily do it again. Maybe I would accept the awkward moments better or manage better psychologically. What I want is for people to have a good time watching me. Rather, M6 or another channel should offer me a small series where I wouldn’t appear all the time – because I don’t need to be in the picture all the time – but where the public would expect him to something happens with my character, which would be endearing over the episodes. It has to be a bit thrilling, people are waiting for the sequel. This year, I was a bit frustrated that I only appeared during one stage of Beijing Express.