Sad end for Jean in Koh-Lanta, The Immunity Hunters. The carpenter was in fact forced to leave the adventure on the advice of the doctor. In the last episode broadcast Tuesday May 7, 2024 on TF1, he was injured not once but twice. He cut his hand with his machete before spraining his ankle. Near Purepeople.comhe talks about his adventure and discusses medical care after his injuries.
How did you injure your hand?
It’s the lack of lucidity, acting crazy with a 30 centimeter machete in the other hand! In the bushes we try to make our way, we must not let our fingers drag. Unfortunately, I made a bad move and the injury quickly happened.
You say you fell in the forest, what happened?
I had already injured my hand so I preferred to stop my excursion. On the way back to camp there was a steep slope with rocks. With the lack of energy, I felt my muscles much more feverish. Poor support, relaxation and the ankle falling suddenly. A 90 degree angle, normally the body doesn’t like it too much (laughs).
What did the doctor tell you?
At the time, he told me that I needed to rest. He put a splint on me. Really, we are well taken care of. In my head, I thought there was no problem. It went better than my first eye surgery earlier in the game, where I thought it was over for me. There, for the ankle, the doctor does not give a definitive no, he just talks about rest. I was losing amplitude but I thought I could cope with the pain and push myself. Unfortunately, it was otherwise.
Before the immunity test, you are examined again. What is the verdict at this point?
The doctor makes movements and we can clearly see that there is a painful area. I have lost too much range of motion in my foot and I cannot do certain movements. There, he tells me that it’s going to be complicated but he’s not the one who makes the decision. He releases me and so in my head I think that it will be okay, that I will play the game, struggle as best I can.
Finally, it’s Denis Brogniart who tells you the bad news… What’s going on in your head at that moment?
It’s a cold shower. I blame myself a lot, I tell myself that I wasn’t good, I wonder why now when I still have it under my belt. I grant you, it’s contradictory (laughs). I felt frustration and a lot of disappointment.
Before your departure, your comrades spoke to you a few words. Perhaps a first comfort?
Totally. Having so much positive feedback can only touch my heart. It’s beautiful. At the camp, I was often suspicious of everyone’s words, I told myself that there were always innuendoes. There, when I left, there was a lot of sincerity and emotion. I took everything to heart and it touched me to see that the adventurers had a lot of empathy. It was a beautiful moment despite the evacuation.
Earlier in the game, you had already been injured in the eye area, what happened?
I underestimated nature too much and from the first day I arrived at full throttle. In fact, the sun really burned my eyes. It’s really the retina that gets sunburned. It’s very painful, it stings and you can’t keep your eyes open. It was much more complicated to manage. The view is still much more limiting.
How are you doing today ?
The eyes, after 2 or 3 days, were better thanks to the drops – vitamins or I don’t really know what – which were very effective. The finger is an open wound, a scratch like I get every day in my job. It heals quite well. The ankle, unfortunately, is resting. It should not be used to cure it, hence the obligation to stop playing. If I had not done so, I could have had complications and after-effects. It’s a minimum of 3 weeks of rest. On site, we carried out additional examinations: x-rays, examinations. We were able to get medical advice, I had treatment to follow. It was rehab and a brace.
On social networks, some consider you “the traitor who tossed Maxime”. What do you think ?
On social networks, there really is everything (laughs)! We interpret things as we want. I fully accept having participated in the thing and voted against Maxime. I didn’t appreciate his strategic play too early in the adventure. But it’s a bit of a regret not to have been able to go a longer way with him because he remains an incredible and versatile adventurer. By now, I would have seen him go to the posts too. But the game wanted it otherwise, we didn’t agree on the strategy at all. I wish it had gone differently, that’s for sure.
What was your first action upon returning?
Hug my loved ones! When I returned to France, my partner was there with my son, my sisters. I jumped into their arms. I did a lot of introspection about the camp and reunions with family are moments that we think about a lot. When we come back, we want to seize every minute, every moment that we can spend with our loved ones and make the most of it. This is my great joy.
Your son Simon was mentioned, what did he think of your adventure?
I have a 3 year old little boy, he is almost 4 years old now. He is still very small. Is he aware of all this? I don’t know, it’s still hard to say. We talk to him a lot about it, I explained it to him, he sees me on the screen. The way he looks at me, I wish I had that when I was little. I would have liked to have a father as a role model. It’s overwhelming to see this return, it’s a source of pride. It’s unimaginable the feeling of having a child who sees you as their role model. Big success. In the garden, I have a mound of earth, some boards, we did the obstacle course. It’s his favorite game now and it’s awesome.
What has changed in your life since then? Koh Lanta ?
We prepare ourselves a little psychologically for the post-adventure: we tell ourselves that our life is going to change, that we are going to get to the other side. Actually not at all, we are the same people as before. There is absolutely nothing that changes in our daily lives. Well, if one thing can change. Before, my clients had a lot of respect, there was distance, and dedication. Now, when I arrive for a quote with people I don’t yet know, it’s arm in arm, selfies, we speak informally as if we were part of the family. There is a lot more complicity with people on a daily basis. This is the good side of the adventure.
Has Koh-Lanta had an impact on the number of customers of your company?
There is a lot of distinction between our company and Koh Lanta. We never equate the two. People tend to assimilate my face. My name is Jean Belmonte, I have the name of my company. But for people I am Jean de Koh Lanta, that’s my new last name (laughs). It still brings visibility, it’s rather gratifying.
In your opinion, among the adventurers still in the running, who should win Koh Lanta ?
Unfortunately the biggest favorites are eliminated one after the other. In my eyes, the most deserving have already left. There are still a few good adventurers left, including David who amazed me with the adventure. He went deep into himself and his abilities. I’ll put my money on him, he’s a person who got in my face.
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