“Company” winner Knut Marius Djupvik missed his family: Called home in tears

The challenges have been lined up for the celebrity troupe in this year’s “Kompani Lauritzen”. Hunger, cold and exhaustion are just some of what the recruits have experienced, while they have tested their limits in prime time.

– He will be the father of my children

After weeks of bloodshed, it was finally Knut Marius Djupvik (36) and Stinius Maurstad (29) who were left as winners of the competition.

– The final was extremely intense. It was fantastic to win, but we were so tired that we fell over the finish line, recalls Knut Marius.

Stopped by fans

Se og Hør meets the cheerful winner for a chat over a coffee at the Opera House. A stone’s throw away from Oslo Spektrum, where the singer is busy with sound tests before concerts with the Norwegian Military Tattoo.

Curious passers-by cast long glances at the artist from Tomrefjord. Knut Marius’ impressive efforts in “Kompani Lauritzen” have not gone unnoticed by viewers, and he is constantly stopped in the street for a chat or a selfie.

Big miss

The crazy tests that the recruits are subjected to fascinate viewers of all ages. At one point, the participants were “captured”, and surrounded by explosions, they had to fight their way out of an old quarry.

Parachuting into a deep valley surrounded by precipitous mountains was one of the last obstacles before the finish line, but for Djupvik it was missing his wife Maria Valseth (35) and children Heine (6) and Vilja (4) that became the biggest challenge.

– I have never been away from them for so long, and missed them enormously. It was extra special because my son had just started school, and then I just had to leave, says the artist.

Burst into tears

During the recording, the recruits did not have a telephone, but were allowed to call home every four days. Six days into the recording, Knut Marius called his wife at home, who assured her that everything was fine. Then came the tears.

– I cried and cried for 40 minutes. I just wanted to see them and hold them, but then I knew they were fine. That was the most important thing, says the father of two.

Having followed previous seasons, Knut Marius had no doubts when he was asked to be part of “Company”.

He wanted to test himself, and had an iron will that got him through even the toughest trials. It came in particularly handy after he broke two ribs in the obstacle course. The pain was intense, and accompanied him throughout the recording. At one point it was so painful that Knut Marius considered retiring.

– I didn’t want to give up, but it was such insane pain, and it just got worse and worse. I feared that I could get permanent injuries that could affect my life later, he admits.

A chat with Captain John Hammersmark (51) and a doctor in the production made Djupvik decide to brave the pain and continue.

Breaking the silence

– They believed that there was no risk of further complications, and asked if I was really ready to give birth. And I wasn’t, says the 36-year-old with a smile.

The “Idol” dream shattered

He has always had the courage to go with him, and it has been good to have on life’s tortuous path.

Knut Marius has had to work very hard to make a living from music, but there was never any other option for the musical boy who from a young age loved to entertain family and friends.

At the age of 16, he signed up for “Idol”, but had to leave the competition after a crushing response from Tor Milde.

– At the time, there was probably sport in being strict. I remember Milde saying that “this gave me nothing”. It was hard for a teenager to hear and it could have broken me, but I decided to shake it off.

Closed doors

The passion for music burned stronger than ever. Knut Marius played in several bands, and in his early 20s he moved to Oslo to pursue his dream. It was tougher than he had imagined. The young artist encountered many closed doors, and at one point he was unsure whether it was worth continuing.

– In the winter of 2013, I looked for jobs at NAV. I was staying with my brother and felt like I was just drifting around. It was tough, admits Djupvik.

Just when life seemed dark and hopeless, things changed quickly for Knut Marius. He was asked to audition for ‘The Voice’ and ended up winning the entire competition.

– From a life where everything seemed hopeless, I won “The Voice” and got a record deal. Around the same time, I met the woman of my life. Life was completely turned upside down, recalls Djupvik.

He got further wind in his sails in 2020, when he emerged victorious from “Stjernekamp”. Since then, the father of two has been working on his own material, and recently released the song “Ember”, which was inspired by his own four-year-old daughter.

– She is a tough girl, who goes on and takes all challenges head on. She always gives full throttle, and was my biggest inspiration to give everything in “Kompani Lauritzen”. The song means a lot to me, and I hope that it can also touch others.

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