Bitterness and acidity took over from sweet macaroons. The press conference for the Miss France 2023 competition was held in the Ladurée salons on the Champs-Elysées, this Friday afternoon. This elegant decor was not enough to mask the tensions between Alexia Laroche-Joubert, who has arrived in recent months at the presidency of the Miss France Society, and Sylvie Tellier who will officially and definitively give up her place as general manager after the election broadcast on December 17 on TF1.
“Let’s burst the abscess: are you angry? “has ventured a colleague. “I have a 9mm under the table,” joked Sylvie Tellier before assuring that between them, everything is fine. “I made the choice to leave the organization. I am delighted that Alexia is returning to my duties. I will remain Miss France all my life, ”continued the one who was crowned in 2021.
“Cindy Fabre is one of the Misses I don’t know”
A little later, she confided that she had “suffered” from being criticized by Geneviève de Fontenay: “She judged a lot of things and I don’t want to reproduce the same thing”. She nevertheless recalled that she was opposed to changes in the regulations, under the leadership of Alexia Laroche-Joubert, in order to allow married women and women with children to present their candidacy because she considers that “this is not compatible with the status of Miss. »
On his relations with Cindy Fabre, new director of the competition since the end of August, Sylvie Tellier gave the impression that it was necessary to read between the lines. “She was Miss France, so she has all the legitimacy to represent the brand,” she said. She’s one of the Misses I don’t know, I’ve never worked with her. I will be at her disposal if she has any questions but, for the moment, she does not seem to have any, so it is rather reassuring. It’s that she has it under control and that it seems to be going very well. »
“You mean you’re not mine?” ! »
The tension went up a notch soon after. Sylvie Tellier declared that “The Misses do not belong to anyone”. Alexia Laroche-Joubert then exclaimed “You mean you’re not mine? ! », taking her arm, leaving her speechless. Small moment of hesitation. “Oh la la, sorry, I’m kidding”, tried to catch up with the one who wanted to joke.
A few moments later, when the ex-Miss France corrected her neighbor by telling her that it was appropriate, regarding trans people, to speak of “change of marital status” rather than “sex change”, c It was with a touch of condescension that Alexia Laroche-Joubert retorted “Thank you Sylvie, it’s so nice of you to take up the trick again”. Vibe.
“I can’t let you say that”
The breaking point came after half an hour of press conference. A journalist praised the way in which Sylvie Tellier had contributed to modernizing the election. Alexia Laroche-Joubert then cut it off: “Sylvie was not working on the show but on the competition. »
Reaction of the interested party tit for tat and taken aback: “I was not working on the show? OK okay… I can’t let you say that. I was the general manager of the Society, so I worked on the show. For seventeen years. »
“But you weren’t working on the production of the show,” relaunched the new president of the Miss France Society.
Sylvie Tellier then turned to artistic producer Frédéric Gilbert. “We all worked together,” he said, taken aback.
Alexia Laroche-Joubert to continue: “Excuse me if I offended you. “Yes, you upset me.” I have a lot of consideration but you also have to have consideration for all the work that has been done over seventeen years. » Close the ban. Two minutes later, the press conference ended in front of an audience of somewhat flabbergasted journalists.
A tattooed Miss, a first
This day was not easy for Alexia Laroche-Joubert. In the morning, she spoke before the Bobigny industrial tribunal because the association Osez le féminisme began legal proceedings in October 2021, from the perspective of labor law, against the election of Miss France, which she considers “sexist”. The decision will be made on January 6.
“It’s good that it happens after the show. Last year, [la polémique] had taken up a lot of space and as I did not at all agree with what was reproached, I found that it polluted, “said the president of the Miss France Society during the press conference.
However, the rules of the competition have changed for this edition. The organization no longer imposes an age limit to participate (until then, you had to be 25 years old maximum) and is open to married women and mothers. Tattoos are also no longer grounds for eviction, as are naked photos if they are intended for a good cause (breast cancer awareness, for example). Among the thirty women vying for the title of Miss France 2023, at least three could not have participated under the aegis of the previous rules: Miss Calédonie and Miss Picardie are 26 years old and Miss Languedoc has a tattoo on her wrist that she can leave it visible if she wishes. We don’t know if Sylvie Tellier would have agreed with that.