Production company ITV of the television program The Voice of Holland apologizes following an investigation into the abuses on the editorial floor of the program. The apology is intended for “anyone who has experienced any form of inappropriate behavior” around the making of The Voice of Hollandsays Lisa Perrin, director of ITV in a statement Wednesday. “Had the complaints of inappropriate behavior been referred to ITV management in London, the response would have been different,” said Perrin.
In January last year, RTL stopped recording the talent show, after revelations from the BNNVARA program Angry. That outlined a culture of abuse of power and sexually transgressive behaviour. Former candidates accused, among others, jury member Ali B. and band leader Jeroen Rietbergen. A complaint has also been filed against the duo. Earlier this month, the Public Prosecution Service announced that it would prosecute B. and Rietbergen for sexual abuse; a case against Marco Borsato was dropped for lack of evidence.
In addition, an independent investigation was launched by law firm Van Doorne on Wednesday afternoon disclosed the conclusions. Van Doorne investigated the period between April 2015 and 2022 of the program, but due to agreements with the judiciary and police, this did not focus on possible criminal offenses such as assault and rape.
According to the law firm, there was “inappropriate behavior” in the form of “verbal comments, digital messages and physical contact” in an often unequal balance of power. Some behaviors were described by those involved as ‘normal’ part of the entertainment industry, while others characterized it as transgressive or damaging. According to Van Doorne, “some people seem to have been informally addressed about their behavior”, but concrete measures seemed to be lacking.