Author: bestmedeal

[BLOG] Again unrest in radioland. The Netherlands Authority for Consumersand Markets (ACM) advises the cabinet that in the new auction each radiocompany may only have a maximum of 3 FM packages. It is a step in the rightdirection, but still not the right way to restore a healthy radio market inthe Netherlands. We have to go back to the situation of 2003, where one partymay have a maximum of two FM packages, preferably one of which is alsoincluded. I know I ‘m not making myself popular with this, but that’s nothingnew. Will it try to explain to you why this really is the best solution, forthe maker and the listener.

The current radio market is of course unworkable, especially for the makers.John de Mol’s Talpa has about the 4 most important FM packages, except for100.7. This not only gives him a dominant position when it comes to sellingadvertising, but he has also been holding back real innovation in radio landfor years. The best man still believes that you can do everything the old-fashioned way, treat listeners to endless commercial breaks with a picture anda chat. The wages and working conditions for the radio disc jockeys are alsopitiful, because try to get a job elsewhere. Many talents even say ‘fine tomake radio there, but not under John de Mol’.

With three FM packages in the hands of a billionaire, these kinds of NorthKorean situations will of course remain normal. Involvement down to the detaillevel, as a result of which Edwin Evers, for example, decided to call it quitsa year earlier than planned. Many disc jockeys hardly dare to go on-airanymore, because before you know it John hears it and you’re out. The samegoes for radio managers, of course, who just do what they did every year sothat they don’t have to come to the mat or even worse get fired. As a result,more and more listeners are turning their backs on the medium and are seekingrefuge online in podcasts, for example.

But there is another reason why it is not good to house so many radio stationsunder one roof: mutual competition. You can bet that they are cheering atRadio 10 if they are the only ones who have not dropped in terms of listeningfigures and 538, Sky and Veronica have. Everyone keeps an eye on each other,especially in a culture of fear. Imagine that not only Feyenoord, but alsoExcelsior and FC Dordrecht all train, meet and play football in De Kuip. Andwhat that does to the mutual atmosphere. For good radio you need a top teamthat gives each other something and where there is peace and safety. Not awasp’s nest where stations are mutually jealous of each other marketingbudgets, jocks, advertising revenues, press attention, etcetera. With adictator in power who kills creativity.

I think back fondly on the fantastic time I had for twelve years at RadioVeronica, from 2004 to 2016. We were in one building with Sky Radio, which hadno deejays. Of course there was some bickering about which of the two channelswas on in the canteen or in the hallway, but otherwise you wished each otherthe best. That was also because both stations were not fishing in each other’spond, the division was clear: Veronica focused primarily on the men, Sky onthe women. The Formula 1 action was with Veronica, the Disney action with Sky.Sky played current hits because not specified, Veronica played 80’s and 90’shits. Easy peasy. Such a clause is not so bad, because ‘the true artist showsitself in the limitation’. Now that everything will be released immediately,except for Dutch and news, it will become an even bigger uniform sausage on FMwhere everyone will sit down and do the same thing again. The listener shrugsfurther and gets the surprise from somewhere other than the radio. And richowners only think how can I make that shop here even more profitable so that Ican resell the business with a substantial profit. Count out of your creative

Christina Applegate is sharing more about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

The 50-year-old actress spoke to variety about the final season of Dead toMe , now streaming on Netflix, and how as production began, she experienced”scary” symptoms that ultimately led to her diagnosis. MS is a disease of thecentral nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brainthat can cause unpredictable physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.

“I’m not going to say that any of it was easy,” Applegate, 50, said aboutfinishing the show. “I started having symptoms in January 2021 — very small,something you could just brush off. Right before we started shooting [in May2021]it was as if I got hit by a truck and didn’t know what was going on.”

She called it “very scary for me, because this body that I had known was nolonger mine.” At first, they had to “kind of work around” her mystery symptoms”until, finally, I had answers. I found that I had MS while we were shootingon a Monday. I went home, and the doctor said, ‘I need to do this meeting withyou.’ I could feel that this Zoom was not going to be good news. It sucked,I’m not going to lie.”

Christina Applegate has said she won’t accept that she has MS, saying instead,”I’m pissed.” At her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony, she rocked nailpolish that said: “FU MS.” (Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

After Applegate’s diagnosis, the show shut down for five months so the_Married … with Children_ alum could process the news and start treatment.However, “There is no processing the fact that you have a lifelongdegenerative disease,” she said. “Maybe other people could have gone intoacceptance. I’m just a year in, so I’m still in that mourning process.”

She credits her co-star Linda Cardellini and showrunner Liz Feldman, who shewas interviewed alongside, for helping her be able to complete the series. Bythe time she returned to the set — which she insisted on doing — she needed awheelchair. She had to physically be held up, by an off-camera crew member,for shots. She’d take naps to get through the long tape days. Sometimes, shejust had to leave and go home.

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“If I didn’t have these two ladies, especially, I don’t know what I would havedone,” Applegate said.

Applegate was given the option of not returning. Feldman said they would piecetogether what they had to bring closure to the story about two widowed bestfriends. The Emmy-winning actress said finishing it “was personal.”

“The conversation had come up, like, ‘Should we just stop?’ I was like, ‘No,we have to finish this for ourselves. We have to tell our story. And I’ll dowhatever I can — I’m just going to need your help,'” she said. “When I’d say,’Hey, you know what? I can’t work today,’ they’d go, ‘OK, we’re gonna not worktoday,’ or ‘We’ll find other scenes.’ I was profoundly grateful that I couldsay, ‘I need a half an hour,’ or ‘I need to go lay down — I can’t walk.’ … Myday started hard, so it was only going to get harder as we went along duringthe day.So we just tried to pace ourselves as much as possible.We just went,’Let’s just rely on the story and this relationship.All that other stuffdoesn’t matter.'”

Applegate now uses a cane to get around and has gained 40 pounds after herdiagnosis. She said while making the show, she “wouldn’t look in the mirroranymore” while doing fittings with the costume designer.

Asked what she learned while making the show, Applegate — not afraid of makingjokes about her diagnosis — quipped, “That I have MS. Just kidding — it nevergets old!”

She then got serious, saying, “I don’t think of life poetically. I don’t self-examine. I’ve always been go, go, go, go, go. I’m almost 51 years old. I’ vebeen in SAG since 1976. I’ve worked a long time. During the course of that, Ihave had some incredibly hard things happen to me in the midst of work, andwork always made me push through it. I broke my foot while I was living mydream of being on Broadway [in Sweet Charity ]. I had breast cancer while Iwas on my favorite show at the time, Samantha Who? A boyfriend [Lee Grivas]also died that year.”

She continued, “Having the biggest one [MS] happen to me during this, I haveto honor help. I have to feel the pain that I think I’ve always wanted to feelfor all these other things, that I wasn’t allowed to because I wasn’t given anamazing space to do so. I had pushed everything down for so long. Throughthese characters — getting a chance to not have to be on all the fing time,be funny or get to the fing punch line; being able to play these charactersthat are so broken, that feel so deeply and so painfully — it really taughtme: Christina, you’ve got to be able to honor that in yourself sometimes.”

Applegate isn’t sure what her future holds with acting, she’ll continue toproduce for sure, but said that “the gift of my life” was co-starring oppositeCardellini on this show. “Hopefully, that was not the gift of my swan song.But if it was, I am so happy that it was with [her].”

Earlier this week, Applegate made her first public appearance since herdiagnosis, attending her Hollywood Walk of fame star ceremony. She debuted hernew cane and appeared sans shoes, as footwear can be restricting for peoplewho have MS. Her former TV mom from Married … With Children Katey Sagal,hero her to help her keep her balance at the stage.

Applegate was accompanied by Cardellini and Feldman, who both spoke on herbehalf, as well as Sagal and David Faustino. Applegate’s husband, Porno forPyros musician Martyn LeNoble, 11-year-old daughter Sadie and step-daughterwere among those there to honor her.

She shaded the disease that’s made her lose control of her body, and made itclear she’s not accepting of any of this, rocking a special manicure for theoccasion that said: “FU MS.”

updateShe had to get her brain cracked because Tania Kross could be in anotherepisode of it last night Secret Duets but don’t stand up: who was that ladybehind the wall with those sporty legs? “She didn’t win the medals forsinging,” commented presenter Jamai Loman dryly, as 927,000 people saw.

In the singing show, famous artists duet with someone they can’t see. Usingthe voice and some hints, they have to guess who is on the other side of athick wall. That can be a professional singer, but also a celebrity who is notknown to be able to sing.

It was Tania Kross’s turn to guess who she was singing a duet with. The operasinger had to make do with a few hints in advance: seven gold medals, jellyand a sword. “Oh man. Another greatness”, she sighed. For the rest of thepanel, consisting of Gerard Joling, Romy Monteiro and Dave von Raven, it wasclear: this had to be an athlete. “Inge de Bruijn?” suggested Jolingcautiously.

Once on stage, both Kross and the seated panelists were given a brief previewof the performance. Kross sang along with the mystery guest What a wonderfulworld from Louis Armstrong. The short show didn’t provide much clarity,except that it might be an older lady. Monteiro could not imagine that itwould be an older lady. “The legs… they are not necessarily older legs,” themusical star thought aloud. And, Joling explained, those ‘incredibly highheels’ could very well be the cause of that shaky voice. It was also a greatmystery to Von Raven. “Sporty legs, let me say that anyway.”

Text continues below the photo.

The mysterious guest in Secret Duets © RTL

Bell ringing

It was still a mystery to the panel and so more had to be sung. Kross and thelady with the sporty legs started the number again, meanwhile some chairs wereremoved so that the mystery guest became a little more visible. But thatdidn’t seem to help either. Dave von Raven therefore asked for a new hint frompresenter Jamai. “Life is full ups and downs ”, were his words. That wasthe moment that a bell started ringing at Joling. ,,Aha! I know right. But Ican’t imagine she is.” Monteiro and Von Raven also thought they were on theright track.

To find out if the panel was right, the duet was sung for the last time. Krossracked her brain, but an answer never occurred to her. ,,I don’t know. So Ireally don’t recognize the voice.” To make things easier for her, Joling wasallowed to give a hint. “Of course you are always on Curaçao. You don’t seeeverything. If you switch on Dutch television in the afternoon, it is stillvery early with us. And then she can actually always be seen.” Monteiro added:“Yes, this is a concept.”

Then a penny dropped with the opera singer. ,,Oh, oh, oh! Is it the lady from_The Netherlands in motion_? Olga Commander?” Loud applause followed, becauseshe was right. ,,I did not expect this. How nice this!” exclaimed Kross. The64-year-old Commander confessed afterwards that he found it ‘terribly scary’,but could count on a big compliment from Kross. “You are a fantastic example.”

What started as an attempt by René Froger to bring his quarreling colleaguesGordon and Gerard Joling back together, grew into an occasional formation thatwill give its fiftieth ArenA concert this weekend. But are De Toppers still aspopular as they were in 2005?

In the early years of De Toppers, Froger, Joling and Gordon sometimes playedsix times a year in a full ArenA. This year three concerts are planned fromFriday to Sunday. Sunday’s show has been completely bought up by the PostcodeLottery. There are no tickets for sale for that concert, you can only winthem.

The occasional formation, which nowadays consists of ‘Oppertopper’ Froger,Joling, Jeroen van der Boom and Jan Smit, has already sold all tickets forSaturday’s show. But tickets are still available for Friday’s show. Places inthe second rank have been sold for only a tenner in recent weeks via Holidayauctions. A fourth concert, for which Jumbo customers could save for a secondfree ticket, was canceled because the promotion was not running.

Is this a sign that the popularity of De Toppers has declined in recent years?Froger and Van der Boom think not. “There may be some cards here and therewith less visibility, for example, but it will just be full,” Froger assuresNU.nl.

“And if it ends up being 66,000 people instead of 67,000, that’s still a lot,”adds Van der Boom. “That’s why it’s strange that people ask so often whetherit’s not even enough. If you suddenly stop doing it, you step over the partyof thousands and thousands of people.”

Toppers originated during a concert by Froger

Since their first concert series in 2005, De Toppers have not skipped a singleyear, except for the past two editions due to the corona pandemic. Froger, whois the only member who has not missed a single edition, will celebrate hisfiftieth ArenA concert with De Toppers on Sunday.

The 62-year-old singer could not have dreamed that in 2004, when he invitedthe bickering ruffs Joling and Gordon to perform with him during his ownconcert series in the ArenA. That went so well that they started De Toppersand planned a concert in Carré. Due to the high demand for tickets, that showwas moved to the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

Despite Froger’s glue attempt, disagreements between Joling and Gordoncontinued to predominate. In the run-up to their participation in theEurovision Song Contest in 2009, Joling decided to leave the group. He wasreplaced by Van der Boom. When Gordon left the band in 2011, Joling returned.Later Smit also joined the company.

‘De Toppers will still exist in twenty years’

The group has endured various conflicts and entertained countless Dutch peoplewith their concerts over the years. Anyone who thinks that Froger sees afiftieth concert as a good time to put an end to it, will be disappointed.

“I want to put an end to that typical Dutch question of how long we willcontinue,” says Froger. “I see De Toppers still exist in twenty years’ time.As long as the public likes it and we enjoy it, we are not going to stop.”

Froger thinks that De Toppers’ concept is timeless and that it can survivewithout him in the future. “When it comes time to pass the baton, I will.”

A deluxe reissue of the album was released last week _ …If I Die, I Die _fromthe Virgin Prunes from 1982. Singer Gavin Friday’s band originated from thesame group of friends as U2, but as an avant-garde opposite.

Gijsbert RoomNovember 18, 202205:00

In his autobiography, published earlier this month Surrender – 40 Songs, OneStory Bono tells extensively about the club of friends that formed in Dublinabout fifty years ago. They invented the city of Lypton Village themselves, inwhich they spoke their own language. The imaginary town would spawn two bands:Bono’s rock group U2 and its more avant-garde counterpart Virgin Prunes(1977-1986), whose lead singer was Gavin Friday before going solo.

Friday (63) is not only still friends with Bono, but has also been involvedwith U2 for more than forty years as an advisor or ‘midwife’, as Bono callshim.

“That qualification is for him,” says Friday laughing in a New York hotel roomwhere he talks via Zoom about the re-release of … If I Die, I Die , VirginPrunes’ 1982 album. An event that coincides nicely with the publication ofBono’s memoirs. The book and the poster give a nice picture of Dublin in theearly eighties.

The Virgin Prunes around the appearance of ‘…If I Die, I Die’Sculpture UrsulaSteiger

‘Ireland was really under the spell of Catholicism at the time. It was apolitical and religious one fucked up country. I lived on the same street asBono and Guggi, my later partner in Virgin Prunes. In a nutshell: Bono startedwith guitarist The Edge U2 and I formed the band Virgin Prunes with Edge’sbrother Dik and Guggi. U2 was more of a real rock band, we wanted theatre, artand music to come together in an anarchic way. Everything was born out ofanger at the religious oppression, which I had really felt as a boy. We wantedto bring pagan and Celtic elements back to theater and music, and made adelicious mess of it. Dressing up and painting on stage, in dresses or runningnaked across the stage. It was a mess, but around 1980 we made a name forourselves, thanks to performances with Nick Cave’s Birthday Party, who werejust as eager to disrupt.’

Virgin Prunes got a record deal and a producer, Colin Newman, who knew Fridayfrom the post-punk band Wire he admired. ‘We were anti-everything, so alsoanti-producer, but I’m glad that we went with Newman at the insistence of therecord company. He disciplined us and brought out the best in us with thesimplest instructions.’

Sculpture Ursula Steiger

…If I Die, I Die had a brown, mystical record side and a blue, more rocksong oriented half. Friday: ‘I was pleasantly surprised when I listened toeverything before remastering. Okay, that song side has those typical echoingeighties drums. But the first half influenced by Celtic folk and dark gothicmusic is really beautiful. Such a title as Ulakanakulot came straight out ofthe language we spoke in Lypton Village.”

There was not much contact between Bono and Friday in those years. ‘Between1980 and 1985 Virgin Prunes and U2 followed their own path. I saw U2 becomereally famous and I was proud too. I didn’t have such great ambitions myself.I was mostly angry and I wanted to turn that anger into something beautiful. ANew Form of Beauty, as we called it. Expression came out of regression, andwhen I now hear what we sang about in songs like Baby Turns Blue, self-harm,suicide among young people and gender fluidity, those topics are stilltopical.’

Bono wanted to go in a completely different direction with U2. ‘He liked toembrace his audience, we preferred to disrupt. But the club of friends inLypton Village has always existed. Bono still calls me regularly when he, Ican hardly pronounce it but come on, needs his midwife. I’m here for U2 ifthey don’t come up with a song. Then I say: do this or that, or I’ll just singsomething, and then hop, then that song is suddenly finished. It has been thisway for more than forty years. Most of the time they don’t need me, butsometimes I say, Bono, where’s the chorus?’

For tours like the one accompanying the album Achung Baby (1991) Friday wasemployed as a visual consultant, and together with Anton Corbijn, Fridaydesigned the photo section in Bono’s book.

“Bono likes to have me everywhere. Also yesterday, when he presented his bookhere in New York at the Beacon Theater. That’s so obvious, as it goes infriendships. But I’m not going to run after him for an entire tour. I’m goingto wrap up my new album here, which should be out in the middle of next year.I notice that I have a lot of anger in me again, just like in the time of theVirgin Prunes. No more about Ireland, which is now a well-liberalized country.But the encroachment of the ultra-right everywhere, including you, worries me.We are entering the same dark age as the late 1970s and early 1980s. To escapethat, we made forty years ago … If I Die, I Die. That album actually fitsvery well with this time.

And then Cigdem Mater stopped answering her texts. It is Monday, April 25,when the German filmmaker Adrian Figueroa suddenly can no longer reach theproducer with whom he has made two films. Her phone has been confiscated aftershe was just sentenced to 18 years in prison. Mater’s offense: thinking aboutfinancing a film about the Gezipark protests, in 2013 in Istanbul. In thecase, seven others, including a lawyer and an academic, are given the samesentence; the prominent philanthropist Osman Kavala is sentenced to life.

Together with Figueroa, Mater made the short film in 2020 Letters fromSilivri and in 2022 Dear Osman. The films are about Kavala, who has beendetained for more than five years. The films were shown on Wednesday at theGoethe Institute in Amsterdam, as a show of solidarity with Mater and theother prisoners. Figueroa was invited by fellow filmmakers who organized themeeting. The room was filled with about fifty culture lovers, stakeholders,friends and colleagues, mostly from Turkey.

Figueroa knew Kavala from previous film projects and had no doubts about whatthe subject of his film should be when he traveled to Istanbul in 2019 for aresidency, he says in Amsterdam. Under Mater’s leadership, a film plan wasdeveloped for Letters from Silivri , in which Kavala’s letters to theoutside world are read against the backdrop of a gentrification-strickenIstanbul suburb. Time stands still while Kavala muses on life, nature, theoutside world. He sees sparrows on the prison wall and a sporadic gull.

Read also: Not a shred of evidence, yet businessman Kavala has to go to jailfor life

Innocent people

In Dear Osman the perspective is reversed. Friends and family read lettersthey wrote to Kavala, with Mater’s office in Istanbul as the backdrop. Peoplestruggle for words about the injustice done to their beloved Osman, “rolemodel” in Mater’s words. Mater worked with Kavala on cultural exchangeprojects for the Anadolu Kültür he founded. Shortly after the release of thefilm, she, like him, would disappear behind bars.

Also in the room is Yigit Aksakoglu, who himself was imprisoned in anothercase around Kavala. He reminds those present that thousands of innocent peopleare being held in Turkey to “waste their time in a nonsensical way”. Aksakoglumanaged to flee to the Netherlands after he was released in 2019. The Erdoganregime is primarily responsible, he says, but the Dutch and German governmentsare equally responsible for the Turkey deal they made in 2016 to keep refugeesout of the EU. Approving nods from the room.

At the exit, the last word is up to Mater. In a letter printed on flyersdistributed during the IDFA documentary festival, she addresses her audiencefrom prison in Istanbul. “Your voice and support are tearing down the grayprison walls,” she writes. “I dream of the days when we can only talk about

Las eliminatorias rumbo al Mundial demostraron que el equipo teníadificultades para ganar aunque, al final de todo, lo ganaban. Las derrotascontra EE UU y Canadá sentenciaron la actitud de los aficionados mexicanos: nomás Tata Martino. Incluso, según la prensa mexicana, Martino amagó condimitir, pero no se lo permitieron. “México tiene una afición resultadista,que no analiza los partidos. Lo que vive el país es una situación cíclica, noimporta quién sea el entrenador, cuando no se dan los resultados parece que elenemigo público es el seleccionador”, considera Fernando Schwartz, periodistamexicano que ha seguido al Tri desde más de tres décadas.

Si en el estadio Azteca abucheaban a Martino, en Estados Unidos losfederativos pensaban encontrar un oasis en las tribunas. No fue así. Ahítambién había hostilidades cuando el Tri perdía incluso en amistosos. Pese atodo, el equipo mexicano ganó su boleto al Mundial. And los últimos partidosde preparación para el Mundial, el argentino se ha marchado cabizbajo. “Meparece que con todo lo que se ha trabajado, no nada más de parte del Tata sinode todo su cuerpo técnico, los resultados han sido verdaderamente positivospara la Federación”, defendía hace apenas un mes Yon de Luisa en entrevistacon EL PAÍS . “Estamos convencidos de que fue la mejor elección”, agregó eldirectivo.

“En México, hay una ilusión de que las cosas van a cambiar por magia cadacuatro años. No se cree en los procesos largos”, reprocha Schwartz. Fue en elMundial de 1986 cuando el Tri jugó un partido de cuartos de final, el clichédel quinto partido, donde los mexicanos ponen sus aspiraciones. Han sido sieteMundiales sin superar la ronda de los octavos de final. Otro dato quecontribuye a la tendencia es que el país no ha tenido un entrenador que superelos cuatro años en el cargo. Pensar en un Vicente del Bosqueño en un JoachimLöw es una quimera. “Nuestro fútbol está marcado por los parametrosneoliberales: tan mercantilizado, que pide resultados inmediatos y donde nohay proyectos”, analiza el sociólogo Sergio Varela.

Ajouad El Miloudi wants in #Ajouad see if it is true what is said about thefinancial center of the Netherlands, the Zuidas in Amsterdam. work hard playhard, pinch suits , pinch of cocaine. The people who guide him into theclosed stronghold are not merger and acquisition lawyers, charteredaccountants or bankers, but above all outsiders. Oscar Westra van Holthe,systemic coach, who has his office in one of the skyscrapers, is an oldacquaintance, I also saw him in Sander and the gap tell how ‘inhumane andenvironmentally unfriendly’ is the place where he once started earning money.Arno Wellens, former banker, also likes to emphasize the „ dark side of theZuidas.

A recruiter receives Ajouad at home, in his SUV, and at the office whereemployees sound the gong when they successfully place personnel at a company.At the end of the week, the 10K’s and 20K’s plus corresponding bonuses for thestaff roll over the table and then it’s time to fill up the shots in the pub.We kind of had that image in mind, yes.

He also accompanies a partner of one of the largest international law firms –if the cardboard coffee cup on the desk doesn’t lie, it’s Stibbe. Valériestarts early and goes home a little earlier than her colleagues, because shehas children. She eats with her family, puts her daughters to bed, and thenspends two more hours at home behind the computer. “Good for your career,”Ajouad assumes. “Good for my job,” she says. Ajouad wants to hear from herthat she “always puts her children first” and how that came about. I thoughtcrazy. Valérie is, say, a working parent.

Mischief

And then, then I saw a fairy tale. Really, all the elements were in it: amysterious, misty mountain landscape, a poverty-stricken existence, animals,parents who want to sell their children, an old folk tradition, an inescapablemarriage, and an almost-adult girl who resists her fate. The documentary_Children of the fog_ oozes mischief from beginning to end. For three years,director Diem Ha Le followed the North Vietnamese girl Di. Beautiful child,hard worker on the land, good student at school, cheeky daughter. She iseleven when she reenacts the ancient custom of her people, the Hmong, in therocky mountains with her friends. Around the New Year, young men are allowedto kidnap a girl and make her a bride. So it was with Di’s sister La chess atfourteen, pregnant with her second child at seventeen.

Di’s family lives in a remote mountain village in a wooden house with a mudfloor and a corrugated iron roof. They work the land. Rice, indigo,vegetables. They keep buffaloes, pigs and chickens and roast them over a fireindoors. Father and mother took turns drinking home-brewed wine from plasticbottles. Archaic yes, but certainly not retarded. Because there are alsotelephones, there is the internet, Facebook.

It’s still a game for Di when she flirts with a boy online, his name is Vang(!). She’s 14.5 and damn, he’s waiting for her with his motorcycle on NewYear’s Eve and she’s going home with him. The next day, his parents are at herdoorstep. With bottles of liquor and whether the dowry can be negotiated. Theparents think their daughter is on the young side, but they think they arerich. They thought of two $2,000 and $300 envelopes, ten pounds of chicken andone hundred pounds of pork, and twenty gallons of wine.

One problem: Di doesn’t want to get married. And then it gets very grim. Thein-laws drag the loot out of her parental home by arms and legs, her motherwatches, arms folded, the filmmaker even throws herself in between. It endsmore or less well, all well. See for yourself how it ends.

The Toppers can’t wait to play in a full Johan Cruijff Arena again thisweekend for the first time in over 3.5 years. The supergroup of René Froger,Gerard Joling, Jeroen van der Boom and Jan Smit is also celebrating a specialmilestone: the third concert on Sunday will be their fiftieth Arena show.

“It feels like coming home,” says Smit about returning to Amsterdam. Due tothe corona crisis, no concerts have been scheduled in recent years. “Of coursewe have been allowed to do something for a while now, but with so many peopletogether it still feels quite unreal. That makes me very happy.”

On the eve of three shows in the Johan Cruijff Arena (Friday, Saturday andSunday), Gerard Joling can hardly believe it has been so long ago. Heconsiders it an honor that the Toppers can fill the Arena again. ,,That we canstand here again, do beautiful songs, with a large orchestra, windinstruments, strings, all the trimmings, tightrope walkers, it doesn’t get anybigger than this. I am just grateful and happy.”

The singer also thinks it’s great that the Toppers and the entire conceptaround it still exist after eighteen years. “It is very special that it haslasted so long and that people are still enthusiastic,” says Joling. Van derBoom says that it is especially a milestone for Froger, who was soon to be theonly Topper at all fifty shows. ,,He once came up with this company with theidea: let’s give it a try. And then you are still standing there after so manyyears with practically the same team. Because not only for the Toppers, butalso for many people behind the scenes, it will be their fiftieth show.”

© ANP / ANP Kippa

The theme this year is: Happy together ‘the flower power edition’. TheToppers _go back to the time of the hippies and flower power. The color ofthis year: purple! The Toppers sang a new song called _Happy together. Thisyear’s guests include Mart Hoogkamer, Rolf Sanchez, rapper Donnie, EmmaHeesters and Bizzey.

With Jan Smit in the ranks, who joined five years ago, the Toppers can last along time, the gentlemen think. Van der Boom: ,,The composition as it is nowis very nice for all of us. With Jan there, the average age has been reducedsomewhat, but at the same time we gained a lot of experience. And four on astage is much better. Especially in recent years I am really happy with how we

ShowbizFrom a psychologist and notary in the making, to an aeronauticalengineer and an architect. The batch of finalists for the crown of MissBelgium 2023 looks heavier than other years. “There are so many good andimpressive candidates, we could hardly choose,” says Darline Devos of the MissBelgium Committee. “That is why we did not select 30 finalists, but 32.”Nineteen Flemish, thirteen Walloon, and one of them succeeds Chayenne VanAarle (23). In the final straight line to the election on February 11, 2023,the finalists will travel to the Baron Resort in Sharm El Sheikh next weekend.

Miss Belgium finalist number 01 Christina Lalomia © kevin swijsen

1) Christina Lalomia

19 years from Genk. Student administrative assistant in the sixth secondaryschool. Christina has both Greek and Italian roots.

Miss Belgium finalist number 02 Solyne husson © kevin swijsen

2) Solyne Husson

22 years old from the Walloon Yvoir. Works as a saleswoman. Solyne has Italianroots on her father’s side.

Miss Belgium finalist number 03 Noa Kiekens © kevin swijsen

3) Noa Kiekens

22 years from Liedekerke. Noa is responsible in a daycare center, lovescycling and does odd jobs as a make-up artist after her job.

Miss Belgium finalist number 04 Charlotte Van Den Berghe © kevin swijsen

4) Charlotte Van Den Berghe

24 years from Heusden. Works as a sales representative. Her southern touch isone hundred percent Belgian.

Miss Belgium finalist number 05 Cheany Van der Jeugt © kevin swijsen

5) Cheany Van der Youth

24 years from Buggenhout. Cheany studies physio and physiotherapy for dogs atuniversity. She already underwent two heart surgeries in the past.

Miss Belgium finalist number 06 Silva Hakobyan © kevin swijsen

6) Silva Hakobyan

25 years from Quaregnon in Wallonia. Works as an administrative secretary.Silva was born in Armenia and moved to Belgium with her family when she was 7years old.

Miss Belgium finalist number 07 Claire Lansenebre © kevin swijsen

7) Claire Lansenebre

23 years old from Knokke-Heist. Claire works as a cook, has Filipino roots onher mother’s side and American roots on her father’s. Before she became achef, she worked as an actress in the Philippines for two years, and wasalready elected Miss Teen Philippines in 2014. Last year she participated inthe Regi Academy.

Miss Belgium finalist number 08 Caprice Coyne © kevin swijsen

8) Caprice Coyne

19 years from Geel. Caprice is a designer by profession and has her ownchildren’s clothing line. This Kempense is also friends with another Kempenseex-Miss Belgium, namely Tanja Dexters.

Miss Belgium finalist number 09 Haifa Salem Ali © kevin swijsen

9) Haifa Salem Ali

20 years from Bilzen. Haifa is a hotel management student from Somalia. At theage of 8 she fled the war from Somalia with her family, and for years shewandered all over the world. She has only lived in Belgium since she was 15.

Miss Belgium finalist number 10 Lena Gonzales © kevin swijsen

10) Lena Gonzalez Blanco

20 years from Aalst. This hostess has Spanish roots on her father’s side, andwas effectively raised in Spain. She lived there for eleven years. She hasbeen living in Belgium for seven years.

Miss Belgium finalist number 11 Demmi Van Bossche © kevin swijsen

11) Demmi Van Bossche

25 years from Eeklo. Demmi works as a clinical psychologist in her ownpractice.

Miss Belgium finalist number 12 Noemie Rosato © kevin swijsen

12) Noemie Rosato

25 years from the Walloon Nandrin. Noémie works at the Ministry of Defence,where she takes care of PR. Her roots are in Sicily, where both her parentscome from. In 2020 she already participated in Miss Liège.

Miss Belgium finalist number 13 Sjoukje Degraeve © kevin swijsen

13) Sjoukje Degraeve

24 years from Torhout. Works as a servant. A special first name that she owesto her Dutch grandfather, Sjoukje is used quite often.

Miss Belgium finalist number 14 Kessia Viera © kevin swijsen

14) Kessia-Simao Viera

21 years from Verviers. Studies international management and has Angolanroots.

Miss Belgium finalist number 15 Amy Rombaut © kevin swijsen

15) Amy Rombaut

19 years old from Nieuwekerken. Amy studies to become a medical administrativeassistant.

Miss Belgium finalist number 16 Perrine Blampain © kevin swijsen

16) Perrine Blampain

22 years old from the Walloon Neufmaison. Perrine is currently studying tobecome a fashion stylist.

Miss Belgium finalist number 17 Esmee Van Walle © kevin swijsen

17) Esmee Van Walle

25 years from De Klinge. Esmée works as an HR consultant and was recently seenon television in ‘De Bachelor’ with Fabrizio Tzinaridis. She was one of thelast four ladies.

Miss Belgium finalist number 18 Lena Forseille © kevin swijsen

18) Lena Forseille

18 years old from Temploux in Wallonia. Léna has just started university tostudy economics.

Miss Belgium finalist number 19 Elise Casier © kevin swijsen

19) Elise Casier

19 years from Ghent. Elise is passionate about children and is currentlystudying child care.

Miss Belgium finalist number 20 Leia Vanhove © kevin swijsen

20) Leia Van Hove

20 years from the Walloon Franiere. Leia wants to be a vet and is currently inher first year of college.

Miss Belgium finalist number 21 Blendina Sejfija © kevin swijsen

21) Blendina Sejfija

21 years from Antwerp. Blendina works as a content creator. Both her parentsare from Albania.

Miss Belgium finalist number 22 Gwendoline Gouverneur © kevin swijsen

22) Gwendoline Governor

22 years old from the Walloon Erezée. Gwendoline works as a makeup artist.

Miss Belgium finalist number 23 Nell Joostens © Kevin Swijsen

23) Nell Joostens

25 years from Lint. Nell got her mom’s aviation jitters and now works as anaeronautical engineer at TUI herself. Although she now has to go through lifewithout her great example. Nell lost her mom to cancer two years ago.

Miss Belgium finalist number 24 Victoria Kembukuswa © kevin swijsen

24) Victoria Kembukuswa

19 years from Waterloo. Victoria is studying biomedical sciences in her firstyear at university. She got her Congolese roots through both her parents.

Miss Belgium finalist number 25 Ailani Ibens © kevin swijsen

25) Ailani Ibens

18 years from Antwerp. Ailani studies business and languages ​​at university.Her blonde locks don’t indicate it, but Ailani does have Moroccan roots onmom’s side.

Miss Belgium finalist number 26 Cecile Deltour © kevin swijsen

26) Cecile Deltour

25 years from the Walloon Dison. Cécile has Congolese roots through her motherand works as an architect. Even though she is called Deltour with her familyname, Cécile is not related to former Miss Belgium Kedist Deltour.

Miss Belgium finalist number 27 Eva Keusters © kevin swijsen

27) Eva Keusters

25 years from Tessenderlo. Eva already has a diploma as a lawyer and iscurrently studying to become a notary. She is in her sixth year at university.

Miss Belgium finalist number 28 Lara Viegas © kevin swijsen

28) Lara Viegas

19 years old from Nivelles in Wallonia. Lara is currently studying in herfirst year at the University of Educational Sciences. She owes her southerntouch to her Portuguese dad.

Miss Belgium finalist number 29 Emilie Vansteenkiste © Kevin Swijsen

29) Emilie Vansteenkiste

21 years old from Elewijt. Emilie works as a monitor at camps for children andadults with disabilities and now wants to make it her profession. She studiesoccupational therapy.

Miss Belgium finalist number 30 Beyza Ozcitftci © kevin swijsen

30) Beyza Ozciftci

22 years from Schaerbeek. Beyza is a beautician by profession and has Turkishroots.

Miss Belgium finalist number 31 Janah Vanderper © kevin swijsen

31) Janah Vanderper

25 years from Roeselare. Janah is the toughest of them all and not afraid toroll up her sleeves. This finalist works on cars every day in her ownbusiness. She recently bought a 1964 Citroën old-timer, which she is fullyrestoring. When she’s not working with cars, she’s riding a motorcycle.

Miss Belgium finalist number 32 Valentine Roger © kevin swijsen

32) Valentine Roger

19 years old from the Walloon Cuesmes. Valentine is creativity itself and isstudying to become an artist.

Find out on Saturday 11 February which of these 32 finalists can take overthe crown from Chayenne Van Aarle. The Miss Belgium pageant can be followed onEclips TV.

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