On Saturday, December 19, 2020, they will be twenty-nine on the Puy-du-Fou stage to dream of the crown of Miss France. All determined to make their dream come true and to represent an idea of blue-white-red elegance during their tenure. But, if spending a year in love with the famous national scarf remains synonymous with comfort, all is not necessarily rosy for these young girls who discover a world of socialites hitherto unknown. And the aftermath isn't necessarily easy to deal with, once the spotlight turns to another beauty queen. Rachel Legrain-Trapani, elected in 2007, when she was only 18, went through tough trials, once released into the wild. She spoke about her financial difficulties in a documentary entitled The real life of your misses and broadcast on Friday, December 11 on C8.
"Just because I was elected Miss France does not mean that I have a lifetime pension"
Because the journey of the one who flourishes today as an influencer and TV columnist has long been fraught with pitfalls. Especially whenshe found herself in the shoes of an unemployed bachelor, after separating from the father of her first child. "It's difficult in the sense that I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to provide for my child and that I would not be able to provide for myself", she explains, tremolos in her voice. Confronting the gaze of others at a time when it wasn’t necessarily to your advantage was a real showdown. "It was a bit complicated", recognizes the Picardy, excluded from the next Miss France election. "A lot of times people have been like 'but what is she doing here ?! It's weird!". Difficulties that led her in particular to apply for a job as a saleswoman or to become a host for a video game show. "Just because I was elected Miss France doesn't mean I have a lifetime pension. I was not elected President of the Republic ", concludes Picard, relieved that the bad days are behind her.
Read also : Rachel Legrain-Trapani, almost absent from Sylvie Tellier's book: "I had a little pang in my heart"