Marlies Kempe overwhelmed by positive reactions after participating in ‘Better Than Ever’

More than 1.5 million people watched the television program on RTL4 last night, in which former participants of various talent shows share their singing skills again and tell the story about their participation and life. In yesterday’s broadcast, Marlies could also be admired, who participated in the second season of Idols twenty years ago.

With a cover of Queen’s ‘I want it all’, she not only blows away presenter Martijn Krabbé, singer Waylon and the other participants, the viewers also react wildly enthusiastically. “That song has always become special to me. And it suits me too.”

Mary Catherine

Since the end of the broadcast, the telephone has been ringing with the birthday singer from Hoogkarspel. “I’ve had so many incredibly beautiful and positive responses,” she tells WEEFF. “I’m completely blown away by it.”

To top it all off for her birthday, Marlies’ husband and 10-year-old daughter recorded a song entitled ‘you are the end’. Marlies is married to Robert Kempe, who scored a world hit as Robby Valentine in the early 1990s with ‘Over and over again’.

Participation in the television program on RTL4 has ensured that she will soon be performing under her own name again. As Maria Catharina, her baptismal and stage names, Marlies will perform in the Hoornse pop hall Manifesto in April and May. This summer she will also be performing at West Frisian festivals such as Snertpop in Midwoud and Zomerpop in Hoogwoud.

The first album Marlies made has also been re-released, and there are plans for new material on a second album to be called MK Ultra. “This program has provided so much new positive energy. I now have an extra drive to speed it up. After a turbulent period, I haven’t felt as happy as I do now.”

‘Marlies van Idols’

After Marlies’ brother gave her up in 2003, she participated in the auditions for the second season of ‘Idols’. She eventually reached the live finals and finished fourth, behind winner Boris. However, the success of the program also has a downside for the singer, who receives strong criticism about her appearance. “I couldn’t handle that then.”

“After the broadcasts and shows in the country, I decided to ‘google’ myself. I saw a lot of negative reactions.” This even means that Marlies sometimes doesn’t want to go shopping because she didn’t do her make-up and her hair didn’t look good.

Marlies is also ashamed of the ‘Idols label’ that she wears thanks to her participation in the show. “Maybe that’s why I was never able to perform at festivals and parties in the area, which I would have really liked. I thought that was really stupid.”

Health issues

After her participation in the talent show and the lack of a real breakthrough with her own music, the singer is linked to Robert Kempe. He helps Marlies write and produce new songs. The two fall in love and marry each other. The singer then takes care of the backing choirs in the band Valentine and arranges the management of her husband.

“It may seem like Robert’s career forced me to quit my own band, but I was also struggling with health problems at the time. There was no time for that,” Marlies explains. “Looking back, it was very wise that I put that on hold. I lost my teaching job, and Robert got a new deal with a record label in Japan. I was able to go on tour with him.”

A few years later, Robert’s health also deteriorates. Due to an eye infection, the singer is blind in his right eye. In the corona period, things go wrong again for Kempe. This time he has problems with his left eye, but due to the lockdown he cannot be treated in hospital. “As a result, it has deteriorated rapidly. At the moment he can only see two percent with his left eye.”

Injury lawyer

By explaining her participation in ‘Better Than Ever’ and her story and that of her husband, Marlies not only got a lot of positivity from the reactions. A lawyer for personal injury also contacts the singer. “He told us that we have reason to file a case for the injury he now has. We never got around to that ourselves due to all the hustle and bustle,” says Marlies. “Now someone is offering that for us without obligation.”