the beautiful story of Gustin in “Koh-Lanta”

In “Koh-Lanta, the Cursed Tribe” the story of Cassandra and of Gustin alone illustrates the complexity of human relationships in the context of this merciless adventure. Inseparable partners in trouble within the Red team, their solidarity has been weakened by the many difficulties of daily life. The strategic choices of the Swiss swimming instructor got the better of their union.

“To win this game, you have to be willing to eliminate your own friends”confided to us the late Nicolas Roy, one of the greatest strategists in the history of “Koh-Lanta”. Traumatized by hunger, Gustin initially stubbornly wanted to take Sarah out, guilty in his eyes of having overwhelmed him in the face of difficulties. Then he agreed to let Cassandra suffer the verdict of a council.

Back in the game thanks to a repechage duel won against Maxim, the Lyon novelist took her revenge by contributing to the elimination of Gustin during the council on the 33rd day. Not without having told him his four truths.

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LE FIGARO. – What feeling prevails when your torch is extinguished?
Gustin – When Denis Brogniart extinguished my flame, I was just thinking about eating! (Laughs.) I wasn’t even sad or disappointed because I expected to be eliminated at this point in the adventure. I had alienated a lot of people, it seemed complicated to go further without having real allies. I accepted my fate. When Cassandre spoke to me, I only thought about the next meal I was going to have!

Cassandre nevertheless tells you very strong things did this affect you?
I didn’t agree with her but I understood her irritation. I hadn’t been able to warn her that she was in danger during the previous advice. But by overwhelming me with so many things and attacking me, it led me to listen to him only with one ear…

Looking back from the filming and seeing in the episodes what she was able to experience, do you have a different point of view?
No, this shows me that she was greatly influenced by Ugo and ex-jaunes. If she had had to make her decisions alone, she would never have told me all this. I know exactly what I have done since the beginning of the adventure, Cassandre and I have always supported each other. I couldn’t do it during the linked fates and I explained to him the reasons.

“Cassandra was the only one to take care of me when I was feeling bad”

Gustin, candidate for “Koh-Lanta, the cursed tribe”

Are you really being sincere with Cassandra when you explain these reasons to her?
It’s true that I said a bit nonsense to him! I was tired and I couldn’t explain myself well. With destinies linked, I knew that the ex-yellows were going to vote against Maxim (Cassandre’s partner, editor’s note) and I feared that in the event of a tie, it would be my partner who would leave. The only way to avoid a collar coming out was for him not to feel in danger, so not to say anything to Cassandra. On this advice, I believe I saved my place by saying nothing.

With Cassandre, you were really close during this adventure, was it a friendly crush?
Yes clearly. We are two natural and spontaneous people. From day one, we got along very well. Cassandra was the only one to take care of me when I was unwell. She was always there for me. She did not let herself be influenced by those who criticized me behind my back. She was the only one who understood me. If Cassandra hadn’t been there, I don’t know if I would have had the strength to continue.

When Cassandra tells you at the council: “If my adventure is so difficult today, it’s largely your fault” . This must have touched you!
Yes, for sure. But my story in “Koh-Lanta” is that I was uncomfortable within the red team in which we were together. I had to step away from it after the reunification and do what I had to do, which was eliminate Sarah. Everyone wanted my skin. With the ex-yellows, I defended Cassandre as much as I could at each council because her performances were scary. On the linked destinies, I couldn’t do anything else.

“Sarah wanted to play boss with the food and let me starve”

Gustin, candidate for “Koh-Lanta, the cursed tribe”

Why did that argument on Day 17 with Sarah have such an impact on you?
Because she spoke without saying anything, it was a moment when I felt very bad and she was doing very well. When it comes to food management, why was it necessary to take his opinion into account more than mine? Rice was rationed so much that we had plenty of it during reunification, it was illogical. We ate ten grams per day per person, it was unbearable. Sarah wanted to play boss with the food and let me starve. I will never forget it.

Do you feel like you need to eat more than others because of your size?
I never asked to make different portions but I wanted us to make larger portions. I weighed 90 kilos at the start of the adventure, I was double Maud’s weight for example, but that wasn’t the question. I was really at my worst, I couldn’t walk anymore and I had to stay in bed. I didn’t feel understood.

Do you understand Sarah’s point of view more by discovering the episodes of “Koh-Lanta”?
There is no truth in what she says. During the first ten days, I worked on setting up a large part of the camp with Ugo. I exerted myself a lot physically cutting down trees and going fishing. When you see me lying down during certain episodes, it’s because my body couldn’t take it anymore. My vision was blurry, I couldn’t do anything anymore. I prayed that time would pass and that I would not give up.

“I thought about abandonment every day”

Gustin, candidate for “Koh-Lanta, the cursed tribe”

Have you thought about it?
I thought about giving up every day. If Cassandre hadn’t been there, I would have given up after a week. I think I had already lost around ten kilos at that time, it was violent. The physical shock of this big weight loss made me very unwell. I saw myself as thin, I was no longer moving forward, I was seeing trouble… I had nothing more to do there. After reunification, I felt like I was stabilizing and regaining some energy.

Comment Cassandra Did she manage to support you?
Thanks to her, I didn’t feel alone. She remained close to me, she encouraged me and we talked a lot. The hunger put me in a state of panic, I was trembling and crying. Cassandre managed to reassure me. The fact that she took care of me meant a lot.

What made you decide to embark on an adventure as difficult as “Koh-Lanta”?
I have knowledge of survival techniques and “Koh-Lanta” made me feel easy! (Laughs.) With everything I knew how to do, I didn’t worry about finding food. But, in fact, there was nothing to eat on our island. There were no coconuts to collect and, at sea, we brought back almost nothing from our fishing hours.

“I went from 90 to 75 kilos”

Gustin, candidate for “Koh-Lanta, the cursed tribe”

When you left the game, you expressed your satisfaction at having managed to eliminate Sarah. But why not sacrifice it during the ambassadors?
I could have but it seemed too easy. She had hurt me too much for too long, I wanted to put her name on a ballot at a council meeting. At the time of the ambassadors, I was not yet ready to alienate the entire red team. I wanted to make a big splash by taking Sarah out.

What state of mind were you in before meeting Sarah at the final jury’s residence?
I had no apprehension, I wasn’t thinking of having to talk to him.

How did your return to a normal diet go?
I was like crazy, I ate day and night. In 48 hours, I had eaten several kilos. In the evening, I sat up and couldn’t sleep because my stomach was so full. It hurt as much as being hungry. I lost around fifteen kilos during this “Koh-Lanta”, I went from 90 to 75 kilos. I have a fast metabolism, which explains why I suffered so much from hunger. But it also allowed me to quickly regain the weight I had lost. In two weeks, I had regained my initial physique by doing a lot of sport.