Gert Verhulst facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gert Verhulst
Gert Verhulst in 2017
Born	Gert Tony Hubert Verhulst (1968-01-24) 24 January 1968 (age 57) Berchem, Belgium
Nationality	Belgian
Education	autodidact, Refused at the Antwerp Academy of fine Arts.
Occupation	managing director of studio 100 (1996–present) presenter, entrepreneur, singer, director, actor, millionaire & business magnate
Years active	1987–present
Awards	Gouden Pier Kloeffe, Manager of the year by Trends

Gert Tony Hubert Verhulst (born on January 24, 1968, in Berchem, Belgium) is a famous Belgian TV presenter, entrepreneur, singer, director, actor, and screenwriter. He is a very important person in children's entertainment in the Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg). He is best known as the founder of Studio 100.

Life and Career

The Samson and Gert Christmas show in 2009

Gert Verhulst knew from a young age that he wanted to be famous. In 1987, he tried to get into the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp but was not accepted. He later said this was a good thing! That same year, he got his first job at a TV station called BRTN (now VRT). He worked as a continuity announcer, which means he introduced shows.

Samson and Gert: A Talking Dog Show

Samson & Gert is a popular children's TV show from Flanders, Belgium. It's about a talking dog named Samson and his owner, Gert. The show first aired on Christmas Day in 1989. It became so popular that it still airs all its episodes today on the channel Ketnet.

Gert Verhulst wanted to make the announcements before children's shows more fun. So, he decided to have an animal puppet with him. He met a puppeteer named Danny Verbiest, who created Samson, an Old English Sheepdog. Samson first appeared on TV on September 2, 1989. People in Flanders loved the pair very quickly. Because of their popularity, they got their own TV show in 1990, simply called Samson.

In the show, Samson, Gert, and their friends often found themselves in funny and sometimes messy situations. The show also included games, fan mail, and cartoons like The Smurfs.

Studio 100: A World of Fun

Gert Verhulst and Samson at a Plopsa theme park

Samson

Gert Verhulst and Walter Baele at the Book Fair in 2009

Gert Verhulst started Studio 100 in 1996 with Danny Verbiest and Hans Bourlon. They first worked together in 1989 on the Samson en Gert show. Studio 100 began with just the Samson en Gert program. They quickly decided to create a new show to help their company grow. This new show was about a gnome called Kabouter Plop. It started airing in 1997.

In 1999, Studio 100 grew a lot! They launched four new projects in Flanders, including a musical, a movie, and two new TV shows. Studio 100 also bought Meli Park, which they turned into a theme park.

Today, Studio 100 owns several Amusement parks. These include Plopsaland, Mayaland Indoor, Plopsa Indoor Hasselt, Plopsa Coo, and Plopsaqua in Belgium. They also have Plopsa Indoor Coevorden in the Netherlands and Holiday Park in Germany.

The main office for Studio 100 is in Schelle, Belgium. They have the biggest recording studios in Belgium. Big events, like tryouts for the Eurovision Song Contest, are often held there. Studio 100 also has animation studios in Paris, Sydney, and Munich. They even own two TV stations.

Studio 100 bought Flying Bark Productions to create shows like Master Raindrop. They work with over 160 TV channels and sell their shows in more than 110 countries. For example, the show Maya the Bee has been sold to TV channels in over 150 countries!

Personal Life

Gert Verhulst and the mayor (Walter De Donder) during a Samson en Gert show in Plopsaland in 2017

Gert Verhulst has a son named Victor (born 1993) and a daughter named Marie Verhulst [nl] (born 1995). Marie Verhulst is also an actress, just like her dad! Gert married Ellen Callebout in 2019.

In 1999, Gert Verhulst bought a building called "Villa Zonnelicht" (which means "villa sunlight"). It used to be a place for children in need. He bought it for about €176,000 and made it his own home.

Discography

Gert Verhulst, often with Samson, has released many albums and singles. Here are some of them:

Albums

• "Samson & Gert 1" (1991)
• "Samson & Gert 2" (1992)
• "Samson & Gert 3" (1993)
• "20 jaar Samson & Gert" (2010)
• And many more!

Singles

• "Samsonrock" (Samson & Gert) (1991)
• "Verliefd zijn" (Samson & Gert) (1991)
• "Wij gaan naar de maan" (Samson & Gert) (1992)
• "Kerstmis Kerstmis" (Samson & Gert) (2013)
• "Hiep hiep hiep hoera!" (Samson & Gert) (2015)
• And many more!

Filmography (Television)

Gert Verhulst has appeared in many TV shows. Here are some of his roles:

Filmography (Producer)

Gert Verhulst has also produced many films and TV series.

Filmography (Director)

Gert Verhulst has directed several musicals and TV shows.

See also

In Spanish: Gert Verhulst para niños