Three months after Nicolas and Lucas, the Belgian brothers, won Dubai in a resounding victory, "Beijing Express", which is on Wednesday evening at M6, has returned... but this time for an exclusive edition. This season, still presented annually by Stephane Rotenberg and titled "Duos de choc", features celebrities competing with one of their relatives.
Just Riadh (influencer in Sri Lanka with 10 million followers on social media) teams up with Abdallah, while Ines Reg (comedian still looking for "glitter" in his life), participates with Anais, Anais' arch fan and anonymous applicant.
Although she hesitated at M6's offer, Valerie Trierweiler, former First Lady, finally accepted it "out of a taste of the challenge" and "out of friendship for Karine", her longtime friend who convinced me to go. Although hitchhiking isn't a new experience for former friend of President Francois Hollande, she does admit to having hitchhiked as an teen for "night outings" but it is the first time she has ever traveled with a backpack.
Rachel Legrain-Trapani was the former Miss France. Her companion Valentin, who is also her father and second son, joins her on the adventure. The stakes for the couple are high: A marriage proposal if they win the adventure.
There are many combinations that can be found in classic editions, including the one with Theo Curin, the Paralympic swimming champion, and Anne, his agent. Lorrain explains that he wanted to break the code of the binomial.
The show's codes are maintained in this special season. The "surprise pairing" is a group of candidates who don't know each other.
Xavier Domergue (sport journalist at M6) is the first person to arrive on the Sri Lankan tarmac. He admits that he hoped for someone calmer and more athletic but his wish will not be granted as Yoann Riou, a sparkling and energetic Yoann Riou is there to join him. "I trained like a madman, so I hired a sports coach!" He proudly announces that he did a commando mission for Beijing Express. He admits that he may have to do it himself at times, but is not confident.
Six pairs will be racing to win 50,000 euros each for their association. This Wednesday's race begins: Stephane Rotenberg meets them at the airport exit to inform them that they need to pack their bags immediately and leave their suitcase behind. The suitcase of Rachel Legrain Trapani contains a hair straightener. The former beauty queen recognizes that there are still habits to be maintained. Valerie Trierweiler also has books in her luggage. The former first lady and journalist is shocked at the size of her backpack. Surprised by the volume of her backpack, she decided to give up on taking her books.
The race for six pairs can start as soon as the equipment is complete. This stage includes hitchhiking, paddleboarding against the current and also paddleboarding. There are some surprises and laughs in the sequence: The pairs doing the best aren't always the ones we expected...
"Pekin Express duo of shocks" every Wednesday starting July 6th at 9:10 pm on M6.
