Élisabeth Desjardins

**Élisabeth Marie-Claire Malinowski** (née **Desjardins**; born 19 February 1978) is a Maronan television personality, businesswoman, and former model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 2002. She had previously been crowned Miss Pays-du-Verne 2001 and Miss Sanée 2001, and was the second woman from Pays-du-Verne to be crowned Miss Marone. Desjardins represented Marone at Miss Parth 2002, where she placed in the Top 20.

In 2004, Desjardins joined the Miss Marone Committee as the director of external relations. She later was appointed the organization's president in 2009, following the resignation of Évelynne von Kupp. Since becoming president, Desjardins has received national recognition as the main public face of the Miss Marone Committee, and also developed a career as a television personality.

## Early life and education

Desjardins was born on 19 February 1978 in Les Robbes to parents Hugo (born 1945) and Juliette Desjardins (née *Villiers*; born 1947). Her parents were both civil servants, with her factor working as a corrections officer and her mother as a primary school teacher. Desjardins has described her upbringing as "modest" and "middle-class." She is the younger of two children; her elder brother is Thomas (born 1976).

Desjardins began her education in 1983, attending a public, primary school in Les Robbes. While in primary school, Desjardins was both intelligent and shy, and struggled making friends. She graduated from primary school in 1990, and afterwards completed *collège* in 1993. Desjardins later enrolled in Lycée Valéry Rouanet in Les Robbes, studying an academic program in economics and social sciences. She graduated with her *baccalauréat* diploma in 1996, and afterwards enrolled in the University of Banoît, graduating with a bachelor's degree in corporate law in 1999. She subsequently moved to Luçon to enroll in the Emmanuel Jaubert University of Law at Luçon University, graduating with a master's degree in tax law in 2001.

## Pageantry

### Miss Pays-du-Verne 2001

Desjardins began her career in pageantry in 1997, after registering for Miss Sanée 1997 amidst encouragement from her then-boyfriend's mother, whom had previously been crowned Miss Sanée 1970. She ultimately placed as the first runner-up in the competition, qualifying her to compete in Miss Pays-du-Verne 1997, where she placed as the second runner-up.

Desjardins chose to return to pageantry in 2001, after she was selected to compete for Miss Sanée 2001. She was not initially interested in competing, as she was in the midst of studying for the Marone Bar Exam, but agreed after being contacted directly by pageant organizers. Desjardins was ultimately crowned Miss Sanée 2001, and was qualified to compete for Miss Pays-du-Verne 2001. The final was held in October 2001, where Desjardins was ultimately crowned the winner.

### Miss Marone 2002

As Miss Pays-du-Verne 2001, Desjardins was qualified to compete in Miss Marone 2002. The pageant was held on 15 December 2001 in Toumont. In the competition, Desjardins advanced from the initial pool of 30 contestants into the top twelve, and later entered the top five as well. After reaching the top five, Desjardins was declared the winner, being crowned by outgoing titleholder Stéphanie Râche of Châtillon-Rèches, becoming the second woman representing Pays-du-Verne to win the title. During the competition, she also scored the highest on the General Knowledge Exam.

As Miss Marone, Desjardins received tens of thousands of dollars worth of prizes and gifts on behalf of sponsors, and moved to Delmas in order to fulfill her reign. As Miss Marone, Desjardins appeared as a contestant on the television series *Fort Malet*, worked as a model in cities such as Cezzina and Kafra, and cohosted a weekly radio show on TM Radio. Desjardins represented Marone at Miss Parth 2002 in October 2002, where she placed in the Top 20.

## Post-pageantry

### Miss Marone Committee

In 2004, Desjardins joined the Miss Marone Committee as its director of external relations. In the position, Desjardins served as a deputy for the organization's president Évelynne von Kupp, working as one of the organization's chief spokespeople, in addition to assisting with the organization of events, accompanying the titleholder to events, and liaising with regional committees and sponsors.

In 2009, amidst controversy surrounding von Kupp, Desjardins was appointed the organization's new president upon von Kupp's resignation. The appointment made her the first new president of the organization since 1964, and the first time the von Kupp family did not control the organization since 1950. Desjardins later cohosted Miss Marone 2010 with von Kupp and Jean-Pierre Fredriksen, before taking over cohosting duties completely from von Kupp beginning with Miss Marone 2011. Desjardins has since emerged as the public face of the Miss Marone Organization, regularly appearing on television broadcasts in order to promote the competition.

### Television

In 2005, Desjardins was cast in *Celebrity Big Brother 1*, the first season of the Maronan version of *Celebrity Big Brother*. After 45 days in the house, Desjardins was voted by the Maronan public as the winner. 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 André Plevcheff, and ultimately finished in third place. In 2014, Desjardins was brought back for *Danse avec les stars: All Stars*. Once again partnered with Plevcheff, the duo were eliminated in fifth place.

Since 2010, Desjardins has appeared as a contestant in *Fort Malet* almost every year, often appearing in an episode with the reigning winner of Miss Marone. In 2019, Desjardins appeared as a stand-in cohost of the talk show *Cet après-midi*. She was brought in once again as a stand-in cohost in 2021.

## Personal life

### Relationships and family

Desjardins began a relationship with Ditrovian model and actor Jake Christianson in 2002, while she was reigning as Miss Marone 2002. They became engaged in 2005, and later married the following year. Desjardins and Christianson had one son together: Paul (born 2007). The family split their time between Danchester and Delmas, until Desjardins filed for divorce in 2011, with the divorce being finalized the following year.

In 2012, Desjardins began a relationship with Maronan businessman Claude Malinowski, after meeting through mutual friends. They became engaged in 2015, and married later that year. Desjardins and Malinowski have two children together: Leanne-Marie (born 2016) and Natacha (born 2018), while Malinowski also adopted Paul as a stepparent. The family resides in Chouilly-sur-Maré outside of Delmas.

### Politics

Ahead of the 2006 presidential election, Desjardins was one of several Maronan celebrities to appear in a campaign video for Bertrand Chevalier of the Socialist Party. She later endorsed Chevalier again in the 2012 presidential election, and Gisèle Frédérique-Betsch in the 2018 presidential election. In 2021, Desjardins referred to herself as a "lifetime Socialist."