Konings was with Corry and De Rekels and later Solo regularly a guest in Montagne’s program At full speed. “He had a fantastic program. It was so crazy that bus loads went there. All those people who were in the stands and it was always a happening,” she looks back. “That program has become such a big hit, that could not be broken. It was great.”
Former presenter Chiel Montagne died at the age of 80
The 73-year-old Konings says he has become so famous by At full speed. “He loved the Dutch -language song, he really believed in it.”
‘Chiel Montagne has meant an incredible amount to the Dutch -speaking song’
Dries Roelvink thinks back to Montagne with great respect. Not only could the singer be seen in the last episode of his iconic program At full speedthe presenter also had a guest role in Roelvinks Film I Love Dries.
According to Roelvink, Montagne has with At full speed “Incredibly much meant” for the Dutch -speaking song. “That cannot be described,” the singer tells it in a response to the death of Montagne ANP. The presenter helped Roelvink’s career by inviting him to the program after hearing him singing a Dutch -language cover of a song by Tom Jones.
Chiel Montagne (1944–2025) was a real showman with a lifelong love for the life song
“He said:” If you release music yourself again, it would be nice if you came up with full speed again. “And in the end I came in the very last broadcast of a program that had been running for at least twenty years. As a kid I was already watching,” said Roelvink, who thought that was a great honor.
In I Love Driesthe 2008 film in which Roelvink was abducted by fans to make him take his seed, Montagne made his acting debut at a later age. He played an agent in this, which he said with verve according to Roelvink. “He had prepared himself well. He had to put on that police suit and somehow he was,” the singer remembers. “He had that mustache, he had that appearance, that glance. When he arrived, he just looked like Bromsnor from Swiebertje. That reminded me of my childhood. I had to control my laughter when I stood opposite Chiel, whom I saw as the man of full speed.”
From left to right: Dries Roelvink, Chiel Montagne and Grad Damen. © ANP/HH
‘Chiel Montagne was a man with a lot of humor’
Montagne was “a very pleasant man” who really liked to laugh. For example, singer Dennie Christian would prefer to remember the Thursday at full speed presenter. He had a special band with Montagne: the presenter was even one of his witnesses at his wedding.
“Chiel was just a very pleasant man and someone who really laughed and with whom you could just chat very cozy,” responded 69-year-old Christian on Radio 10. He was regularly a guest in the music program of Montagne, who was also known on the TV set for his characteristic big mustache.
“He knew that everyone simply called him ‘the mustache’. He never went deeper into it. He could always smile about it,” says Christian. “Because Chiel had a lot of humor.”