"Between what people see and what happens inside the game, there is a precipice". In a video broadcast on YouTube, the former candidate of the TF1 Secret Story program, Morgane Enselme, balances on the backstage in her view of the unrealistic reality TV show. Having participated in the program in 2011, she took advantage of the end of the confidentiality clause that she had signed.
"Plates on the body because of the humidity". "The reality show, at 80%, are the worst moments of people living in abnormal conditions," says the 28-year-old, in a video of more than 30 minutes. Indeed, the former candidate, whose secret was to be the daughter of the transgender journalist Brigitte Boréale, describes difficult working and living conditions in the "house of secrets", where according to her, the most basic hobbies were prohibited. Anything that "allows to escape psychologically", such as books, movies, internet, TV or radio, is forbidden, explains Morgane Enselme, which also questions the production concerning the cleanliness of the place, the accusing to ban vacuum cleaners to not interfere microphones. "After a month, I had patches on my body because of moisture and dirt," she says.
And to mention the rationing of hot water: "we had 30 minutes of hot water a day to shower, knowing that we were 18 and that we had only two collective showers". Or the complete absence, for the candidates, of any notion of time. "We do not know what time we get up, they are the ones who wake us up with the countdown for hot water," she explains.
"The more we will be exhausted, the more we will be lucky we crack." While the CSA requires the production to leave two hours per day to the candidates without being filmed, Morgane Enselme also accuses the production to decide "of the moment where it places these hours, but sometimes, she does not say when she makes them start". And according to the young woman, all this stems from a conscious strategy. "They want us all the time under pressure," says the former candidate in front of the camera, before adding: "the more we will be exhausted, disoriented and stressed, the more chances we will crack, that we fight, and that we sleep together ".
Candidates "who have anorexia or bulimia". Result, according to Morgane Enselme, the participants would be victims of significant psychological damage. Describing candidates "who are anorexic or bulimic", she also claims to have "seen people bang their heads against the walls, sleep on the floor curled up or start fighting".
The production is also accused by the former candidate of broadcasting extracts from their contexts, including missions "we are given for small sums, such as pretending to be in love or to flirt with someone in couple". "It's broadcast as if it came from us," she regrets.
The one who is henceforth blogger and youtubeuse takes care however to specify that in his narrative, "there are factual and objective things, and there are others that are subjective, because they are personal, resulting from conversations that I had ... There are feelings that have resulted that are not necessarily those that other candidates have felt (...) What I said is true for me and for what has happened passed for Secret Story in 2011 ". She also mentions good memories, such as a fusional friendship with another candidate.