Matthijs van Nieuwkerk seems to be dragging his new TV boss Peter van der Vorst into the abyss. The TV boss is rapidly losing sympathy now that he seems to be disappearing. “Where is his moral compass?”
Peter van der Vorst, the television boss of RTL, chose to work with Matthijs van Nieuwkerk at the end of last year. It raised eyebrows at the time, because the report into the abuses at DWDD had not yet been published. Now that the report has been published and serious new accusations have come to light, Peter has no place.
On the same page as Johan
There is currently a new situation compared to the moment Matthijs signed his contract with RTL. So far it has been about psychological and verbal misconduct, but alleged sexual and physical misconduct has been added. The story about grabbing someone by the throat in particular goes beyond all limits.
Critics were already anticipating Matthijs’ RTL contract being put through the shredder, but nothing could be further from the truth: Peter is simply holding on to the presenter. He isn’t even put on hold. And so the bizarre situation arises that Peter is currently aligned with the conservative and incorrect Johan Derksen. Peter and Johan versus the rest…
Angela critical
Angela de Jong finds it bizarre, she says in the AD Media podcast. “I think it’s a shame that someone who took The Voice off the screen because all kinds of strange things were happening between coaches and candidates, now just brings in a presenter from whom we also know stories about sexual misconduct and who became physical.”
She is referring to Peter van der Vorst, Angela makes it clear. “Yes. I find it really very astonishing. I’m also very disappointed with that about him. I hope that he was very distressed and deeply regretted his decision, but we don’t see much of that yet.”
Sorry
Peter thinks that Matthijs has expressed enough regret, but he denies all the new accusations. “And what mistakes did he learn and regret? He walked a few laps through the park with some former employees. I think you have to ask the people who work there whether it is enough and they have very serious reservations about that.”
She continues: “When I see him in that Sunday evening program, I still wonder: who would he have grabbed by the throat today? With which of his editors would he have made an arrangement of 20,000 euros? RTL can do that.”
Longer from the tube
According to Angela, Matthijs should stay off TV longer. “Let him work on himself behind the scenes. The moment you grab someone by the throat and pull them over the table, I don’t think you can solve that with a few laps in the park. Then I think there might be something more going on and you need to take a slightly different path.”
Peter’s reputation is completely at stake here, Angela thinks. “I think Peter van der Vorst should take another look at those flags flying outside his window. About the pact ‘Respectful Cooperation’. Maybe he should. And then I’m curious who still wants to work behind the scenes.”