Ruben Nicolai does not want to publicly support or criticize his TV colleagues Beau van Erven Dorens and Gordon. “He is very on the level, he doesn’t want to burn his fingers.”
It will go down in history as perhaps one of the worst interviews on television ever: the uncritical conversation between Beau van Erven Dorens and his TV colleague Gordon. Ruben Nicolai was also in the infamous episode of Casa di Beau; he stood there and looked at it. He is now also asked for his opinion, namely by The Telegraph.
Ruben parks
What does Ruben think of Gordon being allowed to say that his ex-boyfriend must be schizophrenic without any objection from Beau? And that he was allowed to open up Gavin’s family trauma, namely his brother’s suicide, without a hint of opposition? “I’d rather park this question for now,” he says very measuredly.
Huh? Surely Ruben can say something about this? Or is this all fine with him? “The criticism continued. What I can say about myself is that I enjoyed the three days. For me the program is not journalism but entertainment.”
Call Beau
When asked why Gordon was a guest to talk about a difficult period, the presenter answers: “It’s better to call Beau himself for that.”
Curiously enough, Ruben says earlier in the interview that he can deal so well with criticism from outside: “Sometimes it’s things that people write down in columns or comments under articles. These are all things – no matter how unkindly written down sometimes – that you can get something out of.”
On the plain
Private boss Evert Santegoeds thinks it’s lame of Ruben. “I thought Ruben was a bit upset about Beau, who had been on top of things. He clearly doesn’t want to burn his fingers on that, even though he was also one of the people who could have said to Beau: ‘Well, that story about Gavin’s brother, should that be included?’”
He continues Strictly Private: “None of that happened and Beau runs away from it and everyone is angry with him and keeps talking about it. I hardly have to do anything about it myself, it will continue to fester for a while. It is really a big stain on Beau’s reputation and many people could have easily prevented that there in the snow.”
Ask further
Jordi Versteegden is the one who conducted the interview with Ruben. He says: “I tried to ask Ruben myself. Only he really, really, really didn’t feel the need to respond to that at all. He says: ‘So much has already been said about it. What else can I say about it?’”
Evert: “Well, I think that apart from that recording it is of course great fun in a chalet in the snow. There will be drinks on the table and it will be discussed what Gordon has said about this person, genes and me. Well, okay, I think enough has been said about it. It was an extremely unfortunate broadcast.”