Rick Brandsteder: Court Appearance for DUI Offense – Again

Utrecht, Netherlands – Former Dutch television presenter Rick Brandsteder appeared in court in Utrecht on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, facing charges of driving under the influence. The case stems from an incident on March 3, 2025, in Breukelen, where Brandsteder’s car ended up in a ditch.

The prosecution is seeking a community service order of 50 hours and a nine-month driving ban, with 151 days suspended, according to reporting from Weekend Online and NU.nl. The case was previously postponed due to insufficient evidence to determine whether Brandsteder had consumed alcohol before or after the incident.

During earlier testimony, Brandsteder stated he had been sorting through belongings at his deceased father, Ron Brandsteder’s, home on the day of the incident. He claimed he drove to a supermarket and purchased a six-pack of beer and a bottle of jenever (Dutch gin). He stated he consumed two beers before his car left the road. “I waited there for three quarters of an hour and then continued drinking. I also opened the bottle of jenever,” he reportedly told the court.

However, an eyewitness account contradicts Brandsteder’s version of events, describing the vehicle as swerving erratically before leaving the roadway. According to NU.nl, the judge summarized the witness’s statement, noting the car “came to a standstill, hanging half over the ditch.”

At the time of his arrest, Brandsteder’s blood alcohol content was measured at 1.83, equivalent to approximately fourteen glasses of beer, as reported by Headliner.nl. Traces of drugs were also found in his system, which Brandsteder attributed to soft drug use.

This represents not the first time Brandsteder has publicly battled alcohol issues. He underwent treatment for alcohol addiction in 2022 and, according to NU.nl, sought professional facilitate again following the 2025 incident, claiming to have abstained from alcohol since then. He ended his 17-year television career in 2024, having hosted popular programs such as Wie is de Chef?, Temptation Island, and Expeditie Robinson for RTL.

The court has not yet announced a date for a verdict.