This former skater, who evolved a few months ago at an international level, has changed horizons. The candidate now expresses her creativity in the M6 culinary competition, Wednesday September 14 at 9:10 p.m.
What took you from skating to baking?
Cleo: It came little by little. I made cakes on weekends when I was invited or when I invited. I got caught up in the game and learned more and more complicated techniques. I was in the France team at the time and it changed me from training. At one point, I wanted to take a break to preserve my mental and physical health, it turned into a permanent stop. It was exactly during this period that I spent the casting of the show.
Are there commonalities between these disciplines?
Yes, there are a lot of similarities, because both require a lot of precision in the gestures and have a very precise side. But skating also involved a lot of pressure, too much for me. I prefer to imagine a future filled with gluttony!
Was this passion passed on to you by someone around you?
No, I am an autodidact. Rather than buying the desserts, as we did, I said to myself one day that I would like to make them. At the start, there were quite a few disasters, but my family was very indulgent and kept telling me that it was going to work out in the end. (Laughs.)
What did you want to prove to yourself by competing in the Best Pastry Chef?
I was trying to get the skating out of my head, to set myself a new goal. It wasn’t easy at the time, because when you’ve done high-level sport, you feel like you’re only good at that. So when I was selected to participate in the program, I jumped at the chance.
How did you experience the proposed tests?
I loved taking on the challenges of Cyril (Lignac, editor’s note). I thought those of Mercotte were going to suit me but, in fact, it was a nightmare throughout my adventure…
Among the candidates from previous editions, who particularly inspired you?
Camille, of the eighth season. She’s my favorite and I follow her a lot on social networks. Stephanie too, because she has since passed her CAP in pastry and I would like to do the same. And Elodie because I loved its blends of flavors. I found myself very much in what she was doing.
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