I like to go where it wobbles: Olivia Ruiz explains why she took the risk of doing the Star Academy

Olivia Ruiz is making a big comeback with a new novel. Through the pages of “¡Vamos!”, she tells a story of transmission between a mother and her son during a year-long journey. Before achieving success with her albums and novels, Olivia Blanc, her real name, was a student at the Star Academy. It was in 2001 that she entered the castle of Dammarie-les-Lys (Seine-et-Marne) with hopes in her eyes. After a journey filled with ups and downs, Olivia Ruiz finished as a semi-finalist in the first edition of the singing program, facing Jenifer.

“I always seem to land on these slippery slopes”: Olivia Ruiz on Star Academy

On Sunday, April 26, 2026, La Tribune Dimanche published a long interview with Olivia Ruiz discussing the release of her new book and her past as a Star Academy contestant, despite being quite reserved. “I often wonder why I always end up on these slippery slopes. As if I couldn’t feel a sense of legitimacy from just passing by. Maybe I wouldn’t be as proud without these obstacles,” she says, acknowledging that the Star Academy truly served as a stepping stone for her. “But at the same time, without Star Ac, would I have had access to a record label? And without the music, would my first book have found its readers? Since my childhood, my mother tells me that I like to go where it wobbles. It may be a form of transgression, but healthier than those of adolescence,” she candidly shares.

Olivia Ruiz in The Voice?

While Olivia Ruiz has mixed feelings about her experience on the Star Academy, she doesn’t rule out returning to a TV set if she likes the concept of the show. At the end of last year, she mentioned the possibility of being a judge on The Voice, even though she had never been contacted by the production and had some issues with Florent Pagny. “I definitely love the idea of transmission and sharing my experience, which is starting to make sense now, after a few years. But at the same time, I have something inside me that would hold me back, I think. There’s a little voice that would say: Who are you to pretend? In fact, I have no idea. Maybe I would love to be a coach on The Voice. It hasn’t been offered to me yet, anyway,” she said, hinting at the production. Between the call for sharing and the fear of legitimacy, she knows how to stay true to herself.