what is his real last name?

Karine Le Marchand is not really called Le Marchand. The host of Love is in the meadow changed her last name early in her television career. Find out his real surname!

The farmers’ favorite matchmaker is not really called Karine Le Marchand. She changed her last name early in her television career. His real surname was considered too complicated to write and pronounce by one of the France 3 Paris producers. He then advises him, just a few minutes before his first live broadcast, to choose another name. Karine Mfayokurera then becomes Karine Le Marchand. The leading host of Love is in the Meadow looks back on the moment that defined the rest of his television career in Culture Mediaon Europe 1, December 6, 2024. It reveals in particular: “It’s not me, it’s my program director at the time, Pierre Milli, whom I adore because he really helped me a lot at the beginning, who came down and said to me: “But you can’t keep your name, Mfayokurera, no one will know how to pronounce it or write it, so you choose something.”

But how did she choose The Merchant? The 56-year-old TV presenter made this choice in a hurry. She remembers: “I said, ‘But wait, it’s in ten minutes!’ And he said to me: “Well, choose, choose!” So she takes inspiration from her lover at the time, Karine Le Marchand admits on Europe 1: “And then, I took the name of my boyfriend at the time, Pascal.” Even if she hasn’t been with this famous Pascal for a long time, she wants to point out that she is still on very good terms with him and also with his family. “I’m always close, he’s always very happy! His whole family is very happy!”she adds.

Karine Le Marchand has changed her first name! The reason is surprising

In addition to choosing a surname completely different from her birth name, the host says that she also changed her first name when she arrived in the capital. Before being one of the flagship presenters of M6, Karine Le Marchand became “model, by chance” when she arrived in Paris, from her native Lorraine. “The Elite agency, which recruited me, told me: “No, but we already have three Karines at the agency, you can’t. You need to choose a first name.” More difficult than choosing a last name, the host decides to call herself Samantha and adds: “They called me Sam.”

Article written with the collaboration of 6Médias.