Ivo Niehe turned 80 years old today. The man who was allowed to ring Tina Turner’s doorbell and interview Britney Spears now mainly makes quiet afternoon TV. Is he at peace with that?
In the eighties, Ivo Niehe reached not only millions of viewers with his famous TV Show, but also countless national and international stars. His interviews with international celebrities have earned him a lot of status, but in 2026 he can mainly be found in the afternoon segment at AvroTros, where he quietly makes portraits of celebrities.
What does Ivo want?
The grand international stage of yesteryear has been exchanged for a considerably more modest version of the same craft. He is asked in the Story.
The presenter then says: “My greatest ambition is not to be on screen anymore. I have had that. I now choose Substack, an online platform on which writers and journalists publish without being dependent on anything or anyone.”
Creative freedom
If you are not in prime time, less is expected of you, Ivo explains. “I still have thousands of hours of unaired material that contains really interesting things. I experience a lot of creative freedom, because I decide what is shown.”
What is Ivo still doing it for? “I do this because I want to continue to inspire people. The pressure of the viewing figures is gone, but my drive from back then has remained.”
Not retired
For the time being, we will continue to hear a lot from Ivo. “There are people who tell me to take it easier, others recommend me to continue as long as possible. I like to choose the latter, I want to remain involved and active.”
“My head keeps producing ideas and plans are always created to make things. That is stronger than the need to stop. I hope that people will remember me that way: as someone who has always kept going.”