Patty Brard raves about the emotional world of Peter van der Vorst. She states that the RTL boss feels ‘brought down’ by critics. “You’re the only one who calls it a promotion.”
Peter van der Vorst has been praised for years as channel boss of RTL 4. His decision to immediately take The Voice of Holland off the air at the time was seen as courageous and correct. However, the first hairline cracks soon became visible: his campaign ‘stop hating, start loving, be sweet’ in particular did him no good, because it is demonstrably hypocritical.
Flagship
However, the past year was disastrous for Peter. The TV boss has killed the great promise of RTL 4: Renze Klamer was more or less kicked out late in the evening. The presenter no longer felt like continuing to flog the dead RTL Tonight horse and the channel boss no longer felt like dealing with a reluctant talk show host.
Just before New Year’s Eve it became clear that Peter is leaving as channel manager of RTL 4. Officially because he is ‘promoted’ to a position in which he must ensure synergy at the new parent company DPG Media, namely between the Flemish TV channels and the Dutch TV channels. Unofficially because the flagship needs to be saved.
Into the breach
A few weeks ago, Patty stood up for Peter at the Shownieuws desk. She indicated that she would also have dinner with the TV bobo that week, hinting at a return to RTL.
How did that turn out? She says in the latest Weekend: “That’s what Shownieuws was talking about for a while, but I mean it differently, that it’s not about me at all! I got irritated because I can’t stand Peter being put down like that in the media. I had spoken to him that afternoon.”
Taken down
What did Peter say to Patty then? “First I congratulated him on his new position. ‘You are one of the few who call it a promotion,’ he said. Then Peter said that some media are tearing down this position, that he has been sidetracked. I see it this way: there will be a new Peter, but he is above that.”
According to the TV diva, we should now see Peter as a kind of final boss. “So he is now the boss, also of Belgium. Isn’t that a promotion? It felt so unfair to me! Someone is doing well, but there are still comments about it. I don’t tolerate that negative thing so much. And especially when someone works very hard and is also sweet and attentive!”
Which program?
For which project can Peter call her? “I would like to do something serious, something you wouldn’t expect from me at all.”
So no more reality? “I doubt reality. That is of course scary to say, because a phone call usually comes the next day. I don’t have to do anything anymore, so I just pick the pieces from the pie. (…) With the right makers it might be completely different. So never say ‘never’!”