Merel Ek and Sam Hagens are the political faces of Today Inside. His ambition is unbridled, but despite his drive to work, she beats him to the punch. “The atmosphere is less with him.”
According to many, it is clear as day that Merel Ek and Sam Hagens are in the leading group of TV talents. They can take turns sitting on the barstool of Today Inside, but who do they prefer there? Merel seems to be slowly becoming a favorite, while Sam really has the most ambitions of the two.
Always smiling
How does Today Inside expert Victor Vlam view this? “Sam has the longest track record at SBS 6; he has been working there since 2018. He has been involved in politics there for a few years now. John even allowed him to present a talk show: HLF8, but now I think he has been overshadowed by his female colleague,” he says in The Communicados.
Merel is more fun in VI, says Victor. “At Today Inside I think Merel Ek is a really nice person and I always laugh when she is there. It’s always a laugh when she’s there. It is sometimes said that women do not fit in Today Inside. Well, Merel Ek together with Hélène Hendriks, is the example of the fact that that is not true.”
Atmosphere is less
Isn’t Sam also having a great time in VI? “I think Sam Hagens is an excellent political interpreter, nothing wrong with that, but the atmosphere is less when he is sitting at the bar. Merel really adds something.”
Co-host Lars Duursma, a debate expert, then: “So she has become a bit of one of the boys, while Sam actually isn’t?”
Sam: “Sam is just a bit more business-like, a bit more boring, a bit more accustomed to sticking to his subjects. With Merel they have more report.”
‘Tough for Sam’
According to VI expert Victor, Sam should really be worried now. “It’s really intense for Sam, of course, because they are competitors. They are colleagues of each other, but they are also competitors of each other. If she does really well, it is a threat to him.”
Merel can now grow to a place at the table and Sam cannot, Victor judges. “I would actually like to give her the opportunity to sit at the table.”
Promotion
But don’t the experts always sit at the bar at VI? “It is sometimes said that the bar is for explainers and the table for opinion makers, but I think it would be quite nice for the atmosphere to put Merel at the table.”
He concludes: “Job Knoester also sat at the bar at first and has now also sat at the table. So it’s best to get that promotion. I think: try that out once, see if it works.”