He was only part of the adventure for the first week of the very first edition of Star Académie in 2003, but Pascal Nguyen-Deschênes still shaped the history of reality TV in Quebec.
Because his departure during the second variety gala, moderated by Julie Snyder at TVA, had outraged many: The other reality TV candidates had to speak loudly and clearly in front of the camera using a hand signal about the identity of the participant who they say should go to the go next minutes.
Several had criticized this cumbersome, even cruel process in the days that followed, and Star Académie’s production was quick to rectify the situation and change the nature of the voting for the remainder of the season.
The main interested one, how did he experience this episode? Two decades later, does he remain marked by this humiliation, which had no malicious purpose but lacked tenderness?
No, Pascal Nguyen-Deschênes is not bitter about hand signals. The sour taste it retains in the mouth compared to Star Académie is simply that of its exposure the day after the 2003 version’s opening gala.
“It’s a sense of frustration,” he bluntly admitted to Showbizz.net earlier this week during his entire gang’s reunion that marked the release of the song “From Dream to Reality,” which was written by Suzie Villeneuve (we tell you about the event here).
“Not the elimination per se that was flat, but the hazard itself. On Sunday we were introduced to candidates and on Monday morning we learned that the boys were in hazard this week. I hated not knowing [à l’avance] that we were in danger. The day before I would never have broken my voice! »
“Fart the voice”? At our request, Pascal continued:
“We need to put ourselves in context: the 14 candidates we just picked. We were happy, we were happy That night I broke my voice like in football, like in the playoffs! I had fun on the set. And the next day we learned that we were all in danger. I didn’t expect to audition in, shall we say, a questionable voice the next morning. And that’s what happened…”
Pascal Nguyen-Deschênes was therefore, by his own admission, “at the party” when he entered the Sainte-Adèle Academy. “I wasn’t in the mode: ‘Tomorrow work continues..'”
The then 23-year-old remained bitter for a moment. “I felt it was unfair. I wasn’t ready. You should have told me 24 hours before: ‘Pascal, take care of your voice, you’re going to sing tomorrow’. It would have changed everything…”
In his eyes, his elimination is “a detail” that is lost in the frustration of the danger. The referendum? “I’m in no way bitter about it. We knew it…”
Despite the massive media coverage Star Académie experienced in the winter of 2003, Pascal Nguyen-Deschênes claims he didn’t experience the rush of the limelight for very long.
“I don’t know how I experienced that. It seems we’re getting used to the fact that there’s literally a “spotlight” during “Star Academy” for a while. After the tour, I was recognized a little here and there, but normal life returned pretty quickly. And that’s right! »
Today, he says, people “rarely” talk to him about this episode in his life. And is he interested in reality TV himself and what became of Star Académie after that?
“Not at all. I’ve never seen “Star Academy”. Even our…”
The Star Académie 2003 reunion at the Pacini!