Thomas van Groningen argues that his apparent sneer at Johan Derksen has been completely taken out of context. “It was an interview with the VARA guide; I will never do that again…”
It is Today Inside that helped Thomas van Groningen to become famous. Where Merel Ek and Sam Hagens now take turns as political analysts on the country’s most watched talk show, that used to be Thomas. However, he made the switch to Op1 and was seen as a traitor by some viewers as a result.
‘That’s when I knew for sure’
That feeling got even worse when Thomas suddenly kind of distanced himself from VI after the candle riot. “It is mainly a substantive choice. At Op1 I get more time to explain a subject. At VI you have to be subservient to the program. It’s shorter, faster, more like a laugh,” he explained last summer in the VARA guide.
“Moreover, after the riot with Johan Derksen’s candle, I was sure: I chose well,” he continued. Would he have left otherwise? “I have learned from politicians that you should never answer if-then questions. Public broadcasting is the best for me in terms of content.”
Taken out of context
That statement by Thomas that after the candle riot he was ‘certain’ that he had done well with his transfer to Op1 reached various media, including The Telegraph. And that has earned him a lot of criticism.
Thomas returns to it a year later in Wilfred Genee’s radio program op BNR news radio. “That wasn’t smart, was it?” he admits. “It was an interview with the VARA guide – I’ll never do that again… Haha. No, it was a nice interview, but what I meant by it… It has been completely taken out of context.”
Unemployed
So what did Thomas mean? “What I meant was that at that moment I thought: that program could have suddenly stopped at that moment, so then I knew: then I really made a good choice, because otherwise I would have been unemployed. That’s what I meant. Not that I thought Johan Derksen should be off the screen.”
It was recently announced that Op1 will continue throughout the summer. Eva Jinek will be replaced by Renze Klamer in two weeks. “I think she has a holiday every three weeks,” Wilfred finally sneered.