Jan Versteegh
Dutch television presenter (born 1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jan Versteegh (born 31 December 1985) is a Dutch television presenter and singer. He is known for presenting several television shows, including Proefkonijnen, Spuiten en Slikken and Lingo.[1][2] He is also known for presenting the reality game show De Bondgenoten and for appearing in the reality television series Wie is de Mol?.[3][4]
Career
PowNed, BNN and BNNVARA (2012–2019)
Early in his career, Versteegh worked as a physical education teacher.[5][6] In 2012, he became a reporter for the show PowNews by PowNed.[7] He joined BNN in early 2014, which later became BNNVARA, the broadcasting association which formed as a merger of BNN and VARA; both organisations kept their separate identities for some time.[7][8]
Versteegh presented various television programs which include Spuiten en Slikken, a show about sexuality and drugs, and Proefkonijnen, a popular science show in which the presenters try to answer questions from viewers.[1][2] He presented Proefkonijnen together with Geraldine Kemper.[2][9] A few years later, he presented the news and entertainment show 6 Inside, the game show Lingo and the game show Echt Waar?!.[10][11] The show 6 Inside ended after one season.[12][13]
Versteegh participated as contestant in the reality competition show Expeditie Robinson 2013.[14][15] He was also a contestant in the singing competition show It Takes 2 (in 2016) and the quiz shows De Slimste Mens (in 2014), Weet Ik Veel (in 2016) and The Big Music Quiz (in 2017).[16] He became the winner of his season of It Takes 2.[17][18]
He won the Televizier Aanstormend Talent Award at the 2015 Gouden Televizier-Ring Gala.[19][20] He was also nominated for this award in 2014.[21] In 2015, Versteegh presented the show Jan is de Beste in which he competed against a Dutch celebrity in each episode.[5][19] It was his first show as solo presenter.[5]
In 2018, Versteegh played the role of the mole in the 18th season of the popular television show Wie is de Mol?.[4][22] He was correctly identified by Ruben Hein who won the prize money of €17,750.[22] Versteegh played a small role in the 2018 romantic comedy film Gek van Oranje directed by Pim van Hoeve.[23] He also appeared as panel member in the 2018 season of the show Ranking the Stars presented by Paul de Leeuw, a show in which celebrities rank each other.[24]
Talpa Network (2019–present)
Versteegh began working for Talpa in January 2019.[25][26] He was one of the team captains in the 2019 television game show Mars versus Venus, a quiz show about the differences between men and women.[27] Versteegh was the team captain of the male team and Leonie ter Braak was team captain of the female team.[27][28] In the same year, he presented the game show De Gordon tegen Dino Show in which two teams compete against each other.[29][30] Gordon and Jandino Asporaat were the team captains.[29][30]
He presented the 2020 quiz show BINGO! De 100.000 euro quiz.[31][32] Martien Meiland also hosted part of the show.[32] Versteegh also presented the show Klein maar Fijn in which contestants compete to create the best miniatures.[33][34] In 2021, he presented the quiz show Iedereen is van de wereld with Britt Dekker and Leo Alkemade as team captains.[35][36] In the quiz, each team has to answer questions which are based on interviews that were conducted with people around the world.[37] In the same year, Versteegh and Viktor Brand competed as duo in the game show Code van Coppens: De wraak van de Belgen in which they need to escape from an escape room.[38] Versteegh and Wendy van Dijk presented De Dansmarathon, a show in which contestants need to dance for fifty hours to win 100,000 euros.[39][40] Other Dutch celebrity duos also presented parts of the show.[41] Versteegh was one of the presenters of the 2021 show Missions Impossible in which people attempt to complete a challenge.[42] Leo Alkemade, Hélène Hendriks and Dennis van der Geest were also presenters of the show.[42]
In 2022, Versteegh appeared in the film Hart op de juiste plek directed by Bob Wilbers.[43] In the same year, he was a contestant in an episode of the game show Think Inside the Box presented by Richard Groenendijk in which contestants have to guess what is inside a large box. He was also a contestant in the quiz show The Connection presented by Matthijs van Nieuwkerk.[44][45] He appeared in the quiz alongside two other moles of Wie is de Mol?: Anne-Marie Jung and Jeroen Kijk in de Vegte.[45] Versteegh and Sander Lantinga were contestants in a 2022 episode of the show Het Jachtseizoen.[46][47] He also appears in the 2022 film De Grote Sinterklaasfilm: Gespuis in de Speelgoedkluis directed by Lucio Messercola.[23][48]
Since 2023, he presents the reality game show De Bondgenoten in which contestants both collaborate and compete in challenges to win 100,000 euros.[49] The contestants also live together in a villa in Lelystad, Flevoland, Netherlands.[49][50] Tooske Ragas and Mark Schaaf have also presented the show when Versteegh was unable to do so.[51][52]
In 2024, it was revealed that Versteegh was the whistleblower who in 2021 told journalist Dennis Schouten about singer Marco Borsato's alleged child molestation of an underage girl.[53] Borsato was eventually charged with child sexual abuse in 2023.[53][54]
Versteegh renewed his contract with Talpa in January 2024 for two years.[26] He presented the reality television series Muscles & Brains in 2024.[55] In the show, six men and six women compete in challenges that involve strength and intelligence.[55][56] In 2024, Versteegh also presented the outdoor survival show No Way Back in which the contestants travelled through Norway.[57] Since 2025, he presents No Way Back VIPS, a version of the show with celebrities.[57][58] The 2025 season of No Way Back VIPS was filmed in Romania and the 2026 season was filmed in Albania.[59][60]
In 2025, he presented the game show Let's play ball in which contestants have to roll a large ball from one location to another.[61][62] He renewed his contract with Talpa in July 2025.[63] Versteegh and Airen Mylene presented the shows Alle Remmen Los! and Red Bull Stalen Ros in 2025.[64] The show Alle Remmen Los! was filmed at Speedway Emmen in Emmen, Netherlands and contestants compete against each other by driving backwards or by driving with a caravan.[65] In Red Bull Stalen Ros the contestants need to complete a course over water with a decorated bicycle (similar to the television show Te land, ter zee en in de lucht).
In 2026, he presents the show The Bicycle Race in which contestants cycle through India.[66]
Awards
- Televizier Aanstormend Talent Award (2015)
Personal life
Versteegh and his wife married in 2017 and they have two daughters.[67][68] He is an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald Kinderfonds.[69][70]
Selected filmography
As presenter
- Spuiten en Slikken
- Jan is de Beste (2015)
- Proefkonijnen
- Lingo
- Echt Waar?!
- De Gordon tegen Dino Show (2019)
- BINGO! De 100.000 euro quiz (2020)
- Klein maar Fijn (2020 – 2023)
- Iedereen is van de wereld (2021)
- Missions Impossible (2021)
- De Dansmarathon (2021)
- De Bondgenoten (2023 – present)
- No Way Back (2024)
- Muscles & Brains (2024)
- Let's play ball (2025 – present)
- No Way Back VIPS (2025 – present)
- Alle Remmen Los! (2025)
- Red Bull Stalen Ros (2025)
- The Bicycle Race (2026)
As team captain
- Mars versus Venus (2019)
As contestant
- Expeditie Robinson (2013)
- De Slimste Mens (2014)
- It Takes 2 (2016)
- Weet Ik Veel (2016)
- The Big Music Quiz (2017)
- Wie is de Mol? (2018)
- Britt's Beestenbende (2020)
- Code van Coppens: De wraak van de Belgen (2021)
- Think Inside the Box (2022)
- The Connection (2022)
- Het Jachtseizoen (2022)
- Make Up Your Mind (2023)
- Alles is Muziek (2023)
- Ik hou van Holland (2023)
- Hart tegen Hart (2025)
As actor
- Gek van Oranje (2018)
- Hart op de juiste plek (2022)
- De Grote Sinterklaasfilm: Gespuis in de Speelgoedkluis (2022)
