Bridget Maasland develops a very strong distrust towards Mart Smeets. So she really doesn’t believe anything at all about the senior grouch. “Actually, he’s just making it worse!”
The many years of macho culture in the NOS sports department has exploded in the faces of a number of male celebrities. Former presenter Aïcha Marghadi has written a credible story about the behavior of types such as Mart Smeets, Jack van Gelder and Tom Egbers. “Would you like to come take a bath with me?”
Mart in overdrive
Actually, Mart got away with it the easiest. After all, the infamous NOS growler is no longer on television that often and is at home behind the geraniums. But Aïcha’s story about how haughty and condescending he behaved on the editorial floor… Well, that’s something to be ashamed of. And it seems true too.
Mart is really into it overdrive to deny. The presenter shouts all kinds of things: that he can’t remember, that he is forgetful in his old age, that he is an amiable person who would never treat anyone else that way, that he was never in the newsroom in the morning… And that he who does not know Aïcha at all!
Bridget doesn’t believe
That Aïcha who worked for the NOS for years and was also seen on television. A strange story. Someone who does all kinds of things to clean up his street does not exactly make himself credible, says Bridget Maasland. The presenter of RTL Boulevard doesn’t believe it at all.
Bridget thinks Mart is lying when he says he doesn’t know Aïcha. “But just for a moment. Aïcha worked there for three years. That’s the same as me saying: ‘I don’t know Vivienne van den Assem.’ That’s strange, isn’t it?
‘She was on television’
Reporter Aran Bade points out that Aïcha was also very visible during her time at NOS. “She was just on TV too, wasn’t she?”
Luuk Ikink: “They were not on TV at the same time, you have to tell them that.”
Bridget: “Neither do I with Viv, but you know that about each other, right?”
Luuk: “Yes, exactly. It’s strange. He said on Khalid & Sophie: ‘I’m a bit older, maybe that’s why I forgot.’ He swears he just can’t remember.”
‘Only worse!’
What a stupid argument, Bridget thinks. “Actually, he just makes it worse by saying, ‘I don’t even remember that whole woman thing.’”
Entertainment expert Eric de Munck: “Or he should have just put a comma, like: ‘I can’t remember, but you said it, so it must be correct. I’m sorry.’ Just something that makes you take it less on yourself.”
One thing is certain: according to Aïcha, Mart is lying. She writes to him on You, Jack van Gelder, Tom Egbers and editors led the entire racist, intimidating and humiliating power culture. It was after the lunch broadcast around 1:30 PM and the editors were there, Mart Smeets!”
Reconciliation conversation
Could there possibly be a reconciliation meeting? Luuk: “We asked him if he would be open to having a conversation with her. Well, he does. He said to our reporter, our editor Paul, “She can call me.” We presented that to Aïcha.”
What does she say? “She finds it strange that he doesn’t remember anything about her, because she actually worked there, as she says, for three years. But she says that she would like to call him, because she also wants to know why Mart indirectly calls her a liar on national television.”
Condescending
Bridget surprised: “Why should she call him?”
Luuk: “Yes, of course. He should call her. Of course, that’s how it should go.”
Aran: “Actually, Mart is simply symbolic of what went wrong there. Such a male culture where he thought very condescendingly about her: who are you?”