Tom Waes is being criticized very hard on social media after his performance in Pauw & De Wit, in which he became emotional. “Just don’t drink and drive. Crocodile tears!”, it sounds.
Getting behind the wheel while drunk, causing an accident and ending up in hospital: it’s been over a year since Tom Waes let this happen. And he is still reminded of it every day. He is now the face of a Flemish campaign against driving under the influence, and he spoke about this last night in Pauw & De Wit.
For four hours
The inspiration for this campaign was a father who lost his daughter to a drunken road pirate. This Vincent Leus was interviewed on location for an item in the talk show.
What did he think of Tom’s action? “It makes me angry, but on the other hand it was immediately like: okay, if he does something with it later – he is the most famous Flemish, right? – then maybe it will also make sense for another Flemish. (…) We talked for four hours. That is a very long time.”
Tom breaks
Vincent is happy that Tom is now committed in this way. “It means to me that Tom somehow finds the figure of Emilie important and that Emilie can symbolize the entire action. That is in fact what particularly affects me.”
In the studio Tom breaks. “Gosh. Very… Confrontational… He sat at my house, I was in a wheelchair, I couldn’t walk. He was there for four hours. Yes, I just said: ‘Okay, I really want to do something for you.’ I owe him. It’s so confrontational, isn’t it? He also says himself: ‘I can never be happy again.’”
Bathers
After all those TV tears, the real reason why Tom is at the table becomes clear at the end of the conversation. Host Jeroen Pauw: “We can also see you in another way, namely in the series Badgasten. I believe that starts with us on Thursday.”
Tom tells a very lyrical story about it. “It’s so much fun to play!” he exclaims. Ehh, okay…
Crocodile tears
Somehow Tom fails to convince the viewer. He is being demolished on the socials. “Just don’t drink and drive,” says one. And the other: “Crocodile tears.”
A certain Wittgenstein finds it deeply inappropriate. “How long will this person abuse his misconduct to boost his image for the VRT to sell programs?”
And Jassogne: “Those acting lessons come in handy!”
Stage
Ton believes that Jeroen Pauw should not let such a man speak at all. “People have been canceled for less. Tom Waes made a mistake and was punished for it. But to give him a platform now? Take a victim.”
A certain Stefan agrees. “Wouldn’t it have been better for you to leave Tom Waes in his seat at home?”
Bas finally: “Should that drunkard be on TV again? It’s pathetic. Tom Waes is just a drinking organ!”
Fragment
An excerpt: