INTERVIEWS
An Lemmens and her own travel experiences.
An Lemmens candidly
about making programs abroad and her own travel experiences.
For programs such as Boer zkt vrouw De Wereld Rond and B&B Zoekt Lief (now to be seen on VTM2 and VTM Go) An Lemmens travels around the world to help candidates find love. In an interview with Travel Reasons, she talks about her own bucket list destinations and how she combines traveling for her job with her family life.
What is the success of dating programs such as B&B Seeks Love and Farmer seeks Wife?
Currently, B&B Zoekt Lief can be seen on VTM2. In this program, Flemish B&B owners go looking for love in France. After Boer zkt vrouw De Wereld Rond (Farmer seeks wife around the world) another dating program that will take An Lemmens abroad as a presenter.
According to An, the success of these programs lies with the subject of love.
An: “It is fun to watch love. For those who sign up, it is also sure to be the lifestyle that appeals. That plays into it anyway in addition to the fact of “love. Getting to know a winemaker in South Africa or a cowboy in Australia is appealing. As TV makers, it’s also very nice to be able to work in such a setting.”
Running a B&B yourself is not for An.
An: “I think it’s a noble job but a lot of people underestimate it. It is super hard work. Always when people are on vacation and enjoying themselves you have to work extremely hard yourself. That’s why it’s not for me.”
Do you yourself still enjoy all the places you get to visit for your job?
An: “I used to be able to enjoy that less. For example, during my work at music channel TMF, I often went on tour with bands and then I really saw that as work. I did my job and other than that I hardly ever went out.
I’ve moved away from that since Farmer seeks wife because I found myself in more and more beautiful places and it would be a shame to never take some time here and explore the country or region.
So during the filming of Boer zkt vrouw De Wereld Rond I took the car at free moments and went to discover the region on my own. I am very grateful that that space was there. For B&B Seeks Sweet, we often drove up and down in a day or two since filming was going on in France. That’s less distance but then there’s also less time to explore.”
Is it possible to continue combining your job with your family life?
Boer zkt vrouw De wereld Rond no longer presents An so she is spared from long trips for now. For B&B Seeks Love, it was sometimes tough to drive up and down every day.
An: “I noticed that my daughter didn’t like this very much. I did try to plan it around our family life but my daughter literally said to me that she is used to me always being there. I usually plan my schedule myself and I’m always there before and after school. She is so used to that. So for these shoots, it took some getting used to.”
What is the most romantic destination in your opinion?
Both B&B Seeks Love and Farmer seeks Wife revolve around love. What do you think is the most romantic destination?
An: “That’s what you make of it. You don’t have to go abroad to make it romantic. Your own garden or a beautiful sunset are fine too. Of course, a beautiful setting does contribute to that but during the lockdown we learned that we don’t always have to look that far.”
What characterizes an ideal vacation for you?
An: “It depends on what I desire from my vacation. When I’m tired I like to just lie by the pool in the morning but most of all I like to explore. I want to see bits of the world. I like to immerse myself in cultures and history. So a good mix of relaxation and discovery is ideal for me on vacation.”
Too much of one or the other An would rather not have.
An: “It’s not the intention that I come back from vacation exhausted but I also want to have really seen something of the country so just lying by the pool is not for me either. Otherwise it’s just money down the drain. So the ideal vacation is a combo of resting and actively exploring and discovering things.”
What are your favorite travel destinations?
Her job also takes An to special places. The most impressive places she has already had the opportunity to work were Canada and Japan.
An: “Canada because of the beautiful nature and Japan was a real culture shock. A very special experience.”
When we ask about the destination she can recommend to anyone, she says flat out, “Thailand! It’s a winner on so many levels.”
In Belgium, An’s favorite spot is natural park Furfooz near Dinant. “A cool hiking spot with a bit of cultural history. Highly recommended!” she says about it.
What are your bucket list destinations?
There are still many places on An’s bucket list, but in particular the Galapagos Islands, Komodo and Machu Picchu.
We hope she gets to explore these special places soon!
You can watch B&B Zoekt Lief again on VTM GO. In September, An Lemmens will once again be seen on the new season of The Voice.
