Miss France 2024: it's much more than just a beauty pageant for Miss Ovem.

Oriane Mallet was elected Miss Auvergne last September. While rehearsals for the Miss France pageant are in full swing, the marketing and communication student shares her experiences and hopes ahead of the election, which will take place on Saturday, December 16.

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The election for Miss France 2024 will be held in Dijon, Zenith, on Saturday, December 16. Oriane Mallet, Miss Auvergne 2023, is among the 30 finalists. She is 22 years old and hails from St. Pourcin-sur-Sioul, in Aulier. After her election in Eurolles last September, she decided to put everything on the Miss France pageant: "I put my studies on hold to enjoy fully the adventure of Miss France. I had to enroll in a master's program in marketing and''days in Guiana with all the applicants. She is impressed with the place: "This trip was a very good experience because I didn't know the place at all. Everything I had been told about Guiana before turned out to be false because I didn't find any of the previous preconceptions. I met smiling, welcoming, caring and friendly people. The variety of landscapes is amazing. I discovered the Amazon jungle. We did different activities such as overnight camping. It was an intense integration trip. It allowed us to meet each other, the candidates. It was a great first experience.".

Oriane mentions cohabiting with the other 29 Miss France aspirants: 'There is always competition, it's normal because the goal is the crown.''Life between the misses is almost like a basketball team. We stand in solidarity, helping each other out. When one miss isn't going so well, we're here to help. We also become friends." To stand out among the beauty queens, Bourbonnais relies on her strengths, "On stage, I don't think dancing will help me. I'm spontaneous, natural. I smile a lot. Maybe the sunny side of my personality helps. I'm the tallest, so I'm seen a lot on stage." Last year, Alicia Ladevez, Miss Auvergne 2022, was able to place fourth. Orian hopes to repeat that success, "It's certainly a goal, if not more. She placed great. It will be hard to do better. She helps me a lot.

This year's general culture test was particularly challenging: "It was very difficult! No one expected it to be so difficult. We expected multiple choice, but there were open-ended questions. There was also a dictation. We had logic questions. It was a tough one. In this group, only a few people managed to get an average score. I am among them." Oriane is very attached to Auvergne: "I was born in Auvergne. It was in Auvergne that I grew up. I started playing sports at a high level in Vichy. I was a very reserved and closed person. Eventually, I created a new identity. Auvergne really helped me to free myself as a woman.".

In response to criticism of the contest accusing it of being stuck in the past or degrading the image of women, here's what''Answers Miss Auvergne 2023: "I think it's necessary to keep up with the times. No one was forced into this pageant: being present is a choice. It's not just a pageant where you just have to smile and be beautiful. It's much more than a beauty pageant. The general culture test proves that." Orian is focused on the pageant. She finds it hard to imagine the future if she is not crowned France's most beautiful woman: "If I am not elected, I will return home in peace. This month has been very stressful, so I need a rest. I have suspended my studies until next September. I will continue with basketball because it's my sport. I will find a job here and there. I hope not to face this issue because that's not my goal." Ms. Auvergne hopes to