The transfer party is complete: Linda de Mol is leaving RTL

News from the press. Of course, we could have waited a bit for this together. Linda de Mol is also leaving RTL after more than ten years. She is going back to Talpa, her brother's company.

A surprise? Nah. Linda has never made a secret of switching to Talpa Network when her brother needs her. And apparently that moment is now here. What we are now secretly starting to wonder is how things will proceed with RTL. Albert Verlinde switched, just like Gordon, Jan Versteegh, and recently Wendy.

On one hand, you could say that there is now room at RTL for a Kaj, for a Nienke, for an Anna, the new young talent. On the other hand, the RTL stable (aside from Chantal Janzen) seems to me to be quite empty. Are we dealing with a real media war here? Is John de Mol on a warpath? Is the CEO of RTL awake at night because one by one all the talents are being poached? And how special is Linda's bond with her brother, that as the ’mother‘ of RTL she still remains loyal to her family and makes the switch?

On July 1, Linda will start working at Talpa Network, the presenter announces in a press release. There she will present Postcodeloterij Miljoenenjacht, Weet ik Veel, Linda’s Zomerweek, and Oh Wat een Jaar or Ik Hou van Holland on SBS6. This means RTL is not only losing one of its figureheads, but also, eh, a number of the most-watched programs on the channel.

“I have worked at RTL with an immense amount of pleasure for over eleven years,” Linda said in a response. “Leaving has also really been a difficult decision, but I have always said: ‘If my brother asks me to come help, then of course I say yes.’ And that question came last December. I see it as an exciting challenge: we are going to build the channels together in the coming time and I hope I can contribute something beautiful.”

Image: RTL Beusker