Larissa Yaw-Ho-Wen

**Larissa Marie Jennifer Yaw-Ho-Wen** (born 20 August 1976) is a Maronan television presenter, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 1998. Yaw-Ho-Wen had previously been crowned Miss Tahare 1997, and was the fourth woman from Tahare to be crowned Miss Marone; she is additionally regarded as the first woman of Helonesian ancestry to be crowned Miss Marone, although this designation has been disputed. Yaw-Ho-Wen represented Marone at Miss Parth 1998, where she placed as the first runner-up.

After completing her reign as Miss Marone, Yaw-Ho-Wen began a career as a television presenter and model. She hosted the TM1 game shows *Un loup pour l'homme* (1999–2007), *Trou en un* (2008–2010), and *Le chasseur de primes* (2012–2015), in addition to appearing as a contestant on the celebrity game shows *Danse avec les stars* (2005) and *Le Stagiaire – Célébrité* (2011).

## Early life and education

Yaw-Ho-Wen was born on 20 August 1976 in Sainte-Anne, on the island of Tahare, to parents Boris (born 1950) and Madeleine Yaw-Ho-Wen (née *Tout-Ag-Min-Miat*; born 1953), and was raised in Sainte-Anne's Brise-en-Crique neighborhood. Her father was born in Tahare to a family of Shinese origin which had first migrated to Tahare from the Vorelles in the 1890s, putting them amongst the first Shinese families to settle in Tahare. Her mother was born in Maronan Nurma and migrated with her family to Tahare in 1957, aged four. Yaw-Ho-Wen's paternal family had owned a jewelry company in Tahare for several generations, and both of her parents worked for the family business. Growing up, Yaw-Ho-Wen assisted with bookkeeping for the business, which inspired her interest in mathematics. Yaw-Ho-Wen was raised upper-class as the eldest of three children and only daughter; her younger brothers include Samuel (born 1979) and Kenny (born 1982).

Yaw-Ho-Wen began her education in 1981, attending private, Eurean Catholic schooling. After completing primary school in 1988, she graduated from *collège* in 1991. While in school, Yaw-Ho-Wen was an intelligent and popular student, and aspired to become a doctor. She later enrolled in Lycée Sainte-Marie, a private, coeducational, Eurean Catholic *lycée* in Sainte-Anne and the most prestigious secondary school in Tahare, where she studied a *lycée académique* program in natural sciences and mathematics. She graduated with honors in 1994, and afterwards enrolled in the University of Tahare as a medical student. She completed her theoretical courses in 1997, receiving a bachelor's degree in medicine, but ultimately did not complete her medical training.

## Personal life

Yaw-Ho-Wen began dating Maronan footballer Robert Battier in 2005, after both were cast in season two of *Danse avec les stars*. They later became engaged in 2007, and married in a lavish ceremony in Tahare in November 2008. Yaw-Ho-Wen and Battier have two sons together: Quentin (born 2010) and Jérémy (born 2014). The family owns several homes, including an apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Delmas, an apartment in Dilles, and a beach house in Sainte-Anne, Tahare.

Yaw-Ho-Wen was raised bilingually, and is fluent in both Maronan and Nurmese, in addition to Ditrovian. She is also conversational in Shinese, but is not fluent. Growing up, Yaw-Ho-Wen's father was a Eurean Catholic while her mother practiced Nurmese folk religion, with Yaw-Ho-Wen stating that she still affiliates with both religions despite being non-practicing. She also identifies as a member of the *Shinois* ethnic group of Tahare.