Hélène Hendriks fears after the scandals about Jack van Gelder and Tom Egbers that things will really get out of hand in television land. “Someone will take their own life soon.”
It disturbs Hélène Hendriks immensely how the misconduct of Jack van Gelder and Tom Egbers is reported on the editorial floor of NOS Sport. Tom, who is putting his work on hold for several months, was very emotional yesterday at Khalid & Sophie’s talk show table. And that worries the presenter.
Suicide
According to Hélène, we should pay much more attention to the perpetrators of transgressive behaviour. “I said, and I was not thanked for that, that I completely agree with Jan Slagter. He says: ‘We’re going crazy, we’re going way too far.’ And what was he referring to? Trials by media, we all participate in that. No more open eyes, no nuance.”
There is now a threat of suicide in TV land, says the SBS 6 star. “People come under such pressure that you shouldn’t be surprised that things go wrong once and then I’m talking about someone who doesn’t like it anymore and therefore takes their own life. I think we are not that far from that and I really regret that.”
Tragic
Johan Derksen would find that a bit weak. “That would be very tragic, but in this world when you walk here – and Tom has been around for years – you have to have a bit of a plate in front of your head and stay on your feet, don’t you? I’ve also had the whole of the Netherlands over me, but then I won’t sit and cry at a talk show table, will I?
Hélène: “Yes, but that’s you. You have a different character.”
Super vulnerable
It is quite intense how open Tom was with Khalid & Sophie, thinks Hélène. “He is super vulnerable. He has to tell his entire private situation, which we have nothing to do with, because you want to tell your story. But I think it’s good because you also hear the other side for once.”
She continues: “What really bothers me is that when something is exposed, we no longer have an open mind, all nuance is gone and it is black and white.”
Not objective
Hélène questions the investigation by de Volkskrant into the abuses at NOS Sport. “I find it very strange that if you make a story and three or four days before publication you send it to Tom Egbers and ask: ‘Can you explain your behavior?’ That already contains an assumption… Then it is no longer objective, I think.”
According to Angela de Jong, that is more than enough time. “A few days before publication seems to me to be enough room for adversity in general,” she says at Jinek.
Finally, Hélène: “I don’t know what is true and what is not, but I think he came across as sincere.”