Once again, the TV quiz show De Slimste Mens has a winner from Brabant. After a nerve-racking final, presenter Herman van der Zandt from Breda seized this honorary title. Klaas Dijkhoff and Astrid Kersseboom from Breda and Rob ‘Snollebollekes’ Kemps from Best preceded him. Van der Zandt wanted to participate in this much-watched quiz show once before he succeeds Philip Freriks as presenter next year. “This was not the intention at all,” was Van der Zandt’s first reaction after his victory.
In the final, Van der Zandt managed to stay ahead of presenter and journalist Max Terpstra and actress Maartje van de Wetering. The recently fifty-year-old from Breda takes over the title from actor Joes Brauers.
Van der Zandt’s fellow finalists had announced in advance that they looked up to him. The presenter had made a great start in this 24th edition of De Slimste Mens. He won the first nine episodes of this season.
READ ALSO: Herman van der Zandt achieves unusually high score at De Slimste Mens
The Breda native was, perhaps falsely, modest when Freriks asked him about his expectations for this ‘grand finale’. “I may be seen as the absolute favourite, but I don’t see this as my starting position. What Maartje and Max have shown this season was definitely no joke. I can see confetti at the end of the programme, but will that be for me? I’m not really into visualising”, the former presenter of Het Mes Op Tafel responded.
Van der Zandt seemed a bit tense in the final round. For example, he didn’t know where the brothers Tim and Steffen Haars came from. From Maaskantje, that is. He also lost seconds when asked what he knew about (Emperor) Charlemagne. He confused him with Charles V. In the final duel, Van der Zandt was just a bit smarter (or luckier?) than his colleague Terpstra.
He was still buried under confetti. During his speech of thanks, Philip Freriks’ successor said that he would find it ‘very strange that this trophy will be in my home’ and ‘that you haven’t gotten rid of me yet’.
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