Rob Jetten chose Shownieuws as one of the few media that he honored with an end-of-year interview. Why did he choose a gossip program of all things? “There’s one reason for that.”
It is striking: we saw Rob Jetten, probably our new Prime Minister, talk extensively with Shownieuws just before New Year’s Eve. The forbidden subject? Politics. What was discussed extensively was the gossip about his private life: a juice channel discovered that his friend had unfollowed him, and that caused a commotion.
Right SBS
Rob had a very witty excuse — something about an algorithm reset — but why do we see the intended prime minister talking about juice on a program? “He actually had a lot of requests, but he only chose three for end-of-year interviews,” says reporter Janine Schuinder at the desk of Show news.
She continues: “He did an interview at RTL with Jaïr, a Flemish medium, and us. That also has everything to do with the fact that SBS is a bit more right-wing, a slightly more right-wing sound with VI and Nieuws van de Dag.”
D66 sound
It is important for Rob to also reach the right-wing side of society, Janine explains. “The sound of D66 is quite well represented at the NPO and RTL, so they still have something to gain here.”
“That in itself is logical, because he himself indicates that he wants to be a prime minister of all Dutch people, ‘even those who did not vote for me’. That is the reason why he gives such a candid interview to us.”
Lady Gaga
It was mainly about Rob’s husband Nicolás Keenan. He said: “The Netherlands of course already has an Argentinian queen, and perhaps soon also a first husband, or whatever you want to call it. That role is of course quite small in the Netherlands and I think he secretly thinks it’s fine, if it stays that way.”
Nicolás works as a top hockey player. “And above all he really enjoys his sport. He hopes he can continue to do that without being bothered by me all day long.”
Mastered
A meeting has already taken place between Nicolás and Máxima, according to Rob. “He is busy mastering the Dutch language better.”
“Last year there was a state banquet when the King of Spain was visiting and Queen Máxima made it clear to him: ‘We always speak Dutch to each other. That’s when you learn it fastest.’”
Says the woman who, after 25 years, is still subtitled on television.