Will she follow in the footsteps of Diane Leyre? Julie Dupont, Miss Île-de-France 2024, will try to do as well as the one who represented her region and won the crown in December 2021. After the preparation trip to Ivory Coast which ends in the coming hours – during which the 30 candidates for the title of Miss France 2025 took part in masterclasses, local discoveries and the general knowledge test – the 26-year-old young woman, who measures 1.76 m and works as a cameraman-editor journalist, will work hard to be ready election night. She confides in Tele-Leisureofficial partner of the competition.
“I will definitely continue in journalism“: Julie Dupont, Miss Île-de-France 2024, talks about her future after Miss France 2025
Tele-Leisure : What was the trigger for you to run for the election?
Julie Dupont : It's a bit thanks to Webedia, the company I currently work for. Two years ago, I was on an internship with a girl, Marine, to whom I confided that I wanted to do something new. She told me about Miss France. She was the one who took the photos for my application. Two weeks later, I learned that I was selected to participate in the departmental and then regional elections where I finished first runner-up. I left myself a year to finish my journalism studies and came back this year. And this time, it was the right one!
How do your loved ones support you in this Miss France adventure?
My parents and my 22-year-old little sister support me enormously. I don't live with them because they live in the United States. We moved there in 2016 for my father's work. As I was homesick, I returned to France to study journalism. I did a master's degree in investigative journalism and image reporting.
You have only been on a permanent contract for a few months at Webedia. Was it easy to withdraw from your profession?
I have two bosses, one of whom loves the Miss France competition and who was very happy for me and very understanding. Before taking unpaid leave, I stayed for another week to finish what I had to do. I will be able to get my job back after the election. If I am elected Miss France, I would have to leave my job, but the reign only lasts one year so I will necessarily continue in journalism.
You said in an interview that you wanted to be the next Élise Lucet…
I knew you were going to tell me about it! (smile) She is a woman who dares, who is not afraid, so she inspires me. I never had the chance to meet her. She might come out of nowhere during our interview!
“I've already been refused a job interview“: Julie Dupont (Miss Île-de-France 2024) talks about the discrimination she suffered because of her haircut
In what state of mind are you approaching this election?
I want to go as far as possible and above all to have no regrets. I benefit from the advice of a mental coach throughout the preparation. I am less stressed than before, I do relaxation exercises every evening. It's a bit like sophrology. It especially helps me with stage fright. During my first election, stress took over.
Which stage do you fear the most during the month of preparation for the competition?
The stay in Ivory Coast, because I had difficulty closing my suitcase! (smile) I have already been to Cameroon, which is my mother's country of origin, but never to Ivory Coast. I know that with my job, I am expected to take the general knowledge test, so I have studied well and I am continuing.
You highlight your afro while we talked a lot about the short hair of Ève Gilles, Miss France 2024, last year. Is this a way to ride on this success?
No way. Everyone talks to me about it but it’s a symbol in spite of myself. I noticed that there were a lot of mixed-race or black boys and girls who didn't take responsibility for their hair. This was still the case for me a few years ago. If I didn't have braids or straightened hair, I wouldn't leave the house! One day I straightened them so much that I burned them. I cut my hair short and I was afraid of how others looked at me. I've only been going natural for four years. It's important for me to show this afro cut because when I was self-conscious, it was seeing other women that made me want to take responsibility for myself naturally. All girls have their hair natural, so why not me? Mentalities have changed, now people love it.
Have you ever had comments about your haircut?
Of course. I was once turned down for a job interview because of my hair. In my student jobs, when I was a hostess, I was asked to straighten my hair… People even touched my hair without asking me. I don't want everything to revolve around my afro. I have more to offer.
“She supports me morally and financially from the start“: Julie Dupont (Miss Île-de-France 2024) looks back on her ties with her mother
What is your relationship with social networks? Do you pay attention to the comments?
There are plenty of girls who suffer from social media. It doesn't bother me, it's part of the game. I avoid Twitter because it's another sphere… I look at people's predictions. When I'm in their top, it makes me very happy. If I'm not there, that means I have to work harder to prove to them that I can do it.
Have you ever been told that you look like a personality?
When I have braids, people call me Zoé Kravitz or Alicia Keys, but that's just because we're mixed race and we have braids.
Did you have the opportunity to interact with Misses before the start of the integration month?
Yes, I met Miss Centre-Val de Loire during my election. And at the Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais election which I attended, many Misses were present.
Who will you share your room with during this month of preparation?
With Miss Languedoc. I asked her if she was manic or disordered. She's a freak and I'm the opposite, so it'll be fun I think!
If you are elected Miss France on December 14, who will be your first thought?
To my mother. She is the one who has supported me morally and financially from the start since I have been on unpaid leave. My parents and my sister will come from the United States specifically for the ceremony.
What do you watch on television?
I like it a lot Koh Lanta and I won't be able to watch the next episode since we will be in Ivory Coast. I'm going to get a spoiler but it doesn't matter. I also like news shows and I watch a lot of documentaries about celebrities, including recently a documentary about Amy Winehouse.
