Thirty episodes and thirty-five candidates later, the final week of the autumn 2026 season of De slimste mens begins tonight on NPO 1. The competition, which concludes on Friday, November 6, carries a different emotional weight following the September death of regular panelist Paulien Cornelisse.
The Final Week Schedule and Returning Players
The five top-performing players return one by one, joined by the final two contestants from the regular episodes, according to scheduling details from KRO-NCRV and JFK. Herman van der Zandt continues presenting the series for the entire season. Depending on the publication consulted, broadcast times for tonight are listed at 21.30 hours by JFK or 21.40 hours by TVgids.
Tonight’s opening broadcast features Kensington guitarist Casper Starreveld and NOS reporter Jeroen Gortworst, alongside CDA member of parliament Harmen Krul. The lineup continues Tuesday with cabaret artist David van Rosmalen, Wednesday with presenter Menno Bentveld, and Thursday with political reporter Mats Akkerman.
Rankings, Standings, and the Path to Friday
The tournament structure is not random. Competitors higher in the leaderboard enter later in the week, reducing the number of rounds they must survive. Claudia de Breij leads the rankings and enters directly in the grand finale on Friday, November 6, earning the title of the season’s sharpest player so far according to JFK.
Mats Akkerman and De Breij both played seven episodes and won four as reported by TVgids, but Akkerman secured fewer total seconds, extending his path to the final by a day. Meanwhile, tonight’s contestants face an extra day of combat, though Starreveld enters with significant momentum after logging 597 seconds in his very first appearance—the second-highest score in the program’s history. That performance notably pushed presenter Van der Zandt off the podium for top scores, and came during an episode where Starreveld defeated Gortworst and political activist Eva Brandemann, the latter of whom did not advance to the final week.
The ultimate winner of the final week will succeed WNL presenter Frank van Leeuwen, who claimed victory in the previous season. JFK also highlighted that De Breij is the sole female competitor participating in this final week.
Navigating Grief and Remembering Paulien Cornelisse
De Breij’s participation in the final week carries personal significance. She initially declined invitations to the program several times before agreeing to join this series to remain close to her partner, Paulien Cornelisse. Since Cornelisse became a jury member, De Breij frequently accompanied her to the recordings prior to deciding to participate herself. Cornelisse passed away on September 30 at the age of 50, and JFK noted that she will not appear in the final week.
She emphasized that she does not want the final episodes to become a mourning broadcast, noting that Cornelisse worked hard to be present for every recording and that dedication deserves celebration as covered by Lovethat. Readers wishing to explore more of Cornelisse’s work can find her books listed among the bestsellers.