INTERVIEW. Exclusively for TV Actu, Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut spoke about her adventure in the new season of The Island in which she almost couldn’t participate.
Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut accepted the challenge launched by M6: that of joining season 5 of The Island. After six years of absence, the survival program returns to the screen. This time, the 10 personalities must reach an exfiltration point in 10 days, while crossing the jungle. It is the adventurer Loury Lag who trained them beforehand and who will closely monitor their progress, which began on Tuesday January 7, 2025. While waiting to know what awaits them, Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut spoke about her journey on the show during an exclusive interview.
TV News: Why did you agree to participate in The Island?
Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut: I needed to find myself. Since the loss of my husband (Jean-Pierre Pernaut, editor’s note), I have forgotten myself a lot. I only thought about my children, even if that’s normal. More than half of me was dead. I really felt like a zombie. So I said stop. In an adventure like The IslandI have to think about myself to survive, so that’s why I started.
Did you not hesitate for a second before signing?
No, I saw a very positive side to it. For example, I was a heavy smoker and I wondered what I was going to do on the island since we are not allowed to smoke. I told myself that it was a blessing in disguise. To avoid the shortage, I went to see a specialist just before leaving and it worked.
How did you prepare for this adventure?
He had to undergo heart tests. At first, I thought the doctor was going to refuse because I have kidney problems and I have to drink at least 3 liters of water per day. So we did a scan of my kidneys to see if it would be possible. Finally, it was accepted but that didn’t mean that the production gave me 3 liters of water on set.
How did you feel when you landed on the penal colony?
When it started I was happy, I found that the water was hot. I thought I was going to have a 10-day vacation (laughs). However, the thing that scared me the most was: where will I sleep? I couldn’t see myself sleeping in the sand. The problem was also that production did not want to give us waterproof bags. As a result, I immediately thought about drying my laundry because there was no way I was going to sleep in soaked clothes.
Did you already have an adventurous soul before leaving?
At 25, I left my boyfriend and my apartment. I left everything in Paris and just took a suitcase and my dog and left for Guadeloupe. I started everything from scratch, I didn’t know anyone. I had been around Madame de Fontenay all the time for 6 years and I was fed up with this Miss France label. I lived in a hotel and sold swimsuits before returning to Paris and casting for “Sous le soleil”. So yes, I think I have an adventurous soul. I’m quite a daredevil. When I was younger, I also did bungee jumping, I was a bit of a tomboy after all!
Didn’t the unknown scare you?
No. I’m a very big eater, and that’s what scared me the most. But in the end, it was the thirst that was the worst. When you have this feeling of thirst, it’s unbearable. We can’t even describe it. You have to experience it to believe it.
Have you considered giving up?
Yes, often. We obviously think about it but we also tell ourselves that it’s not possible. I would be ashamed in front of my children, because I want them to be proud of me and I tell myself that there are so many people who would like to be in my place. The channel trusted me and I can’t do that to them. I reassured myself by telling myself that I had already experienced much more difficult things than that. My husband’s death was 1000 times harder so I had no right to give up. It helped me.
How was the experience there?
10 days was an extremely long time, we can’t even imagine. In addition, at night I didn’t sleep, I was afraid of snakes and spiders, I wasn’t feeling well. We couldn’t lie down on the ground, we had to have the time and the strength to build a shelter and it’s complicated when you walk in the jungle all day. Especially since we changed locations each time, unlike previous years.
Have you lost a lot of weight?
There are some who have lost at least 10 or 12 kilos, for my part I have lost between 4 and 5 kilos.
How was the return to normal life?
It’s true that when I returned to my air-conditioned room, just after filming, I found a nice, cozy bed. But I felt suffocated, I wasn’t well. I preferred to sit on the balcony, on the ground, with a simple pillow. I needed to rediscover the humidity and the little cries of the night, like on the island. It took me two days to get used to sleeping normally again.
Are you not afraid to show yourself naturally in front of the cameras?
No too bad, I don’t care. Above all, I think my man is going to be super proud up there. There will always be criticism, but that’s okay.
Did you receive any advice from Camille Cerf, who has already participated in the show?
I called her. She told me: “It’s great, do it.” I answered him: “are you sure?” She told me it was an experience she will never forget. She added: “When you do it, you can do anything afterwards.” I asked him if I could hide food in my bag except that it’s not possible since we have to give it the day before departure to production, who controls everything.
What is your best memory?
When we caught the five frogs, it was great joy. We were able to eat one leg per person. I never thought I would say that one day because normally, if someone kills an animal in front of me, I scream.
Your worst memory?
When Patrick Puydebat was bitten by the stingray, seeing him suffer was terrible. I hoped he wasn’t going to leave us, just after Carine Galli who had to give up. I was very afraid that the sting would go to his heart.
