NOS News•yesterday, 6:43 PM•Amended yesterday, 9:22 PM
It started for the first time since 2001 Sinterklaas news not tonight with Dieuwertje Blok. She will be replaced as presenter in the new season by Merel Westrik, because she is ill.
The ‘short news’ section in the first episode paid attention to this. Westrik said: “We received a greeting card today, which says: Dear Merel, we are very happy that you received it Sinterklaas news wants to present now that Dieuwertje is ill and we wish you good luck.”
Westrik called that “very sweet” and said that she will do her best. Blok presents it Sinterklaas news not, because her nose had to be amputated due to skin cancer.
In the video, Merel reads the card in which she is wished good luck:
Merel Westrik replaces Dieuwertje Blok at the SInterklaas news
Despite the different presenter, the program continued as usual. There were immediate problems: a sick Sinterklaas, a bridge that did not open, and a new helmsman, who was given a route map on ‘main lines’.
Drawings help
Promotional videos for it were already shown last week Sinterklaas news. Blok then called Westrik.
Blok said that she wanted to thank everyone for all the “very sweet letters and drawings that were sent to me because I am ill. That helped a lot.”
Here you can see one of the videos in which Westrik calls Blok:
Blok hopes so next year Sinterklaas news to present again. She previously said: “Unfortunately, Sinterklaas comes a little too early for me. I am very happy that Merel wants to see me at the desk and at the arrival in Vianen this year.”
The annual arrival of Sinterklaas will take place next Saturday in the Utrecht town of Vianen, a town with more than 16,000 inhabitants. NTR broadcasts the arrival.
