Welmoed Sijtsma denies that she has a starting relationship with Jort Kelder, her co-host at Op1. “How on earth do they get to that?” said the presenter in Beau Monde magazine.
They have been presenting the Thursday broadcast of Op1 together for a year and a half now: Welmoed Sijtsma and Jort Kelder. There were rumors that they would be in a relationship. Nonsense, according to her. “I think it’s quite funny that journalists then text me asking if they can congratulate me on our budding love,” said the presenter in Beau Monde.
‘So weird!’
Welmoed does not understand where it comes from. “How on earth do they get to that? Of course we sometimes meet outside of work to evaluate things and we sometimes eat something for fun. Would people then see us and call the media? So weird.”
She continues: “By the way, Jort and I can laugh about it. We’ve even thought about turning it into juicy gossip for fun and making a big announcement about our marriage. But no, nothing is right.”
business dating
She does find Jort attractive as a colleague. “I immediately thought: this is a beautiful figure. He is hyper-intelligent, but sensitive at the same time. And I like people who dare to jump out of the band every now and then.”
They have dated on a business level. “We actually started meeting to get to know each other more. For example, we would drive through the fields in his old Elvis car. A kind of business dating. With the emphasis on business, eh.”
too young
Isn’t Jort (57) a bit too old for Welmoed (31) anyway? In any case, he feared that she would be too young. Also on a business level. “I was 29 when I started there and looking back on it now, it’s quite young. Some people thought it was too young. Jort was even afraid that I ‘could become a wine that was uncorked too early’.”
Everything is now running smoothly. “I think it is important to give young people opportunities, especially to keep young people involved in public broadcasting. For example, you can see in the figures that slightly younger people watch when Jort and I present Op1. Nice nonetheless.”
