De Oranjezondag, the talk show usually hosted by Hélène Hendriks, has been rocked by behind-the-scenes turbulence. On Sunday, SBS6’s channel management benched Hendriks and drafted Thomas van Groningen as a last-minute stand-in. According to Johan Derksen, the move has left Hendriks fuming.
In his Groeten uit Grolloo podcast, Derksen explained that Hendriks had been unexpectedly benched. “Hélène was spotted by Talpa as the perfect showbiz host for those massive gigs, right? She’s now handling this huge show that’s recorded in parts. She was scheduled to tape a segment on Sunday evening, but that fell through,” he said.
“She called the channel manager and offered to host De Oranjezondag herself, only to hear, ‘No, Thomas van Groningen is already doing that.’
According to Derksen, Hendriks was visibly annoyed, stating, “It’s my show.” She was also surprised that Van Groningen—of all people—had been selected as her replacement.
Derksen adds that Hendriks should have been more assertive within the channel. “She isn’t tough enough to say to a man like that: ‘Hey, hang on a minute, this is my programme.’”
He even advised her to call De Mol and refuse to accept the decision, but she never made that call, much to his frustration.
He concludes that the real issue lies higher up: “There are a whole host of bosses above De Mol, and they have their own little egos too, and they also like to make decisions from time to time.”
Derksen is also critical of the choice of Van Groningen as a replacement. “Viewers want Hélène, not Van Groningen, because he doesn’t fit in with that programme.” He believes Hendriks is a far better match for the tone and feel of De Oranjezondag.
Finally, Derksen criticizes Van Groningen directly: “Thomas is starting to get a bit too full of himself, turning into a joker and going on and on. His questions are often longer than the guest’s answer.” According to Derksen, the presenter must watch he does not overstep the mark as his screen time continues to grow.