If you're not familiar with the show, it's a high-stakes competition packed with quirky and unexpected challenges. Contestants compete against one another using creativity, speed and skill. Boudewijn finished in an impressive 16th place out of 100 participants, outlasting his three brothers, who also took part. We caught up with him to hear more about the experience.

What is Homo Universalis?

Boudewijn describes Homo Universalis as a competition where contestants face unusual and unpredictable challenges. From throwing a coat hanger onto a rack to balancing eggs on platforms with teammates, every challenge requires quick thinking and even quicker reactions.

"Your goal is simple: don't lose," Boudewijn explains. "You have to be faster than your opponents."

Favourite challenge

Although it's impossible to prepare for the challenges, one stands out for Boudewijn. Together with four other contestants, he had to balance an egg on a platform.

"You can't practise something like that," he says. "You just have to get it right in the moment."

Staying calm under pressure

When asked how he managed to stay calm in the middle of the chaos, Boudewijn shared his strategy: keep an overview of the challenge and position yourself at the back so you can clearly see what's happening.

"It's all about staying calm and having a plan."

Celebrating the result

After finishing in 16th place, there wasn't much time to celebrate.

"I went straight home," Boudewijn laughs. "At that moment, all you want is to keep competing. Looking back, though, I'm really happy with how far I got."

What winning would have meant

Although he didn't win the competition, Boudewijn had already thought about what he would have done with the prize money.

"My son recently bought a house, so I would have helped him financially," he says. "But while you're competing, you're focused on getting through the next challenge, not on celebrating a victory."

Behind the scenes

Filming days were long and intense. They started at 6.30 am and often didn't finish until around 10 pm.

"Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night with the challenge sounds still playing in my head," Boudewijn recalls.

Despite the demanding schedule, he really appreciated the atmosphere among the contestants, as well as the food and drinks provided throughout the competition.

An unexpected bond

One of the biggest surprises was the connection that developed between the contestants.

"You go out for dinner together and even spend time together after the programme," says Boudewijn. "It reminds you never to judge people by their appearance. Even the first person to leave and the last person standing got along really well."

The challenge that ended his journey

Boudewijn's final challenge was a team task. Blindfolded, he had to eat meatballs in tomato sauce as quickly as possible while his partner fed him.

"My partner did a great job, but the younger contestants around us were just a little bit faster," he admits.

The pressure of the game

According to Boudewijn, it's impossible to understand the pressure of the competition until you've experienced it yourself.

"People often say they're just games," he explains. "But the pressure is unbelievable."

A family affair

Taking part alongside his three brothers made the experience even more special. Although all four joined the competition, Boudewijn stayed in the game the longest, proving his resilience and adaptability in one of television's most unusual competitions.

Congratulations to Boudewijn on this fantastic achievement. We can't wait to see what adventure he'll take on next!

We hope you all enjoy your summer, whether at home or abroad. If you capture a summer moment in true Modular style, send it to m-press@supermodular.com. We’d love to share it in our September issue.

To set the bar, here’s some inspiration: Joran visited our partner Noriko in Tokyo while travelling through Japan. Bonus points if you spot the detail… check out the Modular bag Noriko is casually holding.