“The Devil Wears Alexia”. Jean-Edouard Lipa, former participant of the first season of “Loft Story”, emptied his bag in a TikTok video where everything was carefully thought out, including the decor where we can see a light panel with the previous sentence, but also a photo of Alexia Laroche-Joubert in black and white just behind him. The link between these two personalities from the small screen? The current CEO of Banijay France (a group which brings together several production companies at the head of “Fort Boyard”, “TPMP”, “N’ez pas les mots!”, “Koh-Lanta”…) produced both seasons of “Loft Story” in 2001 and 2002. And the ex-lofteur, who had the heyday of the program with Loana during the famous “the swimming pool” scene, does not only have good memories.
“Alexia Laroche-Joubert is certainly not the character she wanted to leave in the image”
He spoke on the networks after seeing the series “Cult”, currently available on Prime Video, which takes viewers back to 2001, when the idea of adapting “Big Brother”, the first reality TV program to arrive in Europe, is emerging in the minds of young French producers. We then follow all their adventures to convince a channel, in this case M6, to broadcast the show, but also the step by step creation of this crazy project, in just a few months. Creation of studios, castings, search for an animator… All under the leadership of Isabelle de Rochechouart (character inspired by Alexia Laroche-Joubert), who was appointed project manager of the program.
ALSO READ: Alexia Laroche-Joubert ready to relaunch “Loft Story”? “I think it’s time,” says the current CEO of Banijay France
And for Jean-Edouard Lipa, “the character of Alexia Laroche-Joubert played by Anaïde Rozam is surprising at the moment“. In this video where he intends to say his “own truth, the one you won't hear in the series“, the one who started a career as a DJ after having been such an actor affirms that”Alexia Laroche-Joubert is certainly not the character she wanted to leave in the image“. The latter in fact participated in the series since she co-produced it. “For all loft owners, he is someone execrable, someone who lacks humanism, someone who failed us“, he asserts, denouncing the lack of consideration of the production of the “Loft” era after the broadcast of the program.
“We contributed to the success of this show unintentionally and they manipulated us as they wanted. The day after the release of 'Loft', the production completely abandoned us. We understood from that moment that we were only products, and that Alexia (Laroche-Joubert, editor's note) had no respect for us, who had made and participated greatly in this show”, castigated Jean-Edouard Lipa by daring an unflattering comparison: “She is a bit like the person who buys a Labrador when it is in fashion and who, the day it takes up too much space, abandons it in a motorway rest area, but assures everyone that she she is a donor to the SPA or certifies that she saves lives“.
He is not the only one to be critical of the former “Loft” producer. Steevy Boulay, another figure from season 1 of the reality TV program, for his part posted on his Instagram account a photo with Angela Lorente, who had supervised the casting of the show's candidates, and who also appears in the series in the guise of actress Jacqueline Corado. “Angela, our 'mom' in 'Loft Story'. The real boss if I have to judge by actions…“, he adds in the caption, slipping a discreet tackle to Alexia Laroche-Joubert.
In a Facebook post spotted by our colleagues at TV Magazine, Kenza Braiga, who also participated in the first season of “Loft”, affirms after watching the series that “the actress who plays her is much sweeter and cuter than the real Alexia“, before adding: “Given that Alexia oversaw some of the filming, it's no wonder she toned down her image“. If the latter regrets that the former loft owners were not “integrated” into the series, Kenza Braiga nevertheless praises the performance of actress Marie Colomb, who plays Loana: “She is superb, very realistic, and her work on facial expressions and posture is remarkable.“.
READ ALSO: “I hate her but she represents me well”: What Loana thinks of “Culte”, the series on “Loft Story”, and of the actress who plays her
For her part, during an interview with “Madame Figaro”, Alexia Laroche-Joubert was questioned about her relationships with former candidates. Did she maintain ties with them? “I am still very close to Loana“, she confided. (…) “To be honest with you, I've been trying to contact her for a week and she hasn't called me back. It annoys me but she’s like that, Loana“, concluded the producer.
“Jean-Edouard, when he left the ‘Loft’, we were no longer able to telephone him”
Alexia Laroche-Joubert, and 2021
In April 2021, on the set of Laurent Ruquier's show “On est en direct” on France 2, the producer had already responded to lofters who had pointed out her attitude at the time in the show “Loft Story, 20 years later!”, broadcast on C8. “Jean-Edouard, when he left the 'Loft', we could no longer telephone him. He wanted to be an actor, he completely put aside the “Loft”. He didn't want to have contact with us either. On Kenza, I think she's a little more opportunistic, she's always loved creating a buzz. In this case, I could never have spoken to a woman like that. It's not me“, she assured. The former loft owner who became a radio host then a photographer had in fact recounted a phone call between her mother and the producer: “One day, my mother called Alexia Laroche-Joubert, because she wanted me to have psychological follow-up. (…) Alexia told him: 'You're not going to piss us off, your daughter has earned enough money with the Loft, so there's no point' (…). She lacked humanity and sympathy towards us“, before asserting that “the support was not up to par” after the broadcast.
