Caroline van der Plas does not recognize the accusation of the morning stars of Radio 538 that she has become less approachable. “That is not true. I always respond.”
She has gone through a rough period due to a row about her turbulent private past: Caroline van der Plas. Her divorce was stirred up in front of the entire nation and it hurt her a lot. She talks about it in the online section In The Walkways from presenter Wilfred Genee.
Angry at Eus
When untruths are told, it makes Caroline angry. “For example, what Eus said here about my ex-husband, that I was actually the one who almost drove my ex-husband to suicide… That really touched me very deeply.”
Did she call Özcan Akyol? “I talked to him for a long time and I think he understands that he could not have said it that way, but then I think: boy, Eus, do you know what you are saying now? Do you know what you’re saying now, so go, out of the blue?”
Lost grief
Caroline has really been lost for a while, she admits. “It took me a few weeks to get rid of the anger and sadness. I’ve really cried a lot the last few weeks. Now it is ready. Then it’s all right and we just carry on.”
Has it changed her open-minded attitude? “You’re a bit more on your guard. I have become a little more reserved, but I still want to be the same open-minded talker.”
538 disappointed
Wilfred then points out that they at Radio 538 are disappointed in Caroline. “I listened to the 538 morning show, of course you know that too. They say: ‘Caroline could always call you, day or night, you could always text her and she responded immediately. She doesn’t do that anymore. Sooner or later that’s going to happen to every politician.’”
Caroline: “That’s not true. I always respond.”
Wilfred: “That is the conclusion they drew: sooner or later every politician is going to do that, because it is not possible.”
Radio app
Caroline admits to having received a text message. “I think she or Veronica texted about something last week. I don’t know what it was about, something about the media. They called me at half past seven in the morning and I was still sleeping and I didn’t see the message until half past eight.”
Wilfred: “So you don’t recognize yourself in it?”
Approachable
No, Caroline answers firmly. “They can always call. I always respond very quickly. No is also an answer. If I can’t or something. I want to keep it that way.”
She concludes: “I don’t want a cordon of information officers and people buzzing around me. I think that is very important to be reachable and approachable.”