56-year-old Rob Govers from Schijndel will broadcast a self-devised game show live on TikTok. He does this because he wants to deal with the past. A difficult childhood and a gambling addiction caused him to fall into a deep valley. Rob’s Game Carousel should bring positivity to him, but also to others. “This means a lot to me after this period.”
A spinning wheel, a puzzle board, streamers, lights and not to forget: spotlights. These are the ingredients for a flashy game show. “We are in a very unique place here. Namely at Rob’s Spel Carrousel.”
“This is my studio for a new game show,” he says proudly, as he climbs the stairs to the first floor of his house. “Or well, it’s actually a bedroom. But I converted it into a studio. From this place I want to experience fun moments together with the viewers.”
A while ago he started working on the decor, which is now as good as finished. “It’s all made in-house. Take the wheel for example. It’s just a bicycle wheel with an old mirror on it. It’s just like on television, where the sets always have to be as cheap as possible.”
“When you stand behind a set, all you see is wood and cutting and pasting. It’s only the front that you see,” he adds. “And that actually illustrates a bit what I was like as a person. People see a smile and cheerfulness on the outside, but if you looked behind me, there was a lot of sadness and pain.”
Rob grew up in a boarding school during his childhood. “That was a turbulent time. It was not a stable upbringing, as most people have. When I was 12, I went to a foster family and eventually I left on my own. I was able to achieve things through hard work and fighting.”
The urge to prove himself played like a common thread through his life. “But secretly I was always insecure behind the scenes. I just wanted to perform and show that I matter.”
“Also with gambling,” he adds, referring to his gambling addiction. “I thought that was the solution to my problems, such as debts. But that is of course nonsense. I have borrowed a lot. You bend over backwards to survive. I think the worst thing is that I have disappointed the people who helped me.”
“That affected me so much that it was the turning point for me.”
The addiction dragged Rob deeper and deeper into the valley until one day a friend of his sent a long email. “He had lent me a large amount of money, so when I saw the email I thought he would be very angry. Only it turned out to be the opposite. He was worried and wanted the Rob he knew back.”
“That affected me so much that it was the turning point for me,” he says. He has recently received help and has now climbed out of the valley. “And now I thought it was time to end the year by doing something that gives me energy and that is entertaining people.”
The game show, with which he wants to go live on TikTok from the beginning of next year, should bring positivity to Rob, but also to others. “It’s really not related to gambling, because I don’t want that. It should mainly be about playing a nice game. This means a lot to me after this period. Positive thoughts give positive results. This is fantastic.”
Omroep Brabant has a series ‘The year of…’ during the last days of the year. This focuses on a person for whom 2025 was an important year.
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