Jan Joost van Gangelen made quite ugly comments about former sports presenter Mart Smeets last night in the talk show De Oranjezomer. “I didn’t think his behavior was that cool, no.”
NOS icon Mart Smeets also appeared last spring in the controversial Volkskrant article about the toxic work culture at Studio Sport. One of the victims of that culture, Aïcha Marghadi, told in that piece how denigrating the presenter could be towards you in front of the entire editorial staff.
Unkind March
How was Martin? Aïcha: “After a broadcast, I approached him in a crowded editorial office. I held out my hand and introduced myself. He stared at me and my hand, took it, looked at colleagues around him and said, ‘What are we going to do with this?’”
Mart himself suddenly pretends that he cannot remember anything at all about his time at the NOS, but according to Private boss Evert Santegoeds that is unbelievable. “So he has forgotten that he wrote nine books about all kinds of memories he has of his Studio Sport time,” he said a while ago.
‘I don’t miss him’
It is not clear to what extent Mart’s behavior at the NOS has crossed borders, but he is certainly missed by Hélène Hendriks. She says in The Orange Summer from yesterday evening: “I miss Mart Smeets. I really miss him. Yes, I certainly miss him, while I think that Dione is also doing a fantastic job at De Avondetappe, although of course I don’t see anything now.
Table guest Jan Joost van Gangelen does not have that at all. “Well, since he’s been gone so long… That you still miss it…”
Rutger Castricum: “I miss him too. I also like Dione, but I think Mart Smeets is really just a seasoning.”
Bathing and pedantic
Helene praises Mart. “An icon.”
Rutger: “That could irritate you sometimes, but you could enjoy it. He really gave color.”
Jan Joost: “I was always a little mixed up. I always liked him… And I was colleagues with him. He could sit on the floor and do an NBA basketball game. Just off the top of his head, sitting down, live for 25 minutes. Talk all the way. Then I really thought: unbelievable, how is that possible? But I also found him quite teasing and pedantic at times.”
‘Not cool’
Hélène finds that acceptable. “Yes, but you take that for granted or something in one way or another.”
Jan Joost: “Well, I thought it… No, I didn’t always think it was cool, no. I thought so too… I don’t know. I didn’t find it charming or anything.”
Rutger: “It suited him for me. He was sometimes ugly to me, but I could actually take that from him.”