Patty Brard Chronicles (Late April - July 2025)

Patty Brard remains the most active former Luv' member in the Dutch media and, as such, continues to attract the most public attention. Here's the latest news about her since late April:

• Shownieuws

Patty Brard occasionally appears on SBS6's infotainment news program "Shownieuws" as a showbiz expert.

Patty backstage at "Shownieuws" on May 10

Backstage at Shownieuws on May 12

Patty Brard, Gerard Joling, Dyantha Brooks, Bart Ettekoven, Erik de Zwart and Wino Omtzigt on Shownieuws (May 17)

Hélène Hendriks' ill health (May 19)

Patty commented on Hélène Hendriks’ recent surgery and temporary absence from television, expressing her support and emphasising Hélène’s well-known love for Dutch music. Co-host Johnny de Mol confirmed that Hélène was recovering well and would be replaced by him on De Oranjezomer for at least four weeks. Patty noted that the show would continue to reflect Hélène’s signature style during her absence.

Patty Brard on Shownieuws (May 19th)

Juice Channels

The former Luv' singer shared her critical view on the growing influence of juice channels, Dutch online gossip platforms known for breaking celebrity news. While discussing the newly surfaced relationship between André Hazes Jr. and 24-year-old Noa Braaf, Patty expressed sympathy for Hazes’ ex, Monique, and questioned the ethics of exposing private matters so publicly. Her remarks, however, drew backlash, with critics calling her stance hypocritical, highlighting that Shownieuws often depends on the very gossip sources she criticized. The juice channel Reality FBI accused Patty of being out of touch, labelling her a "dinosaur" for what they saw as a contradictory and outdated attitude toward the platforms that help drive the show’s content.

Gordon on Whitney Houston's grace (May 29)

Patty reacted with measured scepticism to Gordon’s latest controversy involving Whitney Houston’s grave. While acknowledging his emotional intent, she questioned whether the Houston family even wanted a larger, more elaborate memorial, suggesting they may have chosen a modest grave on purpose. Patty also pointed out that Gordon’s well-meant gesture could unintentionally turn the site into a tourist attraction, which the family might not appreciate. With her usual mix of wit and candour, she added a light jab—"except for Gordon," when co-hosts discussed how the understated grave likely attracted less attention.

De Toppers pay tribute to Freek (May 29)

The emotional contrast between celebration and tragedy surrounding De Toppers' concert was impossible to ignore. While the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam prepared for its usual glitter and party energy, the nearby Ziggo Dome remained closed after Suzan & Freek cancelled their concerts due to Freek’s devastating diagnosis of terminal lung cancer.

Suzan & Freek / De Toppers

Patty acknowledged the heavy mood hanging over the entertainment world, agreeing with co-host Bart Ettekoven that the contrast between the festive Toppers show and the heartbreaking news felt surreal. She emphasized that fans of Suzan & Freek should respect the duo’s request for privacy and avoid gathering at the closed venue, saying it would create a "strange mix of energies." From her viewpoint, De Toppers made the right call by choosing not to hold a minute of silence, as Freek is thankfully still alive; instead, they paused briefly during the show to reflect and express solidarity in a heartfelt, respectful way.

Backstage at Shownieuws (June 1)

Queen Maxima avoids De Toppers (June 1)

Patty regretted that Queen Máxima missed a valuable PR opportunity by never attending De Toppers' mega shows. The larger-than-life media personality criticized Máxima for avoiding such major cultural events, saying the royal couple could have easily attended by now. She referenced Queen Silvia of Sweden, who recently made a heartwarming TV appearance to surprise a drag artist who had imitated her for fifty years, something Patty believed the Dutch royals would never consider doing.

Evert Santegoeds agreed with Patty, pointing out that it had already taken great effort to get Amsterdam’s mayor to attend De Toppers last year. He noted that while King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima did attend concerts by U2, they consistently passed over De Toppers.

Patty found it disappointing, calling it "a real shame," and argued that showing up at such a widely loved event would have been great for their image. Máxima had recently attended the Ladies of Soul, but Patty and Evert felt that was different due to her personal connection with singer Trijntje Oosterhuis.

In Patty’s view, the royal family missed a joyful, unifying moment — and she made it clear she thought that was a mistake.

Backstage at Shownieuws (June 6)

Robèrt van Beckhoven's financial troubles (June 6)

Patty mentioned that TV baker Robèrt van Beckhoven found himself in serious financial trouble after his wife, who managed his business finances, left him, and their companies reportedly fell into a debt of €2.2 million. He was forced to sell a second apartment in Leidschendam, which was intended for a failed bakery venture. Patty expressed sympathy, saying she had spoken to Robèrt personally and found him kind but overwhelmed by rumours. While he remained hopeful about returning to Heel Holland Bakt, Patty feared his salary might be seized to repay debts, including money from a controversial crowdfunding campaign.

Backstage at Shownieuws on June 7

Backstage at Shownieuws on June 26

André Hazes jr.'s doubts about continuing his reality show with Mart Hoogkamer and talking about his ex (June 26)

Patty discussed André Hazes jr.'s recent doubts about continuing "Hazes & Hoogkamer: tot uw dienst", his reality show with Mart Hoogkamer on SBS6. She acknowledged how much criticism André had been facing, particularly from Youp van ’t Hek, who had condemned a controversial scene involving a cow. Patty pointed out that despite the show’s popularity with the public, it was always André who received the harshest attention, while Mart remained largely unnoticed. She understood that André’s openness and willingness to take responsibility often worked against him, making him the main target of negativity. Patty believed this one-sided criticism had become overwhelming for him, which likely contributed to his contemplation of leaving the show.

On the same episode, Patty discussed André's reaction to the idea of his ex, Monique Westenberg, dating someone new. André said he'd be fine with it, as long as Monique found the "right guy." Patty noted that, while André seemed accepting, the situation highlighted the complexity of their relationship. André admitted he still deeply cared for Monique and would always support her, especially as the mother of his child, but acknowledged their romantic connection had ended. Patty also pointed out André's struggles with stress affecting his health, especially as he adjusted to his new responsibilities as a father.

Bram Moszkowicz criticizing Douwe Bob (July 1st)

Patty witnessed an intense argument between her Shownieuws colleagues, Bram Moszkowicz and others, about Douwe Bob. While Tooske Ragas, Ronald Molendijk, and Patty expressed sympathy for Douwe Bob's situation, in which he fled the country after receiving threats related to a controversial performance at a Jewish children's event, Bram took a critical stance. He doubted the claims of threat and took issue with Douwe Bob's actions, particularly his decision to walk away from performing for 15 Jewish children.

Patty, visibly irritated, disagreed with Bram’s perspective. She pointed out that regardless of the controversy, the family was fleeing a dangerous situation, and she felt the ongoing discussions were excessive. Bram, however, grew increasingly frustrated and dismissed Douwe Bob’s actions as "stupid," even calling him "Domme Bob" (Dumb Bob). Despite the tension, Patty remained firm in her belief that the family's safety was the priority.

This heated exchange highlighted a clash of opinions on Douwe Bob's actions, with Patty defending compassion over the need for nuanced political debate.

Yolanthe Cabau's expensive villa in Los Angeles (July 1)

Patty and her Shownieuws team discussed Yolanthe Cabau's new home in Los Angeles, which became a hot topic due to its hefty price tag. Yolanthe had purchased a villa for $5.2 million and had spent an additional $1 million on renovations. The villa was situated in a posh area, surrounded by other celebrities, including Bruno Mars, Kanye West, and Beyoncé, offering Yolanthe a true "movie star" experience.

Leslie de Ruiter, a real estate agent known to the public from Shownieuws, provided the details, mentioning that Yolanthe’s home was quite large, measuring 360 square meters, and had been stripped and renovated from top to bottom. Patty remarked that while Yolanthe’s new house may have sounded extravagant, the ongoing stories about her relationship with wealthy businessman Matthijs Metzemaekers were denied by her management, who clarified that he was a business advisor, not a romantic partner, financing her lifestyle.

• Frank Waals calls out Patty Brard for backtracking and broken promises (April 23)

Patty Brard faced sharp criticism from renowned journalist Frank Waals, who expressed frustration over celebrities who make bold statements and then backtrack when confronted. In the April 23 episode of the Spreekbuis podcast, Frank shared his annoyance with Dutch VIPs who didn't stand by their words. He recalled an interview with Patty when she made a comment about Shownieuws, saying it was "like AT5 minus ten" after a hiatus from the entertainment news show. AT5 is Amsterdam's local channel, and comparing Shownieuws to it sparked controversy.

When Frank published the quote, Patty quickly denied it, claiming the journalist had taken it out of context. Frank fired back, calling her out for not taking responsibility for her own words. He emphasized that if celebrities make statements, they should either stand by them or not say them at all.

• Patty Brard and daughter Priscilla join De Bevers' fan trip to Kos (May 22 to May 29)

John and Kees de Bever went to Kos for their 12th annual fan trip between May 22 and 29, including an unforgettable week of music, fun, and celebration at the luxurious Kipriotis Panorama Hotel & Suites in Psalidi, Greece. Fans enjoyed exclusive performances, all-inclusive luxury, and exciting party nights featuring special guest artists, including Patty Brard. The diva's daughter, Priscilla Nasi, was also present.

Priscilla & Patty with De Bevers

Last autumn, NRGY Music released Patty Brard & Kees de Bever's duet "Feesten In De Stad" as a digital single. Kees is the husband of John de Bever, a former football player and famous singer in the Netherlands. Patty was one of the guests at the Bevers Christmas show "De Bevers Vieren Kerst" at the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena on December 14th and 15th.

• Stars on Stage (May 24 to June 21)

Patty Brard was one of the contestants on the second season of "Stars on Stage", a Dutch television talent show broadcast on RTL 4, hosted by Jamai Loman and Buddy Vedder, with Albert Verlinde and Paul de Leeuw serving as judges.

In this competition, eight Dutch celebrities trained to become musical theatre stars. Each week, they performed musical numbers that combined singing, dancing, and acting, supported by student dancers from the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts. Their performances were evaluated by a panel of critics, who awarded between one and five stars (with half-stars introduced in season two). Each critique began with a headline that captured the panel’s impression of the act.

The two contestants with the lowest scores had to face off in the "Final Curtain," where they performed again — either with a new musical number or a segment of their earlier act — accompanied by pianist Bernd van den Bos. The live studio audience then voted for their favourite, and the contestant with the fewest votes was eliminated.

La Brard was eliminated in episode 5, which aired on June 1, after losing the Final Curtain to Rayen Panday.

Here are the viewing figures for the episodes featuring Patty:

• May 24: 995,000 viewers

• May 31: 1,030,000 viewers

• June 7: 1,015,000 viewers

• June 14: 969,000 viewers

• June 21: 860,000 viewers

Here are excerpts from Stars on Stage, including Patty's performances:

Patty as Miss Hannigan singing ‘Little Girls’ from the "Annie" musical (May 24)

Patty giving an emotional performance of "Send In The Clowns" from "A Little Night Music" (May 31)

Patty singing "Does Your Mother Know" from "Mamma Mia!" and kissing a dancer by accident (June 7)

Patty performing "Wordt nooit verliefd" from "De Jantjes" (June 21)

Dutch singer Numidia won the competition, with the finale airing on July 12.

After her first performance, Patty expressed satisfaction on social media when respected media critic Angela de Jong wrote a glowing column in AD on June 2:

"Patty Brard. I think I’ve written about her for the past fifteen years — from crowd-pleaser to feminist icon who refuses to be defeated by anything or anyone, and everything in between. And yes, all of those things can coexist, as she’s proven for seventy years. The woman with no secrets, who once let cameras film her enemas without shame, turns out to have an unexpected talent after all. She can sing. (Yes, yes, I know she was in Luv’, but the persistent myth is that José did the vocals while Marga and Patty were there for the visuals.) She can act. She’s amazing. If Albert Verlinde decides to stage Annie tomorrow and casts her as Miss Hannigan, I’ll be the first to buy a ticket."

Patty considered "Stars on Stage" a great learning experience during an interview on RTL 4's infotainment news show "RTL Boulevard". Although she had underestimated it all, she still enjoyed taking part in this musical contest.

La Brard discussing Stars on Stage on RTL Boulevard (video posted on June 23)

• Party Magazine: The biggest feuds in Dutch Showbiz / Patty on ageing gracefully (June 18)

  
  

  Patty Brard was featured twice in the June 18 issue of Party magazine. The first article covered some of the most notorious feuds in Dutch showbiz, including her long-running conflict with former Luv' colleagues Marga Scheide and José Hoebee. The second piece focused on Dutch celebrities sharing their thoughts on ageing, with Patty expressing her desire to grow older gracefully.

  
  

• Datecast

In Patty’s new podcast, Datecast, the focus is on the power of voice. Five potential matches communicate solely through their voices and conversation—can that spark a genuine connection? In an era where love often ends with a quick swipe left or right, Datecast demonstrates that attraction goes deeper than just a profile picture. What truly matters is how someone sounds, speaks, and piques curiosity.

The Netherlands has 2.7 million singles, many of whom find themselves trapped in a cycle of swiping, chatting, and ghosting. Datecast aims to break that cycle by allowing people to get to know each other without the distractions of appearance or judgment.

In each episode, a single person, accompanied by their best friend and Patty, embarks on a unique dating experience. Five voices represent five distinct personalities, but who can seduce with just words? Through a series of engaging rounds, candidates are gradually eliminated until only one match remains. The ultimate test? A real-life date! In the following episode, they reflect on their experience: did sparks fly, or was it just an awkward

silence?

Links: https://www.instagram.com/dedatecast/ and https://bit.ly/4kBLGKs (Datecast on Spotify, including episodes 1 to 4, broadcast between June 27 and July 11)

Miss Brard promoted De Datecast in the July 3 edition of De Telegraaf in its "Cultuur & Media" section.

• Patty Brard reflects on her musical past in a radio interview with Henkjan Smits: "I want to re-record my solo debut single, 'Hold On To Love"

Patty during her "Hold On To Love" era (1981)

On July 12, Patty Brard joined Henkjan Smits’ radio show "FM op 5" on BNNVARA/NPO 5 via phone for an engaging interview. Click here to listen.

The prima donna reflected on her early music career and her time in the pop group Luv’. When asked if she was already singing while working as a secretary at Dutch public broadcasting before joining Luv', Patty answered: "No, I wasn’t a singer. You can’t call it that. It was just for fun. Singing was only part of it."

On her initial chemistry with fellow Luv' members José Hoebee and Marga Scheide, she said: "We weren’t focused on that. It was more like, ‘They look good together, their voices blend well.’ One had a high voice, one had a mid-range voice, and I had the lowest. It was a perfect match, visually and vocally."

When asked to elaborate on the group's personal dynamic, she shared a vivid memory:

"It was fine until we had to tour around the country. We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot. I remember one time on a plane in business class, suddenly a baby crawled in from economy class, and Marga said, ‘‘Oh, here’s an economy baby.’"

She added: "Sometimes we didn’t even know which country we were in. We forgot to enjoy the success. Now that I’m older, I try to enjoy every moment. When I performed at the Ziggo Dome with other girl groups during my big birthday party, I realized how lucky I’ve been."

When an excerpt of Luv’s debut single, My Man (1977), was played, Patty said: "I still appreciate this track. I liked it from the start. When your first record comes out, you want to give it your all. I loved the line ‘only one shot took my man away’ — it was dramatic. It’s a pity the song was boycotted due to the tragic train hijacking in De Punt." She added: "Listening to it now, I notice how well our voices blended. The harmonies were difficult — underestimated, but the best ones often are."

Asked whether she understood why Luv’ wasn’t taken seriously and was labelled "bubblegum pop," Patty replied: "I recently took part in Stars on Stage, and half of the Netherlands was shocked I could actually sing."

Patty also spoke about Luv’s breakthrough hit "U.O.Me", the theme song from the Dutch comedy series "Het Is Weer Zo Laat" (aka Waldolala): "We had no idea what we were doing. José was shocked by what we had to wear and the choreography. But it was a brilliant move by our management to let us appear on a show that wasn’t originally made for us — in the end, it worked perfectly."

She described "Dream, Dream", Luv’s second single from November 1977, as her favourite:

"This one came out before Waldolala. I’ve always considered it our best."

From 1978 to 1980, Luv’ scored hit after hit. Patty eventually left the group — but not, she clarified, to go solo intentionally: "I didn’t plan to go solo. I lived in America, and I listened to what my man told me to do. He produced my records. I didn’t overthink it — everything seemed fine."

When "Hold On To Love", her debut solo single from February 1981, was played, Patty said:

"I love this track. I’d love to re-record it someday.” The host remarked that the title sounded like a tongue-in-cheek reference to Luv’, but Patty dismissed that with a laugh:

“You’ve got too much imagination! It was just the title."

To close the interview, Patty promoted her latest project: her voice-driven dating podcast "De Datecast"

Source: Patty Brard on social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok...), Shownieuws, SBS6, RTL 4, NMO, Mediacourant, De Telegraaf, Party...