Bridget Maasland does not think it is neat that Cornald Maas has announced the reason for the Songfestival exit by Jan Smit after a year. “Why does he have to involve him again?”
Jan Smit suddenly announced his departure at the beginning of last year as a commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest, after he left the selection committee before. Angry tongues claimed that it had to do with the entry of Mia & Dion, which Jan would not have agreed at all. He himself was always as closed as an oyster.
Muzzle
Now his former co-commentator Cornald Maas has opened a book about it. It appears that it still has to do with Mia & Dion. “We had had that entire shits show for two weeks. We were completely mangled. We were not allowed to say anything to the press, while I actually wanted that. What does that matter?”
“The press is not your enemy, they are your friends. That is my position,” Cornald continues. “That year he didn’t sit in the cold clothes. He didn’t stop it for nothing. It wasn’t a nice year. How you were muzzled as a presenter, that you couldn’t speak to anyone.”
Silly
Bridget Maasland still remembers the uncomfortable interview in which Jan Smit really didn’t want to say to Aran Bade. “It was a painful moment when there. We all felt that something was behind it.”
She continues to the desk of RTL Boulevard: “It is a bit silly from Cornald Maas that two years later he actually throws this in a podcast for everyone.”
“You think that’s”
Aran thinks differently. “You think that he says that now. I have just had contact with him. The word ‘muzzled’ is now what everyone picks up. That they were not allowed to say anything then after Mia & Dion. It is of course the truth and that was true.”
Presenter Luuk Ikink: “Cornald now says:” That all year with Mia & Dion played with that Jan Smit left. ” Is that so because he himself also said that it actually has nothing to do with it, “because I already indicated in November 2022 that I go.”
Shadowy
Aran does not find it clear. “Yes, that will remain very shadowy and that is also because of Jan Smit. Had something just said about it. In April 2023 he stepped out of that selection committee. That was when Mia & Dion had already sang in Madrid, so everyone then thought: yes, that is not what his motivation was.”
Bridget: “That is what I mean by the fact: Why does Cornald now also have to involve Jan? I understand that he now wants to talk about muzzle gate, but it is quite uncomfortable that someone is being drawn to it who has already given a statement about it and actually does not want to go on at all.”
“Tell it!”
Aran is now calling on Jan to provide clarity. “Perhaps it is good that Jan tells that again and how that was in his experience for him then. He can still do that by the way.”
Bridget curt: “Yes, but he can’t do it either.”
Aran: “No, but I find … if you give comments for years and choose the song on behalf of the Netherlands for years, then it is not such a crazy effort to respond briefly to why you stop.”