Dutch radio presenter Wietze de Jager has confirmed that he and former co-host Mattie Valk have resumed contact, nearly ten years after their highly publicized split.
De Jager shared the news while discussing his temporary return to the airwaves on 100% NL.
The duo parted ways in 2017 when Valk chose to sign a lucrative contract extension with Qmusic, despite earlier plans to move together to Sky Radio.
Reflecting on the Past
De Jager opened up about his departure from Radio 538 and his feelings about his career.
"It was three years ago that I closed the door behind me at Radio 538," he said.
"After all this time, I dare to say that I had lost that holy fire for making radio."
He admitted that he carried a trauma from his unpleasant exit from Qmusic and never fully enjoyed his time at 538.
Looking back at the rift with Valk, De Jager acknowledged that time has brought perspective.
"Next year it will already be ten years ago that the widely discussed radio breakup with Mattie took place.
How do I look back on it? Fortunately, we have all grown up," he said.
He referenced a leaked letter he wrote at the time, which was "written from emotion and anger."
"As young guys, we were under pressure from major powers. We should have kept standing back to back, but we were driven apart," he added.
De Jager clarified that financial gain was not the reason for their planned move to Sky Radio.
"We got the chance at Sky Radio not only to further build our show, but also to set up our own studio.
It remains a huge shame that this did not go through," he said.
Renewed Contact
De Jager explained that contact with Valk has gradually resumed, sparked by news about Valk's morning show co-host leaving.
"We text occasionally and that's just nice," he said. "I was recently in our camper in Serbia, where I hardly received any news from the Netherlands."
After learning that Marieke Elsinga was leaving the Qmusic morning show, the two exchanged messages.
De Jager also mentioned unreleased footage from their split, which he would be open to sharing under the right conditions.
"You could easily set it up as a Netflix series. I would be open to that, if good agreements are made," he said.
Currently, De Jager is testing his interest in radio by filling in on 100% NL from Bonaire, leaving the door open for a permanent return.
