Robertine Martel

**Robertine Marie Geneviève Le Guiele** (née **Martel**; born 17 October 1942) is a Maronan weather presenter and television presenter who has presented the daily weather on Marone 2 since 1986.

Born in Bruc and raised in the suburb of Le Camu, Martel first entered the entertainment industry as a teenager, when she was crowned Miss Lentignac 1958 and later Miss Carandie 1958, placing as the second runner-up at Miss Marone 1959. Following the competition, she returned to her education, completing *lycée* in 1960, and graduating from the University of Carandie, Bruc with a degree in journalism in 1963. After graduating, Martel began working as a trainee at the Bruc field office of Télévision Marone, later becoming a continuity speaker for local broadcasts on Marone 3 in the Bruc area in 1966. In 1973, Martel relocated to Delmas after being hired as a continuity speaker for the main national channel Marone 2. While in the position, Martel was an in-vision continuity speaker, in addition to serving as a host and presenter for various one-off television events, such as the Maronan national finals for the Eureavision Song Contest 1978, 1979, and 1980.

In 1986, Martel applied for the position of weather presenter on Marone 2, following the retirement of presenter Joachim Fouvé. She was ultimately hired by the network as its main weather presenter, and began presenting daily and weekly forecasts each day. By 1990, Martel had become one of the most well-known faces on Maronan television for her daily broadcasts, and was selected as Marone's favorite weather presenter in various surveys in 1998, 2005, and 2018.

## Early life and education

Martel was born on 17 October 1942 in Bruc to parents Raymond (1916–2005) and Jeanne-Marie Martel (née *Troullait*; 1918–2004). Her father worked in automobile sales, while her mother was a civil servant for the municipal government of Le Camu. Martel was raised in a middle-class home in Le Camu, a suburb outside of Bruc. She is the eldest of three children; her younger siblings include Jean (born 1945) and Sophie (born 1950).

Martel began her education in 1947, attending public schooling in Le Camu. While in school, Martel was outgoing and charismatic, and aspired to have a career in the public eye, be it as an actress, singer, or television or radio personality. After graduating from primary school in 1954, Martel completed *collège* as well in 1957. She subsequently enrolled in a *lycée académique* program at a *lycée* in Bruc, studying literature and languages, and graduated in 1960. Following her graduation, Martel enrolled in the University of Carandie, Bruc, studying journalism, and graduated with her degree in 1963.

## Career

### Pageantry

Martel began her pageantry career in 1958, after registering to compete in Miss Lentignac 1958. Miss Lentignac was later held in June 1958, which saw Martel going on to win the title. Her victory qualified her to compete in Miss Carandie 1958 in October 1958, which she also went on to win.

As Miss Carandie, Martel was qualified to compete in Miss Marone 1959. Miss Marone was held in December 1958 in Viersbourg, where Martel went on to advance into the Top 7, and ultimately placed as the second runner-up, behind winner Antoinette Carla. Following the competition, Martel returned to Carandie and her schooling as a *lycée* student, balancing her pageant titleholder duties with her schoolwork.

### Television

After graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1963, Martel began her career in television after being hired as a trainee at the Télévision Marone field office in Bruc. In the position, Martel worked behind-the-scenes with presenters, producers, directors, and writers on local broadcasts aired in the Bruc area on Marone 3. After one year, she was hired by the network as a production assistant in Bruc. In 1966, she moved from behind-the-camera to on-air work, after being hired as a continuity speaker by the Télévision Marone field office in Bruc. In the position, Martel appeared in between local programs aired in the Bruc area, detailing upcoming programming for the channel, with a particular focus on children's programming.

In 1973, Martel relocated from Bruc to Delmas after she was hired by Marone 2 as a continuity speaker for its national broadcasts. Martel was selected for the position from amongst several hundred applicants who worked with Marone 3 local productions in various media markets throughout the nation. In the position, Martel branched out from children's programming and instead became a regularly-featured continuity speaker for a number of the channel's major nationwide broadcasts. In addition to her work as a continuity speaker, Martel also began serving as a host and presenter for a number of one-off television productions aired on Marone 2, including the Maronan national finals for the Eureavision Song Contest 1978, 1979, and 1980. She was later shortlisted as a potential host for the Eureavision Song Contest 1985, held in Delmas, but was ultimately not selected.

In 1986, longtime Marone 2 weather presenter Joachim Fouvé announced his impending retirement, and Martel put her name down for consideration to serve as his replacement. Following a series of tryouts, Martel was ultimately selected as his replacement as the channel's chief weather presenter in October 1986. The decision was met with some backlash, as Martel had no experience as a weather presenter and was chosen over other candidates whose chief experience was in weather presenting, but supporters noted that Fouvé was similarly a continuity speaker without experience in weather presenting prior to his selection. As the channel's chief weather presenter, Martel appeared on the channel daily, presenting daily and weekly forecasts for viewers at both 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm. By 1990, Martel had become one of the most well-known faces on Maronan television for her daily broadcasts, and was selected as Marone's favorite weather presenter in various surveys in 1998, 2005, and 2018. In 1999, Martel was appointed as the director of the Télévision Marone weather service, overseeing all weather presentations across Télévision Marone's several channels.

Outside of informative broadcasts, Martel has additionally appeared in entertainment and reality television. In 2006, Martel was cast in *Celebrity Big Brother 2*, the second season of the Maronan version of *Celebrity Big Brother*, where she ultimately placed eighth. In 2008, she was cast in season four of *Danse avec les stars*, the Maronan version of *Dancing with the Stars*. She was partnered with professional dancer Boris Mugurov, but they were the second duo to be eliminated.

## Personal life

Martel began a relationship with Maronan television producer François Le Guiele in 1964, after having met as trainees at the Bruc field office for Télévision Marone the year prior. They later became engaged in 1966, and married in a small ceremony in January 1968. Martel and Le Guiele had one daughter together: Sylvie (born 1971).

Upon their marriage, Martel and Le Guiele resided in an apartment in Bruc. In 1973, the family relocated to Delmas, and purchased a home in Bonnot-les-Roses, a suburb in the department of Bonté. In 1993, the family relocated to a house in Saint-Jean in Hauts-de-Maré, where Martel continues to reside. In 2017, Le Guiele died following a three-year bout with pancreatic cancer, aged 75.