Jade Mintjens sees her dream come true: “A private entrance in Wijnegem shopping center? I didn’t mean that!” (TV & Radio)

Sven de Leijer draws a raffle every year to give a special gift to one of his eight jury members from ‘The Chalet’, part of the program Peace on Earth. This year it was Jade Mintjens’ turn. “After a few months of working together on other projects, I dare say that I know Jade a little now. I found out that the large shopping center is by far her favorite place to shop. Fortunately, it didn’t take much effort to convince Katrien Geysen, boss of this place with 250 stores, to cooperate with my gift plan.”

A few days before the broadcast, Jade was led unsuspectingly and blindfolded to ‘her entrance’. When the curtain came down and she saw herself in XL photos on the glass doors, her mouth literally fell open in amazement.

“This is not just an entrance door, but a tribute to the bond that Jade has with our shopping center,” Katrien Geysen explains the spontaneous cooperation Peace on Earth. A nice gift from Jade and the VRT to Wijnegem Shop Eat Enjoy because this is of course priceless advertising.

“Wijnegem is really my second home. For me it is more than just a place to shop. Sometimes I just come here to relax, to eat or drink something. I think the fact that it is covered here and therefore never cold or wet is just one of the advantages”

Jade Mints

There is no question of a smart combine, according to all those involved. Jade herself is genuinely touched by this gesture. “It’s a gift I’ve dreamed of, but assumed I’d never get.”

“I grew up in Malle and have been coming here since I was a child, even with my mother and grandmother. Wijnegem really is my second home. For me it is more than just a place to shop. Sometimes I just come here to relax, to eat or drink something. I think the fact that it is covered here and therefore never cold or wet is just one of the advantages. The offer is also overwhelming. I always find everything I need here.”

Jade was born in 1998, five years after the large shopping center opened. “Even when I was a child, my mother often took me here. As a toddler I even stood on the large posters announcing the arrival of Sinterklaas. It was my debut in the media,” Jade laughs.

She says she cannot think of a single aspect that could be improved in the shopping center. She is even a fan of the old and dated floor tiles that the shopping center will soon remove as part of a major renovation and replace with a more contemporary floor. The Jade Mintjens entrance will remain untouched until further notice.

After the shooting before Peace on Earth – including confetti rain – and enjoying a breakfast offered by the management of Wijnegem, Jade of course also walked through the corridors so familiar to her, looking for the last presents for family members. Finally, she took a selfie in front of her personal Wijnegem entrance and shared it in disbelief with her 90,000 followers on Instagram.