Luuk Ikink would never change the broadcast of RTL Boulevard for an artist like Wolter Kroes. “He is a fantastic guy, but of course not of Anouk’s caliber.”
It was quite a last week happening in RTL Boulevard: none other than Anouk was a guest throughout the broadcast and was also allowed to sing two songs. Business as usual for a talk show, but not for a show section. Yet Luuk Ikink and his friends changed tack. But they don’t do that for everyone.
Studio converted
Luuk states in the BLVD Podcast that this was really an exception. “We basically never do that, live music, but we thought: Anouk is really a big star, she has a great announcement, we haven’t seen her live on television for a while and it’s rock solid live.”
Colleague Rob Goossens thinks that this will not happen much more often. “I do wonder: how many people are there of Anouk’s caliber to do this? If Wolter Kroes calls, would we also convert the studio?”
‘No, not Wolter’
No, Luuk answers firmly. Wolter doesn’t stand a chance. “Well, no, I don’t think so. I think Anouk really… She belongs to the very top, perhaps even the top of the Netherlands. So yeah, you can’t really get over that. We really don’t just do that for everyone. I mean, I think Wolter Kroes is a fantastic guy.”
Rob: “Yes, yes, yes. I don’t want to detract from his music either. I mean, if he has a new record…”
Luuk: “Yes, but Anouk has dozens of hits.”
‘That is different’
Rob agrees that Anouk and Wolter are not comparable. “Exactly, that’s just different.”
Luuk: “Anouk will sell out Ziggo Dome in no time and she is simply one of our biggest stars and singers in the Netherlands.”
Rob: “Yes, no, and the Wolters and the Tinos: if they have new records, we pay attention to them. But yes, I don’t want to sit in the chair of the editor-in-chief, but I would not be so quick to give that category the same platform as what we have now given Anouk.”