Stéphane De Groodt

Stéphane De Groodt was born on 3 March 1966 in Brussels, Belgium, the son of a Texaco engineer and a housewife who cared for handicapped children. Dyslexic and academically unsettled, he abandoned formal education and gravitated toward humor, a passion that would later define his public persona. In his twenties he pursued a dual path, working as a barman, journalist, marketing assistant, editor and advertiser while simultaneously training as a racing driver; his parents even bought him a racing suit and helmet. From 1985 to 2000 De Groodt built a respectable motorsport résumé, competing in Formula Renault, Formula 3000, the Porsche Supercup (including the 2001 Spa 24 Hours) and clinching the Belgian Procar BMW Compact Cup championship. He finally left the circuit in 2000 to devote himself entirely to comedy.

His television breakthrough arrived with the inventive series File dans ta chambre, which he co‑wrote with his wife Odile d'Oultremont and began broadcasting in 2002 on RTBF, Canal+ Belgique and France 2. The show’s premise—an uncultured father (played by De Groodt) who is constantly out‑witted by his son’s literal interpretations—exemplifies his love for wordplay and surreal humour, drawing comparisons to legends like Raymond Devos and Pierre Desproges. Beyond this, he contributed regular humorous columns to Le Supplément (Canal+), À la bonne heure (RTL) and Comme on nous parle (France Inter), always mixing puns with mock‑mail commentaries. As an actor, he appeared in numerous TV series such as Faux Contact, Boulevard du Palais and Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes…, and in films ranging from Asterix at the Olympic Games to the box‑office hit Nothing to Hide (2018). Though married to Odile d'Oultremont in 2014, the couple later separated, yet they continue to collaborate professionally. De Groodt’s eclectic career—spanning high‑speed racing, stand‑up stages, radio studios and the silver screen—makes him a uniquely versatile figure in contemporary Belgian entertainment.