Less than a week after arriving in the Philippines, Ari had to pack his bags to return to France. Dismissed by the red tribe led by Ugo, the 51-year-old business leader confided in Voici.fr on his adventure, short but very intense.
Voici.fr: Several months after your premature elimination, have you digested it?
Ari: Yes, I have digested it, but that does not mean that I no longer think about it. I think about it all the time and I think that I will think about it all my life. But I am someone who puts things into perspective, and I am very happy to have participated in this adventure. Between the frustration of having left early, and the happiness of having had this adventure, it is happiness that largely prevails.
You stayed less than a week on the island, do you feel that your comrades were unable to understand you?
The problem we had in our team is that we all got along very well. Except that in Koh-Lanta, you have to eliminate someone, even if everyone gets along, even if no one is unworthy. I wasn’t the youngest, not the most athletic. Among the boys, I was the least athletic, it must be admitted. Among the girls, it was a priori Marie. The girls managed to stay united and save Marie. Affinities also play a role in Koh-Lanta, I can’t blame them. Alexandre made a choice, not necessarily the right one in my eyes.
Before the council, some people mentioned your lack of involvement. Do you think you could have been more present, especially during the events?
I don’t think I did badly, but I have a little anecdote. In the catapult event, I wasn’t good, but many of my comrades didn’t hit any targets either. We went one after the other, and each time I passed Cassandre and Sarah, who couldn’t compete in the event, I gave them a little smile of solidarity. I think that smile was misinterpreted and that some thought that I was having fun, that I wasn’t giving it my all.
Do you think that your job as a business leader could have been an asset to establish yourself as a leader in your team?
I’m a bit of a strategist, and as a strategist, I wouldn’t have wanted to be a leader. For me, a good strategy is to not get noticed too much. And I still had characters like Ugo or Gustin in my team, who have natural leadership, it wouldn’t have been in my interest to take the lead.
You were chosen by Ugo to join the red team, were you happy to join his team?
I was very happy, I had spoken about him during the casting saying that he was a reference for me in the adventurers of Koh-Lanta. I also appreciated Frédéric, his intelligence in the game. When I was eliminated, I told myself that I would have preferred to be in Frédéric’s team because with the yellows, there was not this harmony that we had with the reds. I think that I would have gone unnoticed more easily with the yellows and I would have stayed much longer. But on Koh-Lanta, luck is also a big factor.
Was Ugo faithful to the person you had imagined?
100%. He is a simple person, not pretentious, not haughty. He was close to the team, always involved, always in action. I was very proud to be at his side. One of my last moments in the adventure before the vote was a spear fishing party with him. I said to myself: “You are in the Philippines with Ugo from Koh-Lanta, fishing with him“It’s an extraordinary memory for me.
“I had been trying to take part in Koh-Lanta for over sixteen years”
You are the second candidate eliminated this season, after Cecile. How did you experience the return to normal life?
Of course there was the frustration of having come home early. But I didn’t leave thinking that I was going to win, I knew that with my age, I was already leaving with votes on my back. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I was prepared. I am extraordinarily lucky to have been chosen for this adventure. I had been trying to participate in Koh-Lanta for over sixteen years. I never gave up!
You are 51 years old, you are not that old! Do you think that age can be a handicapping factor on Koh-Lanta?
It doesn’t mean that we are systematically eliminated, but it is a handicap. The average age must be around 35 years old. On Koh-Lanta, it is a handicap, but it is only an element that worked against me. I was not seen as an athlete, others were better in this respect.
How did your daughters and your partner react when you came back so soon?
They were proud, even if there was an element of disappointment. They didn’t know at what stage I had been eliminated, but they knew it was pretty quickly.
Who do you see going far in the adventure?
For me, three characters stand out: Ugo, Gustin and Sarah. But Gustin, who is a very good adventurer, is not strategic enough for me. Ugo, everyone knows he is good, so that can be a handicap. Sarah has her character, but she can go far.
Do you have any regrets?
Yes, of course. I could have tried to convince some girls to vote against Alexandre and make him fall instead of me. But that wouldn’t have been a good strategy for the team. It would have been a good individual strategy, but in the short term. I had a long-term vision. He was good as a sport, it would have been a mistake to eliminate him. I wanted to vote on merit at that time. My vote went to Marie, who I really liked, who wasn’t without merit either. But we had to vote against someone.
