Herman van der Zandt (49) will be the new presenter of The Smartest Person. He succeeds Philip Freriks, who will retire at the end of 2024. ‘That is the year in which I will be 80 years old. Then it was nice.’
To be clear: Philip Freriks (79) made this decision himself before the recording of the last summer series, which was completed in May and June of this year and which has just been broadcast. Journalist and documentary maker Tom Kleijn was crowned the Smartest last Friday.
“So I’ve known it for a while, but you haven’t gotten rid of me yet. I will do three more series,” assures Philip Freriks, who has been associated with The Smartest Person since 2012 – together with the one-person jury Maarten van Rossem. Before that, Freriks had a long career as a correspondent (in France), columnist, author, newsreader and presenter. At the end of July this year, Herman van der Zandt surprised friend and foe by exchanging the NOS for KRO-NCRV after 23 years. A link with The Smartest Person was quickly made, but neither Freriks nor Van Rossem thought about quitting for a long time.
When I interviewed you over a year ago for the summer series, I asked if it was time to stop yet. “We’ll keep going until we fall to the ground,” you replied. Did that happen?
“Haha, well no, because I will continue for another year and a half anyway, but at some point I started wondering: how much longer? Look, Maarten constantly shouts: ‘We will continue until we are a hundred’. That’s all well and good, of course, but not very realistic. When I started talking to myself a while ago, I thought: Next year I will be eighty and at the end of that year I will make the twenty-fifth series of The Smartest Person. A good moment to stop. The recordings will be at the end of 2024, the broadcasts until January 2025. Then I will be seen for the last time.”
You also said that it is becoming increasingly physically demanding, shooting three episodes in one day. Did that also play a role in your decision?
,,Of course. Last year I was quite ill during the recordings. That hit home. Fortunately, this summer wasn’t too bad, but you still notice that you are getting older. The question is always delicate: when do you say goodbye properly? Not too early of course, but especially not too late. And of course at this point I still feel like continuing until I’m a hundred, or until we really crash, but hey, at some point you also have to know when your time is up. What I want to prevent is that others say: it is now becoming embarrassing, it is actually no longer possible.”
So you had already announced your decision internally this spring?
“That’s right, before the summer series. It is nice to give people plenty of time to find a successor. I discussed this with the producer (SkyHigh TV) and the great thing: I already said: Do you know who seems like a nice successor? Herman van der Zandt.”
This was quickly complied with.
“Well, maybe I wasn’t the only one who thought about Herman. But I’ve followed him over the years, know him from NOS News and from With the Knife on the Table. He does that very well. A nice man. He is perfect for The Smartest Person.”
I assume that you also informed Maarten immediately. What was his reaction?
“Fine actually. He took it for granted. He respects my decision. Eighty years and the 25th edition, that could fit in.”
He didn’t immediately say: then I’ll stop too?
“No, he didn’t say that and he doesn’t have to. Maarten wants to continue until he is one hundred.”
During that interview you hinted: if one person stops, the other will stop too.
“If he wants to continue, who am I to say: that is not allowed. He is completely free in that. And if he wants to continue and he gets that opportunity, then he should do so.”
It will take a while, but you will be eighty years old next year. Are you going to celebrate that extensively?
“I haven’t decided yet. I’m not like that four-part. But when I do that, it happens in a small circle. A long table with food, drinks, friends and family, just big enough. But first Maarten turns eighty, next month.”
Finally, you worked on other programs in addition to The Smartest Person. Are you quitting television completely?
“No, if something nice comes along, why not?”
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