April 21st, 2023
How do you live life? Are you the kind of person who stays in their comfort zone and sticks to what they already know, or are you brave enough to take on challenges, excitement, and adventure? Starting Friday, May 12th, the makers of ‘De Verraders’ (The Traitors) will bring a new adventure-reality show to RTL 4 called ‘Het Onbekende’ (The Unknown), hosted by presenter Renze Klamer. Over the span of eight weeks, 14 participants will ask themselves the same question over and over again while they go on an unforgettable journey: “Do I dare to choose ‘The Unknown’?”
Watch the new teaser here.
The long journey through the beautiful and vast Slovenia, with its giant mountains and forests and breathtaking panoramas, is made by two teams. ‘Team Famous’ and ‘Team Unknown’ travel a similar route each episode, competing against each other to win the episode. Letting go of what is familiar and choosing that which is unknown usually gives participants an advantage in the game. But – as with choices in real life – it can also result in a set-back. Each episode ends in a tough and emotional elimination, in which one contestant from both teams is eliminated in either a well-known, or unknown way.
Each participant has their own reasons for embarking on the adventure and choosing ‘The Unknown’. Meet the participants who went into this once-in-a-lifetime adventure blind and with no prior knowledge of what to expect, and their reason for choosing ‘The Unknown’.
‘Team Famous,’ from left to right:
- Pia Douwes (age 58), musical actress: “Being open to what the unknown in life provokes in me, makes me feel free and adventurous. So it’s no wonder that the title of this show triggered the adventurer in me!”
- Iris Frederix (age 39), painter: “I love to play, be surprised and challenge myself. Discovering new things heightens your senses and really makes you feel alive.”
- Ronald Mulder (age 36), speed skater: “I’m competing in ‘The Unknown’ to push my own limits. To step out of the comfort zone of my tightly organized life as a professional athlete, and just surrender myself to the unknown.”
- Mischa Blok (age 47), radio host: “Truly letting go, that takes courage. I see it as a great challenge to see whether I have it in me to give up control.”
- Freek Bartels (age 35), musical actor: “I had time off and was in the mood for an adventure…”
- Steven Kazàn (age 36), magician: “Participating in ‘The Traitors’ was an unforgettable experience for me. A new show by the same creators? I just had to be a part of that!”
- Arno Kantelberg (age 53), journalist: “An adventure is only really an adventure if you have no idea what that adventure is actually going to entail.”
‘Team Unknown’, from left to right:
- Mabel (age 24), fire fighter: “I signed up for ‘The Unknown’ because I love adventure and games. However, I always want to be in control and with ‘The Unknown’ I won’t have that. But I like to put myself to the test and don’t shy away from a challenge, including this one.”
- Nikta (age 29), lawyer: “I choose to participate in ‘The Unknown’ to push my limits and experience personal growth. Who am I and what can I do, when everything that is familiar is removed from the equation?”
- Vincent (age 52), hospitality entrepreneur: “I have always had an entrepreneurial and somewhat adventurous life, for example going motorcycling through the Rif Mountains or wreck diving in the North Sea. But I also want to discover how I act and react in a group of strangers.”
- Ricky (age 41), civil servant: “I saw the teaser and thought, this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime-Ricky things! I don’t know what I’ll be doing, or where I’m going, but I certainly am going!”
- Rein (age 27), videographer: “I live a pretty comfortable life now, and I wanted to test how I would react if I have absolutely no footing and all that comfort is gone.”
- Ruud (age 32), education policy advisor: “People who know me well, know that I like to stay in my comfort zone so I know where I stand and can make informed choices. Combined with my enthusiasm for competition, games and travel, I found this the perfect yet extreme way to challenge myself to do something new.”
- Bart (age 52), IT manager: ” My whole life is about direction, control and planning. It was high time I introduced some uncertainty, fear and surprise.”
Check out the participants’ full bios here.
Renze Klamer as ‘The Unidentified One’
From his ‘lookout’, presenter Renze Klamer takes on a controlling role towards the participants. Despite the fact that his true identity is unknown to the teams, he will determine the course of their journey and will constantly pose the participants with difficult and confronting choices and dilemmas. For Renze, presenting a new show like this also means literally choosing ‘The Unknown’: “A show in this genre and with this role as gamemaster is completely new for me, and a fantastic challenge. We’ve worked hard on it for a long time and I’m really looking forward to taking everyone on this compelling adventure starting May 12th.”
‘The Unknown’ was developed by IDTV and RTL Creative Unit. Starting Friday, May 12th, it will air on RTL 4 at 8 PM for eight weeks.
Photo’s: Shotbysud