Beijing Express 2024 made its comeback on M6 on February 8. A new edition called In the footsteps of the golden tiger. Stéphane Rotenberg is still at the helm of this emblematic competition which should once again make viewers dream.
Incredible destinations
For the start of the competition, the eight pairs flew to Indonesia. The kick-off took place on the shores of Lake Batur in Bali. A first test which gave a hard time to two candidates who have already abandoned the competition.
Then head to the island of Java for the second stage, where they will discover incredible volcanoes, namely Kawah Ijen and Bromo. The candidates will then travel through Malaysia. They will thus discover Malacca, the Venice of the Country, then the capital Kuala Lumpur. Their road trip will end in Vietnam with Along Bay, God’s Eye Mountain then Hanoi for the grand finale.
The big news
This year, the pairs discovered something new. A new strategic weapon that will spice up the competition. This is the white flag. The team that is in possession at the finish of the stage will be able to escape the final duel. But it will be difficult to maintain because, if a competitor affects the candidates who have it, he inherits it. The public will also find the legendary Red Flag, Black Flag, Infernal Roulette, Forbidden Car, Piment Express and Quizz Express. Enough to shake up the adventure even more.
The pairs
This year, there are eight pairs hoping to succeed Xavier and Céline. Ines And Lola, the inseparable sisters, were born in Vietnam. They were adopted into the same family and grew up on a farm, with their farmer parents. With the money at stake, they hope to offer a trip to their adoptive mom and dad to meet their biological parents with whom they have formed strong bonds. The Belgian twins Brandon And Nathan also took on the challenge of participating in Beijing Express. One is calm and thoughtful sportsman while the other is more spontaneity.
Jerome And Emma, the father hen and his daughter who come from the Var, are very close friends. They know each other by heart and share the same passions. They are both very sensitive and could quickly get carried away by their emotions. But their composure and obstinacy will quickly take over. Mahdy And Manu, the business friends, also entered the competition. They have been friends forever and like to tease each other like brothers. There is no doubt that their strong character will spark sparks in the game because, if Manu is sporty and competitive, his partner is not one for a penny.
Flavie And Jeremy, the little Swiss, also know each other very well since they met when they were in college. The two originals had a friendly crush that has lasted ever since. Both are passionate about ballroom dancing and are sensitive. The young woman, who is a real electric battery, intends to win the competition. His friend, who is a big dreamer, comes mainly for the human encounters. Patrick And Myriam, grandfather Ch’ti and his granddaughter, are also very close. The young woman admires her grandpa a lot and considers him her best friend. Unfortunately, they only see each other very little because he is in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and she is in Aube. Beijing Express is therefore a great opportunity for them to spend time together.
Patricia And Jessica, the Corsican colleagues, have been working together for seven years. They fell in love with each other and spend their time laughing and telling each other about their lives. The first, who is very spiritual, participated because Beijing Express is a “call of the soul”. The second, who is a mother hen, wanted to do something for her. Finally, the pair of strangers is formed by Louison And Riyadh. The first comes from Charente-Maritime. He is festive, warm and always optimistic. The only downside? He is not at all sporty unlike Ryad, who comes from Bouches-du-Rhône. He has been a coach for twenty years and lives only for sport. Attentive, generous and patient, he should get along well with Louison.
The eliminated from season 18
A twist of theater took place from the first episode. Nathan and Brandon made the decision to abandon the competition after just one day. “After suffering during the raft event and then never finding accommodation for the night, Brandon and Nathan decided to abandon the competition. They thought they could go to the ends of the earth, but the reality was harder than anything they had imagined“, confided Stéphane Rotenberg to the other pairs who were in shock. But the competition continued. And at the end of the final duel, it was Inès and Lola who were eliminated against Louison and Ryad. Thursday 15 February 2024, while M6 broadcast the second episode of Beijing Express, a new pair has been eliminated. These are Flavie and Jérémy, who burst into tears.
During the third episode, a new unexpected twist! Stéphane Rotenberg announced that Manu and Mahdy had been forced to withdraw. Mahdy suffered an embolism in his foot and had to return to France without further delay to undergo an operation. As is the rule, the last pair eliminated was called upon to replace them. It is therefore Flavie and Jérémy who have re-entered the competition.
During the fourth episode, Myriam confided at the start of the adventure that she was injured. Enough to offer a serious handicap to his duo with his grandfather. However, they were not the ones who were eliminated from the competition. Louison and Ryad once again finished last. They chose Patricia and Jessica in the final duel. And it was the latter who were eliminated from the competition.
During the fifth episode, still injured and in great pain, Myriam had no choice but to forfeit. She and her grandfather Patrick therefore left the adventure. Patricia and Jessica were therefore able to return to the competition.
And they played their place again the following episode, on March 21, finding themselves facing the favorites Jerome and Emma. But this time, it was the father and his daughter who lost in an elimination stage. So they left the adventure.
On the March 28 episode, no eliminations occurred. Despite Flavie and Jérémy lost the final duel against Ryad and Louison, the two Swiss friends escaped thanks to a “non-eliminatory” envelope. All the pairs therefore go to Vietnam for the last stage of the race.
At the end of the April 4 episode, these are Riyadh and Louison who were eliminated against Jessica and Patricia. A hard blow for the pair of strangers who had difficulty holding back their tears. They left the adventure at the gates of the semi-final, an even greater disappointment.