INTERVIEW - Clara, eliminated from Star Academy: "No, nothing happens between Pierre and Helena!"

Solène Delinger 14:26 p.m., December 19, 2023

She was one of the most beautiful voices in that class... And yet, Clara was eliminated from Star Academy at the gates of the tour last Friday, at the end of the seventh prime of the season. Against all odds, viewers preferred to save other candidates than the 22-year-old, who had nevertheless multiplied high-flying performances (we remember her incredible cover of Sia's Gimme Love in piano voice), impressing the entire faculty. At the castle, Clara was the most smiling. Always in a good mood, the academician has left a real void since her departure from Dammarie-les-Lys. A few days after her elimination, the young woman confides in Europe1.fr about the best moments of her experience at Star Ac, her return to normal life, but also about the little gossip of the castle and the ambiguous relationship of Pierre and Héléna, at the heart of many rumors. Interview.

What is your state of mind a few days after leaving the castle?

I feel pretty good. I was fortunate to have a smooth elimination in the sense that I received a lot of love when I came out and that surprised me a lot. I am also very happy to have finally been reunited with my loved ones.

Did you expect to be eliminated?

No, you never really expect it. Especially when there's the tour coming up because that's what we all dream of doing. So obviously, I was very disappointed and I didn't expect it. But that's the game, you have to accept it. And I tell myself that this is only the beginning and I've already had great opportunities that have been offered since the release!

Indeed, the tour passes under your nose but you will be opening for Vitaa, godmother of the promotion... Happy?

It's crazy! I don't realize it at all and I still can't imagine myself on stage with the audience in front of me and especially for the opening acts for Vitaa! She gives me an amazing gift by allowing me to make my dream come true and do what I love most in the world. It's cool because it's a bit of a revenge because I didn't get the Star Academy tour but finally I'm going on tour with Vitaa. I'll still be able to be on stage, even if it's not with my classmates.

On social media, many netizens felt that you deserved your place more than Candice, who missed her performance on Friday night when you did a flawless performance. Do you also find this "unfair"?

Absolutely not. It didn't even cross my mind. People judged her on a single performance. But you have to know that Candice already had the courage to go on stage when she was speechless on the morning of the prime, and that she had spent her day sleeping on a couch because she felt so bad. Viewers just saw Candice on stage struggling to sing when in fact, she was just doing what she could when she was really at the end of her life. It's unfair because you can't judge a person on a single performance, you have to take into account the whole journey. Candice has had an incredible evolution! During my elimination, I didn't once tell myself that someone deserved more than someone else. For me, we all deserved to go on tour.

Precisely, had the competition intensified at the castle in recent days because the noose was tightening?

We've always been very close-knit and it's crazy! To be honest, before I went on the show, I didn't think we were going to have so much goodwill between us. For me, the competition was bound to be felt at some point and in fact not at all. Then, of course, there are candidates who are more competitive than others like Julien, but it's assumed and we laughed about it!

You were very much appreciated by all your comrades at the castle. Which one do you miss the most?

I miss Djebril too much already! I'm watching the live show in part to see how it's doing too. We immediately had a very strong bond because we shared a duet during the very first prime and we never let go of each other afterwards.

Fans of Star Ac watching the live show are convinced: there's something between Pierre and Héléna... Do you confirm or deny it?

I'm denying (laughs)! In fact, we kept saying that people were going to hate us this year because nothing is happening between us! We were really like a family. We were so good friends that we weren't even modest with each other anymore, and we all slept with each other without any problems. So I'm sorry to disappoint the Internet users but no, it's purely friendly what's going on between Pierre and Helena. I know it can be misinterpreted but they were very close from the beginning because they shared their first duet together. It's a wink, it's getting closer! When I see on social media that they are talking about a love triangle with Candice, it makes me die of laughter! Sorry to disappoint you, nothing is happening!

What did you learn about yourself at Star Academy?

Star Academy was a real rediscovery of myself. I thought I knew myself or had an idea of what I wanted to do. I realized that I could be versatile and that I could do a lot of things and that I shouldn't get stuck on one style of music. Vocally, I came in thinking that I had quite a lot of background because I already had music and participated in concerts. And in fact, I started from scratch! I learned to sing again with a precise technique because before I was self-taught. It's exactly what I expected from Star Academy.

Which teacher made the biggest impression on you?

I would say the rehearsal coaches, Marlène and Lucie. They brought me a lot, especially Marlène with whom I worked more regularly. I really fell in love with her.

What is your best memory of Star Academy?

Generally speaking, I would say premiums. We all wait for this moment as soon as we start working at the beginning of the week. And then, if I really had to pick one memory, it would be my very last performance on Lady Gaga. It's very symbolic because it's the last one and I felt like I was in concert because for the first special tour so we really felt a special atmosphere. I was really singing with and for the audience. It was wonderful.

And the worst part?

My first nomination alongside Julien. It was very hard because you never really expect to be nominated. We want to do the perfect course and make a flawless performance, to get to the final without having been on the nominees' bench. Technically, it's very complicated, statistically too. With Julien, we expected it without expecting it, and we hoped we wouldn't. We had a lot of trouble dealing with all of that.

Who would you like to see win Star Academy?

Djebril because he's my boyfriend. But if I'm objective, Pierre really has everything to win. Technically, he's an incredible artist. He writes, composes, he has a crazy voice, he can sing anything, and he learns quickly. So I already knew that he would go very far in the adventure when I was at the castle. Now that I'm out, I'm sure of it because I saw that he was also very supported. Public opinion can go a long way.

What are your plans?

I'm going to have to prepare the opening acts for Vitaa's concerts. It's really an opportunity to be able to show yourself artistically. I'm going to have to work and surround myself with the right people. I'm also going to write and compose my first songs. That's going to be my biggest job in the next few months. And then my dream, obviously, is to make a living from my passion, music.

So you're not going to go back to your communication studies?

Yes, I'd like to finish my year because I'm supposed to graduate in July. I'm going back to school in January and see if I can juggle the two. But music remains my priority.