In retrospect, Ben van der Burg believes that Peter van der Vorst should have quit RTL Tonight before New Year’s Eve, in which he was one of the top five guests. “It didn’t work out.”
It is one of the most expensive flops in the history of RTL: the completely failed RTL Tonight. The program was launched with much fanfare, but fizzled out just before the weekend. One of the most seen guests in the program was Ben van der Burg, who was previously associated with Today Inside, but opted for the money.
Hélène teases
Ben is no longer welcome at Today Inside, because Johan Derksen likes his successor Dave Maasland better, but he is still allowed to visit Hélène Hendriks’ talk show. He was also there last night, just after the farewell drink with his former colleagues from RTL Tonight.
Hélène teases him The Orange Summer: “I actually wanted to show a compilation of the highlights, but I don’t have one. Hahaha, no, that’s indeed bad of me. No, but let’s face it: we keep complaining about RTL Tonight, but they’re just colleagues and they just did their best.”
‘As early as December’
Ben believes that Peter van der Vorst, until recently the boss of RTL, has let the program muddle through for too long. “Yes, sometimes things go wrong. No, but of course they had in December… Of course it went on too long.”
He continues: “You know it’s not going to happen again and if you keep going for a long time and you know: it won’t work out, then that’s also difficult. But they were fanatical, including the editors, so that was great.”
Often available
Ben was the fifth most booked RTL Tonight guest with 51 performances. Albert Verlinde was at the desk most often with 77 times, Saskia Bellemann came by 61 times, Michiel Vos 59 times and Josine Droogendijk 52 times.
“I am often available, so that is an advantage, and I have done the Olympic Games. That is also an advantage, so yes, you are often there.”
Preferably with Hélène
Where would Ben prefer to sit? At RTL Tonight or now again at Hélène? “Yes, here. Certainly, yes, yes. Look, here you come that day and then you are there. There they go to see: is there any news or not?”
Finally, he complains: “Yesterday, for example, I heard at 11:30 am: I’m on standby, but then at 4:30 pm I hear that it’s canceled. In the end I wasn’t part of the selection…”