It seems that Pieter Cobelens has indeed left Today Inside after his serious collision with Johan Derksen. “Arend Jan Boekestijn has taken his place.”
Johan Derksen has permanently disqualified himself from the Jewish community by shouting shortly after Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel ‘that the Jews kind of asked for it’. A particularly dubious statement, which Johan came back to a day later. Then he was scolded by Pieter live on the VI broadcast. “Unseemly!”
Pieter exit?
When VI then has a broadcast without Pieter on the barstool, Johan makes very false statements about their regular guest. He would be someone who is ‘ranting’, which is of course very disrespectful to an expert who is part of your own program. It has been confirmed that this has led to a conflict behind the scenes.
After that insult from Johan, Pieter has hardly been a guest in VI. Arend Jan Boekestijn is now regularly invited to discuss the topics he normally analyzed in the talk show.
Place taken
Victor Vlam, an expert on Today Inside, thinks it is significant. “It looks a bit like Arend Jan Boekestijn has taken the place of Pieter Cobelens in Today Inside. Even though it was denied that Cobelens was canceled after an argument with Johan,” he writes in a letter reposted by Rob Goossens X-message.
Podcast maker Ramon Hopman then: “Oh yes, that’s right, it wasn’t there for a long time!”
‘Very sorry’
Victor thinks it is regrettable. “Yes, too bad as far as I’m concerned. He has approximately the same expertise as Arend Jan, geopolitics.”
Ramon: “Wasn’t that argument about the Gaza war?”
Victor: “Yes, Pieter confronted Johan about a statement about that war. And then it escalated.”
Ramon: “Oh yes, I always found Pieter very pleasant to listen to.”
Small inconvenience
A certain Remi also thinks it is a strange issue. “I think that is indeed correct. We saw Pieter on the stool one more time after that little affair with Johan, and then not at all after that.”
And Nick: “Maybe he will be with Hélène Hendriks in the coming weeks and later with De Oranjezomer.”