Jan Smit Reflects onโ Childhood Fame andโข Burnout in “Beau’s House”
Jan Smit discussed theโข pressures of โearly fame and his subsequent burnout during a recent appearanceโค on “Beau’s House,” sharing insights into his childhoodโ experiencesโ and path to recovery.Looking โthrough a photo album with Beau van Erven Dorens, Smit reminisced about his early career and the importent role played by his then-manager, jaap Buijs, whom he described asโ a “second father.” Smitโฃ acknowledged the unusual dynamic of their relationship,โฃ noting, “It’s strange that you have to go out with โขsomeone who is forty years older than you. But we were great friends right away.”โ Buijs helped smit understand the privileged positionโค he held as a performer, stating, “We don’t have a difficult life.”
Vanโ Erven Dorens offered a different perspective, pointing out the isolation Smit experienced. “I also see a boy who is actually pulled away from his habitat. And sometiems you had to perform in Germany for 250 days.”โฃ Smit admitted he hadn’t considered this at the time, enjoying the performance aspect.
While emphasizing heโ wasn’t forced into anything, Smit acknowledgedโ missing out on typicalโฃ childhood experiences.He recalled โspending time alone in hotel rooms, with Buijs ensuring appropriate boundaries. “Then he saeid, โ’John,โ we’re not going to do that. Good โฃluck and see you tomorrow,'” Smit remembered, โฃleft to entertain himself with toys. “Your childhood is being taken โขaway from you,” he reflected, a realizationโ that came into sharperโ focus afterโ becoming aโ father himself.
Years later, Smit experienced a burnout. the conversation turned to hobbies whileโ the pair were making pottery, revealing Smit’sโข current passionโ for jigsawโ puzzles. “It calms me down fully. Then I just sit at theโ big โtable sometimes for four or five hours,” he said, oftenโฃ choosing puzzles with ten thousand pieces “Just clear your mind.” He โbegan puzzling as a coping mechanism following his burnout, alongside cycling as another outlet.
When asked about the effects of the โburnout,Smit explained,”Youโ start to take โขitโค out,you become very stimulated and then youโค take it outโ on the people closest to you. you become very short.” He described the period as deeplyโข sad, admitting, “That felt like failure.” Van Erven Dorens attempted to reassure him, stating it wasn’t a failure, a perspective Smit acknowledgedโฃ he needed to learn to accept.
To find peace, Smit retreatedโ to Spain, seeking anonymity. When asked about his timeโ there, Smit explained they were essentially “going back in time.” He shared that therapists had helpedโฃ him process the impact of being thrust into the spotlight at age ten,โค stating, “If you โฃanalyze everythingโฆ What it all โdoesโ to you is actuallyโ quite a lot to process.”โข They confirmed that a period of struggle wasn’t a question โฃof if,but when.
Smit continues to prioritize his mental wellbeing, stating, “Every โmonth I talk to someone,” not necessarily due to ongoing issues, but to โฃ”spar with someone.”
The interview originally aired on “Beau’sโ House” and is available to viewโฃ on Videoland.