Gert Late Night

Storyline

"Gert Late Night" is a late-night talk show hosted by Gert Verhulst from his private yacht Evanna anchored in the Willemdok, a re-established dock of the original Port of Antwerp. Verhulst is flawlessly complemented by his sidekick James Cooke. Twelve weeks a year, Verhulst and Cooke invite 36 celebrities - three recurring guests weekly - whom are either Flemish or Dutch. The aim is to have their guests stay on the yacht from Monday to Thursday while respecting their daily activities and/or private obligations. The guests mostly have different personalities and, at first glance, they don't seem to match. On the actual show, there's talk of numerous social matters as well as some fresh updates on the latest show-business. Verhulst is the leading host and sympathetic ear while Cooke interviews non-recurring guests from his regular spot called "Bar Late Night", where drinks are being served to their guests and the audience. The guests get involved in all those conversations. Every day, a guest lies at the heart of an episode. As they spend the week, the guests generally make close friendships. A popular entry of the show is "Bedgeheimen", during which the guests - one by one - venture a pillow talk with Cooke. This often forces them to share a well-kept secret, since Cooke listens well and has a lot of empathy. From the show's outset onwards, Verhulst and Cooke regularly organize entertaining side activities which are own ideas, such as fly-boarding. They both feature during the night activities (such as invading a Flemish celebrity's house) but Cooke joins the guests for the action at daytime, whereas Verhulst is mostly absent from those activities. There activities can also be closely related to other programs/shows broadcast by the company at that particular time, such as "Temptation Island", "Dancing with the Stars" or "Expeditie Robinson". As of season 4, Verhulst and Cooke accept an either absurd or tough challenge from the guests, which they must strictly adhere to for 24 hours. The outcome of the challenge subsequently results in a compensation, e.g. putting their hands in a mystery box filled with animals. Featured challenges have included being blind and/or deaf, taking care of a baby and being shackled to each other with a chain. The two mainly do their show in a fun way and with a lot of entertainment, which makes the show considerably different than a regular talk show. Cooke stands for most of the pranks, as he plays the imbecile in virtually all episodes. Cooke's interventions create a humorous effect while Verhulst's sophisticated but often dry sense of humor perfectly goes with Cooke's mischiefs. Cooke's shenanigans are usually followed by staged astonishment on behalf of Verhulst, e.g. Cooke portraying his version of James Bond at the breakfast table.