This is for Niels and Rosanna

The uh, ‘VIPS’ from Temptation

So you get approached through connections by a sly editor who smells blood in your relationship. You obviously don't know this in advance and there's not much you can do about it; you simply fit the ‘types’ they are looking for.

Wanted: guy with a muscular body and a smooth talker. Preferably with tattoos and macho behavior. Big mouth, small heart. Being jealous is a plus. Enter: Niels. Then there was his Rosanna. Slim, curly blonde locks and (stick-on) eyelashes up to the heavens. A bit too much tinkering (hi butt implants, nose correction, and lip fillers), but with a delightful Dutch attitude of not giving a damn. A tad naïve, but really sweet. Man, they must have high-fived at the editorial office when you wanted to come to casting. Countless conversations followed about how ‘beautiful’ it is to prove your love to each other in this way and that lovely vacation. Have you ever been to Thailand? Very beautiful, the beaches there.

And then you entered the rollercoaster. You were separated from each other. Footage was manipulated. He pulled down the thong of a seductress with his foot. She was so shocked by the footage that she jumped into the arms of another and had sex while all of the Netherlands could enjoy it. No, no, you didn't come off the Thai island unscathed. The anger of Niels. The hate, the misunderstanding, the pain. The show had ruined your relationship. Literally. After the show, you started – just like everyone else – your own YouTube channel. One of the videos is entirely about the negative experiences of Temptation. ‘We were pitted against each other, don't participate,’ you concluded the video. You finally realized that you were used for a format. The snakes.

I wished you some peace. But then the likes started pouring in. The Instagram followers. The bookings. The dozens of subscribers on YouTube, the continuous stream of attention from the media and Temptation fans. Collaborations with cosmetics, laser, and beauty clinics. A Playboy cover of Rosanna came out. The bitter deception suddenly faded in comparison to the benefits and the hard cash. I guess you just have to make the best of it, get everything out of it too. Or something.

I was walking in the city yesterday when I saw a notification pop up. ‘Rosanna and Niels candidates Temptation VIP'S’. Aside from the fact that we can all complain about the ‘VIP’ quality this year, the only thing I think is: Wait a minute. Rosanna and Niels, really? But really, REALLY? ‘Don't participate in Temptation’ shouting under your photos and in your videos and then participating again? Oh oh guys, the irony. We're sitting front row to see this happen again. This time without hope for a good outcome. Bunch of amateurs.