Gert Verhulst

Gert Tony Hubert Verhulst (born 24 January 1968 in Berchem, Antwerp) is a Belgian presenter, entrepreneur, singer, director, actor, screenwriter, composer, film producer, and business magnate. Later that year he got his first job at the former BRTN (now VRT) as continuity announcer.

Samson en Gert Samson & Gert is a Flemish children's television series produced by Eline van Noppen, centered on the talking dog Samson and his owner Gert. In its entire run, the show was originally aired on TV1 from Christmas Day 1989 until 1 December 1997, where it moved to Ketnet and continues airing all of its episodes to this day. As a continuity announcer Verhulst wanted to make the announcements before children's television programmes more appealing by having an animal puppet next to him. He got in touch with puppeteer , who created the puppet dog Samson. Samson, an Old English Sheepdog, made his screen debut on 2 September 1989. The pair's popularity grew very rapidly in Flanders and they were given their own television series in 1990. The show, named Samson, premiered on 2 September 1990. During the show, Samson and Gert and their friends would encounter many funny and chaotic situations. The plot would be interrupted for contests, fan mail and a variety of cartoons, such as The Smurfs, Ovide and the Gang, and Mrs. Pepper Pot.

Zeg eens Euh! Verhulst presented the language game (translated: Say Uh!) It was a game that was broadcast on Friday between 1992 and 1997 and whose concept was clearly inspired by the British radio game, Just a Minute. The panelists alternately were given a theme that they had to talk about for one minute. Together with the theme they got a banned word that they could not use. In the panel were four Flemish celebrities including: , Margriet Hermans, Koen Crucke and . Occasionally one of these panelists was replaced by , , Walter Baele and . During the summer months, the viewer share rose from 700,000 to 800,000 viewers. When Verhulst moved to Vtm, took over the game but after a scandal involving one of the panel members, Emiel Goelen, the show was dismissed.

Move to VTM In 1997 Verhulst moved to Vtm where he presented Wat zegt u? (translated: What do you say ?). This was followed by Linx and in the summer of 1998 Verhulst presented Sterrenslag (translated: Star battle) for several weeks because presenter Herbert Bruynseels had to withdraw due to illness. In the summer of 1999, the dialect game Watte? (translated What?) started Studio 100 started in 1996 with one program Samson en Gert. They immediately decided to create a new program to be able to advertise themselves more. They chose Kabouter Plop (translated Gnome Plop). It has been broadcast on VTM since 1997. In 1999, Studio 100 expanded significantly with four new projects, all launched in Flanders: a musical, a film, and two new television programmes. For both the musical and the film, Vtm was asked to provide financial support. In October of '99, Studio 100 and the VMMa (Vlaamse Media Maatschappij, founded in 1987 as Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij by nine publishers each with an 11.1% share), announced that they would incorporate Meli Park. Right now Studio 100 features Amusement parks in Belgium Plopsaland, Mayaland Indoor , , Plopsa Coo and Plopsaqua, , Netherlands and Holiday Park in Germany 2 TV stations. Studio 100 bought Flying Bark Productions, so they could create Master Raindrop and is continuously doing business with more than 160 broadcasters on average, operate on a regular base in 110 territories worldwide through selling TV, video on demand and home video licenses. For example, Maya the Bee has been sold to broadcasters covering even more than 150 countries.

Personal life

In 1998 he married Valerie Calliau with whom he had a son (Victor Verhulst, 1993) and a daughter , 1995), before splitting up in 2003. His daughter, Marie Verhulst, is also an actress. At the time of the musical "Sleeping Beauty" there were rumours that Verhulst was in a relationship with Karen Damen from the popular girl group, K3. Verhulst always denied the relationship, but in February 2005, pictures of the couple appeared in a Dutch newspaper. In April the couple broke up, after a relationship of four years. From 2008 to 2011, Verhulst had a relationship with Ellen Callebout, a restaurant owner from Blankenberge. In 2012 Verhulst had a very short relationship with Josje Huisman, also a singer from K3, but after a few months they split up. Since then, he has gotten back together with Callebout and the couple married in 2019.

In 1999, Verhulst bought an institution for poor children "Villa Zonnelicht" ("villa sunlight") in Kapellen, Belgium for BF7.100.000 or €176,000 and made it his private home.

Discography

Albums "Samson & Gert 1" 1991 "Samson & Gert 2" 1992 "Samson & Gert 3" 1993 "Samson & Gert 4" 1995 "Samson & Gert 5" 1995 "Samson & Gert 6" 1996 "Samson & Gert 7" 1997 "Samson & Gert 8" 1998 "Samson & Gert 9" 1999 "Samson & Gert 10 – Het beste uit 10 jaar Samson en Gert" 2000 "Samson & Gert 11 – De wereld is mooi" 2001 "Samson & Gert 12 – Oh la la la" 2002 "Samson & Gert 13 – Jiepie ja hee" 2003 "Hotel op stelten" 2008 "20 jaar Samson & Gert" 2010

Singles "Samsonrock" (Samson & Gert) 1991 "Verliefd zijn" (Samson & Gert) 1991 "Wij gaan naar de maan" (Samson & Gert) 1992 "10 Miljoen" (Samson & Gert) 1992 "Samen delen" (Samson & Gert) 1992 "Samen op de moto" (Samson & Gert) 1992 "Wij komen naar jou" (Samson & Gert) 1992 "De snijdersbank" (Samson & Gert) 1992 "De bel doet 't niet" (Samson & Gert) 1993 "Repeteren" (Samson & Gert) 1993 "Piraten-Potpourri" (Samson & Gert) 1993 "Samson toch!" (Samson & Gert) 1994 "Wat ben ik blij" (Samson & Gert) 1994 "Wij zijn bij de brandweer" (Samson & Gert) 1994 "Als je heel erg veel verliefd bent" 1994 (Samson & Gert) "Bij Heidi in Tirol" (Samson & Gert) 1995 "In de disco" (Samson & Gert) 1995 "Druk" (Samson & Gert) 1995 "Wereldberoemd" (Samson & Gert) 1995 "Wie gaat er mee?" (Samson & Gert) 1996 "Aap in Huis" (Samson & Gert) 1996 "De mooiste dag" (Samson & Gert) 1996 "Wij weten wat liefde is" (Samson & Gert) 1996 "Het spook van de opera" (Samson & Gert) 1997 "Jimmy de cowboy" (Samson & Gert) 1997 "Mannetjes van Mars" (Samson & Gert) 1998 "Wakker worden" (Samson & Gert) 1998 "Wij willen voetballen" (Samson & Gert) 1998 "Roeien" (Samson & Gert) 1998 "S.O.S." (Samson & Gert) 1998 "Piloot" (Samson & Gert) 1999 "Storm op zee" (Samson & Gert) 1999 "Bim bam bom" (Samson & Gert) 2000 "De mooiste dromen" (Samson & Gert) 2000 "Vooruit" (Samson & Gert) 2000 "Yeah yeah yeah" (Samson & Gert) 2001 "De wereld is mooi!" (Samson & Gert) 2001 "We zijn op elkaar" (Samson & Gert) 2001 "Oh la la la!" (Samson & Gert en de 6 Teens) 2002 "Olé pistolé" (Samson & Gert en de 6 Teens) 2002 "Radio" (Samson & Gert) 2003 "Lieve Samson" (Samson & Gert) 2006 "Naar zee" (Samson & Gert) 2007 "Heet" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Vrede op aarde" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Vrienden voor het leven" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Vrolijk liedje" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Ik ben verliefd" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Alles is op" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Oh lalala" (Samson & Gert) 2008 "Sinterklaas en Zwarte Piet" (Samson & Gert) 2009 "Springen in de zee" (Samson & Gert) 2009 "Kerstmis Kerstmis" (Samson & Gert) 2013 "Wij gaan vliegen" (Samson & Gert) 2013 "Tingelingeling" (Samson & Gert) 2014 "Zwaaien" (Samson & Gert) 2014 "Hiep hiep hiep hoera!" (Samson & Gert) 2015

Filmography television Year Title Role Notes 2016 – 2017Auwch_ (TV Series) Himself 2 Episodes 2017Allemaal Familie (TV Series) Himself unknown Episodes 2017t is gebeurd (TV Series) Himself 1 Episode 2017 K3 zoekt K3 (TV Series) Himself – Judge 10 Episodes 2016 Het Grootste Licht (TV Series) Himself – Taskmaster 8 Episodes 2015–present Achter de Rug (TV Series) Himself – Speaker / Himself – Guest 2 Episodes 1990–2017 Samson en Gert (TV Series) Gert 4 episodes 2013 Eva Jinek op zondag (Talk-Show) Himself – Studio 100 Owner 3 episodes 2013 RTL Late Night (Talk-Show) Himself – Studio 100 Director 1 episode 2013 Lang Leve (TV Series) Himself – Special Guest 1 episode 2013 Bingo (TV Series) Himself 1 episode 2012–present Vroeger of later? (TV Series) Himself 1 Episode 2010 Peter live (Talk Show) Himself – Guest 1 Episode 2009 Samson en Gert Kerstverhalen (TV Series) Gert 10 episodes 2009 K2 zoekt K3 (TV Series) Himself Unknown episodes 2009 De schuld van VTM (TV Series) Himself 2 episodes 2008 De wereld draait door (Talk-Show) Himself 1 episode 2008 Alles moet weg (TV Series) Gert 1 episode 2008 Hotel op stelten (TV Series) Gert 4 episodes 2007 101 vragen aan... (Talk-Show) Himself – Guest 1 episodes 2007 Beste vrienden (TTalk-Show) Himself – Candidate 1 episodes 2004 Thuis (TV Movie) Gert 2005 Samson en Gert kerstshowspecial (TV Show) Gert 1 episodes 2004 Het geslacht De Pauw (TV Series) Himself 1 episodes 2002 Barend en Van Dorp (TV Series) Himself – Bedenker Kabouter Plop 1 episodes 2001 Debby & Nancy Laid Knight (TV Series) Himself 1 episodes 1999 Linx (TV Series) Himself 1 episodes 1999 Watte? (TV Series) Himself 1 episodes 1997 Laat ze maar lachen (TV Series) Himself – Host 1 episode 1988 De zevende dag (Talk-Show) Himself 1 episode

Filmography (Producer)

Film Year Title Role Released 2015 Blinky Bill the Movie Executive Producer 1 November 2015 (Netherlands) Filming 2012 Musical: Robin Hood producer 31 March 2012 (Belgium) 2012 Plop wordt kabouterkoning producer 25 April 2012 (Netherlands) 2003 De 3 biggetjes producer 4 April 2003 (Belgium) 2002 Doornroosje, De musical producer 29 March 2002 (Belgium) 2001 Robin Hood: The Musical Producer / Director 30 March 2001 (Belgium) 2000 – 2003 Big & Betsy (TV Series) producer 5 November 2000 (Belgium) 37 episodes 1990–2014 Samson en Gert (TV Series) producer 2 September 1990 (Belgium) 808 Episodes

Filmography (Director)

Film Year Title Role Released 2017 – 2018 Gert Late Night (Talk Show) 4 Seasons, 100 Episodes Director/Host 24 April 2017 (Belgium) 2012 Musical: Robin Hood director (Belgium) 2011 Alice in Wonderland – De Musical director July 2011 (Belgium) 2010 K3 – Mamase Show producer 19 May 2010 (Belgium) 2003 De 3 biggetjes (TV Series) director 4 April 2003 (Belgium) 2002 Doornroosje, De musical director 29 March 2002 (Belgium) 2001 Robin Hood: The Musical Producer / Director 30 March 2001 (Belgium)

All Credits here :*