Bridget Maasland thinks it is a good thing that Maarten van Rossem has ultimately decided to resign from De Slimste Mens. “I would find it strange to continue.”
Maarten van Rossem himself pretends that he does not want to be on television at all and does not want any attention at all, but insiders know better: he is addicted to spotlights. When Philip Freriks announced his departure from De Slimste Mens last month, Maarten initially did not keep to the agreement to leave at the same time.
Crazy for attention
Only after pressure from outside did Maarten announce his departure. “That man either doesn’t know what he wants, or he just really enjoys getting attention. I think he finds the latter interesting, like: gosh, everyone is talking about it, my role is so important, let me be a bit vague about it,” says Luuk Ikink in The BLVD Podcast.
Luuk says he always gets that feeling. Colleague Bridget Maasland: “Yes, but it is now clear that he is really going to stop.”
Luuk: “Yes, assuming he stays with this. That this is it, but that’s okay.”
Old grouch
Bridget doesn’t rule anything out. “Yes, of course no one else has come forward yet, right?”
Luuk: “No, and I was thinking about it… There has to be some kind of replacement. Herman van der Zandt will of course take over Philip. Should there actually be a replacement? That’s not necessarily necessary, right? You don’t necessarily have to have an old grouch sitting on that chair, do you?”
Bridget: “No, it can also be more fun for a younger person. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that role.”
Bridget cheers
You can actually just delete Maarten’s position, says Luuk. “Yes, but or not, because I think his role is anyway…”
Bridget: “Yes, that’s nothing, isn’t it? That’s a small role these days.”
Luuk: “It’s about the candidates, ultimately, and not necessarily about that one comment he sometimes makes.”
Bridget is happy that Maarten is resigning: “No, but I think: whether they take someone else or not, I think it is a good decision that they stop as a team, because it can never be the same again. It is strange when Maarten sits with Herman at the same time.”
Comedians on jury?
Luuk agrees. “Yes, that’s crazy.”
Bridget: “As a viewer I would find that strange.”
In Belgium they work with comedians in the jury. Bridget: “Well, I really like that in Belgium, but I don’t see that going so well in the Netherlands, because then perhaps too much attention will be focused on those comedians instead of on the candidates.”
Peter Pancake
Luuk argues for something different anyway. “Yes, if you want a replacement, I would put in a young, cheerful guy. Man or woman, it doesn’t matter, but…
Bridget: “A Peter Pancake or something.”
Luuk: “Yes, just a little bit different… Not necessarily wanting to imitate that moped thing. That is not necessarily the case.”