Presenter Karel van de Graaf passed away on Tuesday evening at the age of 72. The family announced this on Wednesday. Van de Graaf had been ill for some time and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. He died at home in the presence of his wife and children.
Van de Graaf worked for Avro between 1969 and 2007. He was known, among other things, as a presenter of Television and two seasons of Who is the mole? . On the radio, he was one of the regular presenters of the late evening program on Hilversum 1 for many years With a view to tomorrow . In 1981, Van de Graaf was awarded the Silver Travel Microphone for his radio work.
The Hilversum celebrity was one of the best-known faces of the Avro on television in the eighties and nineties. He made controversial television with his talk show Karel which aired between 1984 and 1999.
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A broadcast of his talk show Karel became world news in 1984 when someone from the audience stood up and attacked table guest Paul Somohardjo, the opponent of former Surinamese president Desi Bouterse. With his statement ‘gentlemen, gentlemen’ Van de Graaf tried in vain to separate the two fighters.
The broadcast was interrupted, after which two shots were fired behind the scenes. Van de Graaf was unharmed.
As a journalist, he mainly profiled himself as a presenter of current affairs columns Television (1986-1996) and Network (1996-2004). He was known for his excellent knowledge of files and his ability to quickly explain what the news was in difficult subjects. In his talk shows, Van de Graaf showed himself to be a sharp interrogator who listened carefully to his guests. In 2006 and 2007 he presented two seasons of Who is the mole? as successor to Angela Groothuizen.