Hans Kraay Jr. was approached to take René van der Gijp’s place every Wednesday at Today Inside, but declined. “I think it is very sweet of Wilfred and René.”
With five hours of television a week, René van der Gijp already had a lousy job, but starting this year he will be making even less television, namely four hours a week. From now on we will no longer see him at the table on Wednesdays. It is not yet clear who will take his place. Hans Kraay Jr. has rejected a proposal.
Dog heads
Hans has not been in VI for a long time. “I had a great time for fifteen or sixteen years, until they went in a different direction with Today Inside. Then Johan got in my face… I smell sneaky dog heads from a kilometer away in our jungle. Johan Derksen has not been underhanded,” he says The Orange Winter.
“He just said once after fifteen years, two years ago: ‘Hans, you should only blame me. We’re going to make another program and I want to make it without you, and René and Wilfred want to make it with you.”
Hurt?
Hélène Hendriks wonders how that arrived at Hans. “Yes, the decision was: we cannot sit at the table with four football people and talk about current events, someone else always needs to be involved. Did it hurt you?”
Hans then: “I found that annoying, because I had a very nice time there, but he was honest about it. René and Wilfred have reacted against this.”
‘I won’t do it’
Hélène points out a new possibility to him. “But now there is a place available on Wednesday, Hans. Really something for you.”
Hans then reveals that he has already been asked. “Yes, René retires on Wednesdays and Wilfred has called me quite a few times over the past two weeks. He says: ‘Hansie, we want you back at René’s place on Wednesday. René is in favor of that and Johan is not against it either.’”
Hélène: “And that’s already quite something. And what was your answer?”
Hans: “Then I said no, because I think I am in a very nice phase at ESPN.”
Happy at ESPN
Hans wants to focus entirely on ESPN. “I have been given a lot of opportunities there lately. They have given me another contract until 2028, I am very happy with that. I said to Wilfred: ‘I feel honored, I feel my ego has been stroked a bit, but I’m having such a good time at ESPN that I’m not doing it.’”
“Then, voila, René on the phone: ‘Hey Hansie, come on, man. Come on dude.’ I said, ‘It can’t be done every Wednesday.’ He: ‘Then you do it every Wednesday or once every three weeks. Hansie, come on.’ And John de Mol would then contact the management. I think it’s quite sweet of Wilfred and René, but I’m not going to do it. They got it. That’s fine.”