Dutch Podcast Stars Everyone Should Be Listening To
I've been following the Dutch audio scene for years, and the pace of change right now feels wild. Big TV names are jumping into podcasting, indie makers are getting their own award category, and even a fully AI-hosted show is in the running for a prize.
Why October 2026 Is Huge for Dutch Podcasts
Let's start with the biggest story of the month: Videoland, the Dutch streaming service known for series and films, launched podcasts on its platform on October 8. That is a big deal because it brings big-name podcast brands — including true crime favorites and former YouTube stars — behind one subscription, with both audio and video versions of shows.
The timing makes sense. New figures from the NMO AudioMonitor, published October 7, show that almost two million people in the Netherlands listen to podcasts or catch-up audio daily, and
roughly one in five Dutch people aged 13 and over listens at least weekly. Social clips are doing serious discovery work too: 42% of Dutch people occasionally spot a podcast clip on social media, and 58% of them go on to listen to the full episode. Short-form clips have become one of the main engines behind Dutch TikTok stars growing their audiences.
On top of that, the Dutch Podcast Awards 2026 announced its nominees on October 7. The awards, founded in 2018 on the initiative of BNR Nieuwsradio, picked five nominees across eleven categories from hundreds of submissions. The winners will be revealed November 3 at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision in Hilversum — which is why several of the names below are suddenly everywhere in the Dutch entertainment press. We also covered the Dutch entertainment awards earlier this month, and the podcast race feels like its louder, younger sibling.
Dutch Podcast Stars to Follow This Fall
Dionne Slagter — true crime's move to streaming
If you know one Dutch true crime podcast, it's probably Moordcast. Hosts Dionne Slagter and Henrik Slagter have built one of the Netherlands' most-loved crime shows, and on October 23 it moves exclusively to Videoland — where it will be available both to listen to and to watch as a video podcast. That makes Dionne one of the first Dutch podcast stars to go platform-exclusive on a streaming service, a move that says a lot about where the industry is heading.
Monica Geuze and Kaj Gorgels — nominated and headline-making
Geuze & Gorgels, the chatcast from influencer Monica Geuze and her best friend Kaj Gorgels, is nominated for a Dutch Podcast Award this year — and the pair keeps generating news on mic. In their October 15 episode "Ienieminipoenie," Monica opened up about how hard quitting smoking has been for her, a candid moment that Dutch entertainment media picked up within hours. That's the show's formula: first-world problems solved with zero filter.
Monica is also about to step onto a different stage: on October 31 she presents the return of Boxing Stars on Videoland alongside Valerio Zeno — this time without Kaj beside her. The pair has made her one of the most bankable Dutch stars on Instagram and beyond, and the podcast is the engine of it all.
Giel Beelen — radio veteran, podcast believer
Giel Beelen has been part of Dutch audio for nearly thirty years, from his long 3FM morning run to his return to Radio Veronica this September with a Friday night show. But he's also a podcast host: his weekly show KUKURU sits him down with speakers on spirituality, self-development, breathing, sleep, and mindset — a very different Giel from the shock-jock days.
And he's having a very busy week: he just took over Gerard Ekdom's morning show on Radio Veronica while Ekdom is away, and on October 14 he revealed in the talk show Renze that he and Douwe Bob are working on bringing back the talent show De beste singer-songwriter van Nederland (2012–2015), the program that launched Douwe Bob, Nielson, and Maaike Ouboter. A podcast studio, a morning show, and a TV comeback in one week — Giel stays in motion.
The Videoland podcast class of October
Beyond Moordcast, Videoland's podcast launch brought a whole lineup of Dutch podcast stars under one roof, and it's worth knowing the names:
- Renze Klamer, Tom van 't Einde, and Gijs Rademaker — their new show Niet Voor Uitzending launched October 8, with new episodes every Thursday, alongside an audio-only version of Renze's show.
- Kees and Joep van der Spek — father-and-son crime reporters hosting Van der Spek & Van der Spek, chatting on their way to work every Monday since October 12.
- John van den Heuvel and Robert de Hoog — the crime journalist duo behind Crimineel Nederland, arriving October 28.
- The Bankzitters — the YouTube collective whose podcast went exclusive to Videoland, dropping every Thursday.
RTL Nieuws is reportedly also developing a daily news podcast, though no start date is confirmed yet.
The award-season names
The Dutch Podcast Awards nominations read like a who's who of Dutch entertainment. Tim Hofman (of BOOS) and Wilfred Genee (Zolang het leuk is) are both in contention, as are Dré and Roxanne Hazes with ADHAZES, Paul de Leeuw with De Leeuw Brult Verder, and Daphne Bunskoek with Daphne's Hulptroepen. Last year's Best Podcast of the Netherlands was Mino's Imperium, so the bar for the jury is set high.
My favorite new detail: this year introduced a category called "In eigen beheer" — self-produced podcasts made without a broadcaster or production house. Nominees include Jeroen Huijsdens' film-and-travel show Fantastische Filmlocaties, which has run independently since 2022. The jury openly praised the quality of independent makers this year, which tells you the Dutch scene isn't just about big media brands anymore.
The AI wildcard
And then there's the nomination that has everyone arguing: The State of Tech is nominated in the "Vernieuwing" (innovation) category — and its two hosts, Linda Duursma and Erik van Doorn, don't exist. Their voices and personalities are entirely AI-generated, though real people make the production. The awards organization confirmed the nomination on October 7. Winners are announced November 3 — and it'll be fascinating to see whether a jury of audio professionals hands a prize to two hosts who aren't real.
How the Dutch Actually Listen
Quick reality check from that NMO AudioMonitor data, because it tells you where to find these shows: 56% of Dutch podcast listeners use Spotify, 25% listen via YouTube, and 21% use dedicated podcast apps or websites. Home is the main listening spot, followed by the car. So if you want to dive in, Spotify or Apple Podcasts will cover nearly every name in this article — with the Videoland exclusives (Moordcast from October 23, Bankzitters) being the one exception that needs the streaming subscription.
Whether you're learning Dutch or just love a good celebrity story, these Dutch podcast stars are worth a spot in your queue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I listen to Dutch podcasts?
Most Dutch podcasts are available on Spotify (used by 56% of Dutch listeners), Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and dedicated podcast apps. The exceptions are the new Videoland exclusives — Moordcast moves there on October 23 and the Bankzitters podcast streams only on Videoland.
Are Dutch podcasts in Dutch or English?
The vast majority of Dutch podcasts are in Dutch, since they're made for the Netherlands' domestic audience. A handful of Dutch creators record in English for international listeners, but the shows in this article are Dutch-language — great material if you're learning the language.
What is the biggest Dutch podcast award?
The Dutch Podcast Awards, founded in 2018 on the initiative of BNR Nieuwsradio, is the country's premier podcast prize. An independent jury of nearly forty professionals picks nominees across eleven categories from hundreds of entries, and also names the Best Podcast of the Netherlands. The 2026 winners will be announced on November 3 in Hilversum, with a public audience vote alongside the jury prizes.
Who are the most famous Dutch podcast hosts right now?
Names like Monica Geuze, Kaj Gorgels, Giel Beelen, Tim Hofman, Wilfred Genee, and Dionne Slagter dominate the headlines — all are nominated for 2026 Dutch Podcast Awards, have shows moving to streaming platforms, or both. True crime, chatcasts, and crime journalism are the genres pulling the biggest Dutch audiences.
About the Author
Sidra Salman is the founder of Dutch Stars Daily, where she writes practical, research-backed guides on Dutch entertainment and celebrity news. Every guide is tested and written in plain English for a US audience.
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