Friday evening John de Mol was guest in a Dutch talkshow where he told more about his plans for next year’s Nationaal Songfestival. A world famous illusionist is likely to be involved – and the promise of the most professionel Dutch final in years is present.

In the evening talkshow De Wereld Draait Door (The world keeps spinning) John de Mol, producer on the 2012 national final in the Netherlands, talked about his own experiences with the Eurovision Song Contest, his plans for the coming Dutch selection and what we can expect to see on stage in Baku in May next year.

The past seven years The Netherlands has not managed to qualify for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Dutch broadcaster TROS have tried various formats over the years – and now they once again came up with a change with hiring TV guru John de Mol as producer.

To set the tone he was first asked if he believes he can save the competition. To that he answers that it can’t get any worse! He continues: "The Eurovision Song Contest is an incredibale nice event, which includes a national final, where we vaguly remember that years ago on that Saturday evening we were all watching and voting along. I hope it will happen again in May".

When asked exactly what he will do the answer is clear: "My primary task is to make the Nationaal Songfestival into a good and high quality TV programme. I guarantee I will do that". He goes on to talking about the past seven Dutch entries, of which no one qualified for the final, and concludes that they all had one thing in common; No hits! "The lowest requirement for a winning song is that it should become a big fat hit in its own country". 

A famous name is not needed: 

He is being asked if Dutch megastar Marco Borsato would be the answer and says that he would be fantastic, but that he doesn’t think it would be possible to get him. When asked why the answer is similar to what other countries experience when talking about enterering with their most popular singers: "Marco has more to lose than to gain – and I understand that". John de Mol however continues that it doesn’t matter that much either as people abroad don’t know Marco and therefore you might as well send someone who isn’t that famous. He then gives examples of Dutch names like Kim de Boer and Pearl Jozefzoon, but add that such talents needs to be convinced to take part. 

John de Mol tells that he hasn’t watched the contest for the past couple of years, but that he has recieved a DVD including the top 3 from the past ten years. That in order to see what those songs had in common, but he had to conclude that they had nothing in common.

He adds that one more important thing is that the jury who select, which songs should be in the Dutch national final, should know about modern music and not music from 20 years ago.   

Presentation becomes more important: 

About the 2011 Dutch participants 3JS de Mol says that they had a fine song, but that they could have made so much more out of it. It becomes more a criticism of the the broadcaster TROS, than the male trio that came last in their semi-final in Düsseldorf with the song Never Alone, when he continues talking about the production. He thinks that TROS did not use their possibilities when it came to the direction of the act.

When asked what can be done on stage in Baku John de Mol says: There I could imagine, and I called him and he could imagine getting involved, but that depends on the act, that we could involve Hans Klok in it.

Hans Klok is a well known Dutch illusionist famour for fast clothes changes and for making people disappear. A comedia in the studio adds: "With Hans, Sieneke could also have won – if he had made her disappear in the beginning". De Mol agrees; "yes, that would have increased the chances". 

He concludes saying that his goal is to make it to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. He does not want to talk about a possible Dutch victory.

John de Mol’s father won Dutch national final:

1

1In 1959 Teddy Scholten represented the Netherlands with the song Een Beetje, but in the national final the song was actually also sung by John de Mol’s father, with the same name. Dutch TV however decided to use Teddy for the Eurovision Song Contest. His dad participated in the national selection again in 1960, but didn’t win. 

As Teddy won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959 John de Mol doesn’t want to say that it was a mistake not to pick John de Mol senior, but his version of Een Beetje can be heard below.