Why we love Linda
Today Linda de Mol turns 55. I feel like she has always been there. On TV, in the magazines. I still remember feeling so sorry for her when she got divorced and how “we” were all happy when she found love again and was pregnant. As if she were someone from your family. So many people, so many opinions, but I have never met anyone who doesn't like Linda de Mol. Today 55 candles, that calls for a tribute. Duly noted.
Linda = fun and well for this reason
1. I was once at the TV awards where Linda received the lifetime achievement award. She based her speech on failures (yes, they turned out to exist, I had also repressed them) and the lessons learned. Brilliant. And how nice was her closing. She had been dieting for a week and concluded with: ”You would think of someone who hasn’t eaten for a week; give that woman a hors-d’oeuvre award.” And oh yes, she started her speech with: “If you hear something weird… it’s my stomach.”
2. When Linda had just divorced, she went to the Televizierring Gala. As a small consolation, she treated herself to an extremely expensive dress from a Dutch couturier (I can't remember who it was) which was held together at the back with a messy forty buttons. Once home, of course, there was no one to undo the freaking forty buttons, so she cut the whole dress apart. If you share this, you help so many people.
3. Do you remember when Linda went to Talpa and said: “I’m not going for fame and wealth. I already had that.” Just admit that you’re doing well in terms of zeros in your bank account, but still the lindafoundation
was established because 1 in 9 children in the Netherlands live in poverty.
4. Because, and I know this from all the people who work with her, she reads everything and thinks about everything, inspires, and always in a constructive way.
5. Because when my friend A (who had worked for Linda for a while) got married, the magazines were full of Linda’s divorce. Being at A’s wedding lunch was not such a good idea, but a large bottle of champagne was delivered. From Linda. Because if there’s anyone who thinks of others, even when she herself is a bit in a dark cloud, it’s her.
6. Because she has given us Gooische Vrouwen.
7. And the brilliant line from Sheryl: “How many times do you get married in your life? Two, three times? At most.”
8. Because Linda is now head of NET5 and together with Jildou van der Bijl is going to make a lot of great programs.
9. Linda, I just watched your speech again that you gave when you received that (hors d’)oeuvre award and you mentioned a conversation you had with Linda Barend. It was about when you know you need to stop. Sonja knew that while spreading salmon salad and white rolls. I now ask you, and I speak for many, to keep all rolls and salmon salads within a kilometer radius of you as if they were spinning wheels in the life of Sleeping Beauty. Because nothing, absolutely nothing should bring you near anything that starts with a P and ends with ‘ension’. Not now, because hey 55 is nothing of course, not in ten years, and if it’s up to me, actually never. Happy Birthday and thank you for all the beautiful things.
