Who could possibly have drawn crowds in the aisles of the Paris International Agricultural Show, blocking the way behind a swarm of cameras? "There are more people here than for [ex-president François] Hollande," said a teenage girl, amid the onlookers who had come to taste the local products from the northern Hauts-de-France region, curious to know who it was. "Maybe it's Marine Le Pen," she said, as the far-right party leader was expected that Wednesday morning at the Paris fair. "It's Miss France!" she exclaimed, recognizing Eve Gilles from behind, with her pixie haircut and slender figure.
She was accompanied by the president of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, whom the teenager didn't notice. "I know you only have eyes for me and elected representatives," the politician quipped a little later, aware of his lack of fame when compared to such a popular figure. Gilles, 20 – who was Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais (northern France) before she was crowned Miss France – embraced her role as regional ambassador that day. Wearing her signature sash, dressed in red pants, a black turtleneck and blazer, and boots that elevated her above her 1.70-meter height, she moved swiftly from stand to stand, alongside the region's president.
Maroilles cheese-flavored ice cream, charcuterie, confectionery, etc. Although it was barely 11 am, she was already politely taking part in the "taste everything" game – exactly like all the politicians who strolled through the show. This Dunkirk native laughed at her own regional "chauvinism," repeating how much she loved maroilles above all else. Comfortable with this exercise – though less talkative than Bertrand – she kept her eye on the cameras, and displayed a permanent smile. Could it be that she's just another elected representative?
Wearing a sash adorned with the French cocarde, she, too, was chosen and voted in by the people – and her visit to the show seemed like a popular triumph that would make many jealous. Exhibitors and visitors, who were often surprised to see her there, were delighted to take selfies with the "new Miss France." What a symbol! The same went for the local councilors present at the inauguration of her region's stand, and even France's agriculture junior minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who came to greet her. A few indifferent people passed by.
"Eve has generated a real buzz since her election, which is not the case for all the Misses in just a few weeks. But this year, the show broke a new viewership record, with a peak of 9 million viewers, and she's also received particularly strong exposure because she breaks the codes" of the conservative, century-old pageant, said Frédéric Gilbert, who also produces the show, as she is the first Miss France with a short hairstyle to have been elected.
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