© The Voice Holland
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Coach Angela Groothuizen hopes that the fuss that arose after reports of misconduct in the television program ‘The Voice of Holland’ “sets something in motion.” It would be “the only bright spot in this scandal”, she writes in an extensive post on Instagram.
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jvhSource: The Telegraph
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According to Groothuizen, it is necessary for the culture to change to prevent such sexually transgressive behavior in the future. “A lot of confidential counsellors, reporting desks and codes of conduct are being set up. But you don’t make a cultural change with a hotline,” says Groothuizen, who has had to deal with sexual intimidation several times since she was twelve. “Not much has changed since my childhood. As long as shame and guilt lie with the victims and predators are tolerated with their jokes, everything stays the same.”
The singer, who was a coach at ‘The Voice of Holland’, ‘The Voice Kids’ and ‘The Voice Senior’, decided after reports of undesirable behavior behind the scenes of the program to contact the participants she was guiding. While most told her they had “a great time,” she also received some messages from candidates who had bad experiences. “Girls in ‘The Voice’ haven’t always felt safe,” she writes. “I have always had ‘the conversation’ with my talents beforehand, in which I urge them to remain alert, and to come to me immediately if something is not right. I am and was not afraid to speak to such a predator about his behavior. But have I done enough? Was I alert enough during those long recording days of sometimes up to 18 hours when we were working through a packed schedule”, she now wonders.
Last Saturday it was announced that the current season of ‘The Voice of Holland’ has been shut down due to reports of undesirable behavior behind the scenes. Band leader Jeroen Rietbergen, coaches Ali B and Marco Borsato, and a director of the program are accused of misconduct by several women. Producer ITV and channel RTL have an independent investigation into the allegations.
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