Dutch Stars Daily

  By Sidra Salman · October 25, 2026 For a week, the Emile Ratelband story has been framed as a man who vanished in Thailand. On Saturday, October 24, Thai immigration police gave that story a sharp correction: according to their records, Ratelband did not disappear in Thailand at all. He left the country months ago, crossing into Laos late in 2025, and has no recorded return since. That single update does not solve the case. It does not say where Ratelband is now, and it does not explain why his family lost contact with him. But it moves the search, and it changes what the public should believe about the timeline. Here is what Thai police actually confirmed, what is still only claimed by others, and what to watch next. What Thai police confirmed on October 24 Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, deputy commissioner and spokesman for Thailand's Immigration Bureau, announced the findings on Saturday after a nationwide check ordered by Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Nopasi...

By Sidra Salman · October 25, 2026 p>When a Dutch star posts about a charity, it is easy to assume it is a one-day photo opportunity. Sometimes it is. But a handful of Dutch celebrities have stuck with the same cause for a decade or more, travelling to project sites, lending their name year after year, and showing up when there is no camera crew at all. Those are the stories worth separating from the noise — and this week has given us a fresh one. At the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in August, the charity Spieren voor Spieren was named the Dutch winner of the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award, with a €100,000 donation. The trophy was presented to the charity's director Monique Maks and its ambassador, former footballer Ronald de Boer. It is a good moment to look at what Dutch stars actually do for charity — who gives, who shows up, and how you can tell the difference. Spieren voor Spieren: the charity behind the Zandvoort moment Spieren voor Spieren — "Muscles for ...

By Sidra Salman · October 24, 2026 If you have been waiting to find out who will sing for the Netherlands at Eurovision 2027, we finally have names to argue about. Dutch newspaper AD has reported that three acts are in contention: Davina Michelle, Tangarine, and Marnix Emanuel. Eurovision news sites Eurovoix and ESCBeat picked up the AD report on October 23, 2026, and the story has been doing the rounds among Dutch Eurovision fans ever since. Let me be clear about one thing before we go any further: none of these three names is official yet. NPO has not announced an artist, and it has not announced a song. What AD reported is that these three acts are the front-runners, not that one of them has already been picked. That distinction matters, because Eurovision rumour season has a habit of turning a shortlist into a done deal within a day. What AD actually reported According to AD, the three acts are the same three that reached the final stage of the Dutch selection for Eurovisio...

By Sidra Salman · October 24, 2026 If you think October 2026 has been quiet on Dutch radio , you haven't been listening. In three weeks, a beloved veteran said goodbye after 32 years, a 67-year-old DJ walked away over a two-hour week, a legendary shock jock returned, and a young station lost its station manager. Here's who's moving, who's leaving, and what it all means. For more daily updates, keep an eye on our Latest Articles hub . Bert Kranenbarg Ends 32 Years at NPO: "The End of a Boyhood Dream" The month's biggest goodbye belongs to Bert Kranenbarg , who announced September 25 that he must stop his daily midday show on NPO Radio 5 . In an emotional NCRV-gids column (October 14), he looked back on a career that began at 29: "Na 32 geweldige jaren komt er een eind aan mijn jongensdroom" — "After 32 wonderful years, my boyhood dream is coming to an end." His story is pure Dutch radio romance. In 1995 he quit a steady job at O...

By Sidra Salman · October 23, 2026 Frans Duijts is recovering from an acute heart attack. The 47-year-old Dutch folk singer was struck at home on Tuesday evening, in the presence of his family. His wife Marloes acted immediately and called emergency services. Thanks to that quick response, doctors treated him in time, and the damage to his heart has remained limited. His management announced the news on Thursday, October 22, 2026. I've covered Dutch showbiz for years, and this one landed like a punch. Frans is one of those artists you picture on stage with a smile — which is why a heart attack at just 47 feels so jarring. Here's everything we know, verified across Dutch media, plus a look at who Frans is and what happens next. What happened on Tuesday night According to his management, the heart attack happened at Frans's home while his family was with him. He suddenly began to feel seriously unwell. His wife Marloes didn't hesitate — she called emergency serv...

  Dutch Actors in Hollywood: This Week's Casting News and Upcoming Roles By Sidra Salman · October 23, 2026 If you've been paying attention to the biggest premieres and casting announcements this month, you've probably noticed something: Dutch names keep popping up. It's been a genuinely busy week for Dutch actors working in Hollywood and international film and TV — from Famke Janssen addressing the biggest superhero movie of the year to Sylvia Hoeks headlining a biopic about one of pop culture's most tragic figures. I went through the actual announcements from this week so you don't have to, and here's everything worth knowing. Famke Janssen Finally Speaks: Is Jean Grey Coming Back for Avengers: Doomsday? This was the Dutch-Hollywood story of the week, no contest. With Avengers: Doomsday now just under two months from its December 18 release, the cast conversation has gone into overdrive — and one name fans kept asking about was Famke Janssen , the ...