Winner
Aster Nzeyimana wins the semi-finals. He managed to provide all the answers very quickly in the last fragment about the death of King Baudouin. This resulted in a spectacular final score of 537 points for Aster, a wide lead over his fellow candidates Timon (322) and Roosje (213). This means he is assured of a place in the final. According to Erik Van Looy, he is also playing better and better. Aster herself is very hopeful of winning. He has been watching ‘The Smartest Person’ since his high school days. But he is very happy that he survived the semi-finals.
READ ALSO. The record holder, Erik’s biggest fan and the best player of the final weeks: who of the three will be ‘The smartest person in the world’?
Loser
Roosje Pertz lost the semi-finals and therefore has to say goodbye just before the final. However, the final game was more exciting than ever for Timon, because he never lost in all the final games, except against Roosje. Timon was also very nervous, which briefly suggested that Roosje Pertz might win after all. Yet it is Timon Verbeeck who advances to the final.
Comedian Roosje Pertz was the newcomer today but had to leave the game just before the final. — © Play 4
Newcomer
Roosje had a bad start in the semi-finals and found it difficult to pick herself up afterwards. Roosje will be replaced tomorrow by record holder Daphne Agten.
Beste quotes
James Cooke: “Gert and I were once in London and we visited a well-known sex toy shop there. There you can have a dildo made from your own penis. I did that for Dorian. It was also made glow in the darkmaterial, so he now uses it as a night light.”
***
Erik Van Looy: “Which of you should participate in ‘The masked singer’?”
James Cooke: “Figures who made the year, like Remco.”
Bart Cannaerts: “Ruben Van Gucht too.”
James Cooke: “Then it might be more like ‘The masked swinger’.”
***
James Cooke: “Before I was famous, I used to pretend I was famous on the train. Then I would pretend to call and say, “Yes, they just called me for that show.” Just quite annoying if your phone actually goes off at that moment.”
Bart Cannaerts and James Cooke were on the jury during the semi-final. — © Play 4
***
Erik Van Looy during a quiz question: “What did you just do?”
Timon Verbeeck (answers the question): “Geotyped?”
Erik Van Looy: “No, but does anyone understand that?”
Bart Cannaerts: “I was just about to ask: ‘Did you understand him?’”
Erik Van Looy: “What does that mean?”
Timon Verbeeck: “Like making stereotypes, but based on location.”
Bart Cannaerts: “Is that really a word?”
Timon Verbeeck: “Maybe.”
***
Erik Van Looy: “If you leave the door open, they say: ‘Were you born in the church?’”
Bart Cannaerts: “You also have that expression when you leave your pants zipper open. Then they say, ‘Are you employed in the church?’”
***
James Cooke: “I think Aster is the most handsome man in showbiz land. Everyone thinks so. In the Red and Blue (disco in Antwerp, ed.).
Bart Cannaerts (to James Cooke): “You called me a bear among the gays last time. Do you know how many reactions I got to that?”
James Cooke nods: “Ah yes of course, yes.”
Bart Cannaerts: “No, zero. I have had zero reactions.”
***
Erik Van Looy: “A desert island, would that be something for you?”
Timon Verbeeck: “Yes, if there is WiFi.”
Erik Van Looy: “And you Roosje?”
Roosje Pertz: “No, because then one of the four directions is cut off. You have the sea, so you can’t go in one direction anymore, you understand.”
James Cooke: “Are you sure you only ate chips in your box?”
The candidates from the semi-finals: Roosje Pertz (left), Timon Verbeeck (middle), Aster Nzeyimana (right) — © Play 4
***
Timon Verbeeck: “Matthew McConaughey? Never heard of it.”
Erik Van Looy: “He plays in the well-known film ‘Interstellar’.”
Timon Verbeeck: “Oh, that’s my second favorite film.”
Erik Van Looy: “But you didn’t remember the name on the generic?”
Timon Verbeeck: “That’s the difficult thing about this quiz. You don’t learn everything you already know, because you think: ‘I already know that’. And everything you don’t know, I think: ‘They’re not going to ask that, because it’s too difficult.’ So in the end you don’t learn anything.”
Erik Van Looy as quizmaster during the semi-finals — © Play 4
***
Erik Van Looy (to James Cooke): “Have you ever been to a Tupperware party?”
James Cooke (beams): “Why? Because I am so well preserved?”
***
Timon Verbeeck: “Sorry, can I choke for a moment?”
Aster Nzeymana: “Oei, huh?”
Timon Verbeeck: “Yes, I want to choke for a moment. Come on, I’m choking.”
Aster Nzeymana: “Gaat het?”
Timon Verbeeck: “Yes, I choked. Alas, it has been swallowed. The ‘swallowest’ person in the world.”
***
Nicest anecdote
Erik Van Looy tells a nice anecdote about his time in Hollywood. After a quiz question about actor Matthew McConaughey, the jury is asked whether Erik has ever met McConaughey. Erik tells us off the cuff that he does. “I once had a meeting with him in his car,” says Erik. “He then possibly played in the American version of Loft.” Erik says that he had to walk through a line of paparazzi to Matthew’s car and that they had a meeting inside. “People then thought we were having an affair,” says Erik.
***
‘The smartest person’ wouldn’t be ‘The smartest person’ if we didn’t learn fun facts about BVs. At some point it becomes about instruments. “I once played the guitar,” says Aster. “That is probably something that no one knows about me, but together with the boy next door I learned that myself at the time.” Aster adds some nuance: “I can only do the basics, but I was able to do it Sweet child of mine from Guns ‘n Roses.”
Aster Nzeyimana during the puzzelronde. — © Play 4
Interim score
1. Daphne Agten (19 episodes)
2. Aster Nzeyimana (9 episodes)
3. Timon Verbeeck (8 episodes)
4. Mohsin Abbas (7 episodes)
5. Roosje Pertz (7 episodes)
