The first semi-finalist of ‘The smartest person in the world’ has been announced

Tuesday night’s winner

Aster Nzeyimana won tonight and advanced to the semi-finals. He led the entire episode and also won convincingly with 519 points, a strong lead over his fellow candidates who finished on 377 and 193 points. This means that Aster Nzeyimana is assured of a place among the best four participants in the rankings.

Aster Nzeyimana advances to the semi-finals. — © Play 4

Tuesday night’s loser

Bart Appeltans must irrevocably go home after tonight. He ended up in the final game together with Timon Verbeeck. Appeltans was close, but his knowledge of French verbs was inadequate. Just before the semi-final, Appeltans has to leave the game. In his place, comedian Roosje Pertz will return tomorrow.

Interior architect Bart Appeltans lost the final game. — © Play 4

Newcomer from Tuesday evening

Timon Verbeeck was the newcomer this evening. He already survived six episodes, which Erik said was quite surprising because Verbeeck often forgot to listen to the question. Timon says he received many reactions after his participation and that from a completely new target group, namely adults. Timon Verbeeck ended up in the final game with Bart Appeltans, but fought on and played Bart Appeltans home. However, Verbeeck said he was exceptionally nervous. Yet Timon Verbeeck is now also at the age of twenty-two, one of the youngest participants ever in the semi-finals.

Jeroom and Bockie De Repper provide a good dose of humor as a jury duo.

Jeroom and Bockie De Repper provide a good dose of humor as a jury duo. — © Play 4

Beste quotes

Erik Van Looy: “Jeroom and Bockie, are you going to make a new program soon?”

Bockie The Rapper: “We are making a program about a road trip and we are still urgently looking for candidates.”

Erik Van Looy: “Can I register?”

Bockie The Rapper: “Not that urgent.”

***

Erik Van Looy: “Bockie, isn’t that something for you to start a fashion label?”

Bockie The Rapper: “I always wanted to design a bag for fatter people, where they can put food and hang it around their hip. I even have a name for it: the ‘obesi bag’.”

***

Erik Van Looy: “The smartest person in the world knows that from now on I will no longer make jokes about sausages. No, that was just to ‘zwan-ze’.”

***

Timon Verbeeck (after showing baby photos of each candidate): “Erik, will there also be a baby photo of you?”

Bockie The Rapper: “Are there any cute cave paintings of yours, Erik?”

Erik Van Looy as quizmaster in The smartest person in the world.

Erik Van Looy as quizmaster in The smartest person in the world. — © Play 4

***

Erik Van Looy: “Bockie, would it be something for you: assize cases?”

Bockie The Rapper: “As a jury or as a defendant?”

***

Bockie The Rapper: “My whole body is full of hair. I don’t mind that, except when I jump into the pool. Then sometimes the lifeguard whistles and says: ‘Hey, don’t jump into the pool with your T-shirt on.’”

***

Erik Van Looy: “Do you have any fears?”

Bockie The Rapper: “I’m afraid of dying from a champagne cork against my head. Apparently 14 people die from it every year. And they are now only at 12, so we have to be careful for a while.”

***

Erik Van Looy: “What do you want for your birthday?”

Jeroom: “I’ve been asking for the same thing for years: steamy sex and fresh croissants. But now my baker has let us know that he only wants to provide the croissants.”

Timon Verbeeck (left), Bart Appeltans (middle) and Aster Nzeyimana (right)

Timon Verbeeck (left), Bart Appeltans (middle) and Aster Nzeyimana (right) — © Play 4

***

Erik Van Looy: “Have you ever had a pony?”

Jeroom: “My son asked for a pony, so I finally decided. I went to get a pony and tied a big bow around it, but then my son started crying. Yes, it was his own fault: he should have specified that he wanted a live pony.”

***

Jeroom: “And you Erik, would you ever donate your skeleton? Because there is great interest from Neanderthal museums.”

***

Erik Van Looy: “Have you ever worked for free?”

Jeroom: “I regularly work for free, for example for my work Stand up against cancer as ambassador. That would feel a bit dirty to charge a daily price for that. So I take a fixed percentage on the donations.”

***

Best moment

This episode also included another activity assignment. This time it was inspired by participant Timon Verbeeck who imitates dinosaur sounds on TikTok. So the assignment was to imitate animal sounds of extinct animals based on an image. The jury was visibly impressed by Verbeeck’s talent. Timon Verbeeck won the assignment. Erik added: “You can feel the level of the questions and the candidates increasing as we get closer to that final.”

Timon Verbeeck imitates the sound of an extinct animal.

Timon Verbeeck imitates the sound of an extinct animal. — © Play 4

***

Fears were also central in this episode. That led to some very bizarre, but funny confessions. For example, Timon Verbeeck admitted that he is afraid of losing his arm at night. “Sometimes I wake up and my arm is asleep,” says Timon. “Then it sometimes seems like someone else is in my bed, very scary.”

Despite the nerves, TikTokker Timon Verbeeck also advanced to the semi-finals.

Despite the nerves, TikTokker Timon Verbeeck also advanced to the semi-finals. — © Play 4

But Aster Nzeyimana also shares a bizarre fear. “This is not a joke, I’m afraid of all the little holes together. I don’t know what that’s called, probably fear of holes Certainly?” To which jury member Jeroom answers dryly: “We looked it up for you and it does have a name. It’s called ‘posturing’.”

Interim score

1. Daphne Agten (19 episodes)

2. Aster Nzeyimana (8 episodes)

3. Timon Verbeeck (7 episodes)

4. Mohsin Abbas (7 episodes)

5. Roosje Pertz (6 episodes)

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