8 inside facts that the creators don't tell you about Expeditie Robinson

Ha, I like this. And you do too. Because this is really information about our favorite show that you probably don't know yet. Information that I just received through one of my Robinson listening spies on Instagram. I open my DM and see a message from Janine.

She works for the youth newspaper 7Days (eternal world fame for you) and has had a brilliant interview with Marjolein van Westerloo, the executive producer of Expeditie Robinson. Of course, I had to filter out the juicy stuff for you... Here it comes.

1. The Netherlands is not the only country that makes the show

Other countries do that too, usually under the name Survivor. Because the show is quite expensive, multiple countries make it together to share the costs. This year, the Netherlands is doing that with Hungary, Belgium, Finland, and Denmark.

2. So simply put: the crew and the participants from all countries are all simultaneously in the Philippines

In fact: the participants do the games half an hour apart. Furthermore, they cannot see each other. The crew (a total of 300 people from all countries!) stays in a backpackers resort.

3. In the past, food from the cameramen was sometimes stolen, but that has now been made practically impossible

The coolers are now all really locked.

4. The crew once lost two candidates

“We once experienced that two Danish participants were missing,” says Marjolein. “They went looking for a village to find food. They got in trouble because that is of course very dangerous.”

5. This is how the trials are conceived...

Every year in November, a group of six people (including Marjolein) goes to a farm to brainstorm. There is always a designer involved who sketches everything out. Afterwards, they present 26 games to the participating countries. Ultimately, the thirteen best games remain. Three months before the recordings, they start building.

6. After designing, backpackers try out the trials(!)

Also known as the game testers. Usually, these are backpackers traveling through Asia. “After that, we often change something. If they find something too heavy, it's really too heavy if you haven't eaten anything for a long time.”

7. Explaining the trial to the candidates usually takes a quarter to half an hour

In a very technical task, candidates may sometimes practice briefly. And we always think from behind the screen: HUH, who can understand that?

8. Every year there are about four candidates who do not pass the technical inspection

If someone has had a hernia, or a weak heart for example. So yes, it could very well be that we know celebrities who really want to participate, in fact: were allowed to participate, but after the inspection no longer due to safety. Bummer.