Actor Stefan de Walle is set to depart from his role as Sinterklaas in the Sinterklaasjournaal after 15 years, though his upcoming performance schedule has caused debate regarding the nature of his exit.
De Walle announced in September that he would step down from the children’s program, but his management clarified that leaving the broadcast does not mean he will stop playing the character entirely.
Conflicting accounts of the exit
The 61-year-old actor’s departure has produced opposing stories from his representatives and the broadcaster. Weekend Online reported that De Walle’s manager told Shownieuws the decision to end his tenure was made by the NTR rather than being his own choice. His manager stated the broadcaster decided to end his period as the good holy man, a move the actor finds very unfortunate because he would have liked to continue.
The NTR declined to comment on whether a conflict caused the departure. RTL Boulevard reported that the agency would not respond to inquiries from the ANP regarding whether the actor left due to a dispute or if the broadcaster had underestimated the resulting speculation. The NTR also declined to answer whether the actor will receive a special farewell after his fifteen-year tenure.
De Walle’s personal involvement with the character continues through an upcoming appearance for which tickets are available through the website of Het Nationale Theater. This schedule has led media Tina Nijkamp to suggest that his departure may have been sudden.
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De Walle reflects on a difficult tenure
De Walle took over the role in 2011 from Bram van der Vlugt, who played the character for 25 years. He described his time in the role as a period that was not always easy.
In the video podcast Het bankje van Karel, he mentioned facing death threats during the intense discussions surrounding the portrayal of Zwarte Piet. He noted that he and Dieuwertje Blok were fully behind making changes during those times, but he emphasized that these threats were not the reason for his decision to step down.
In his previous announcement regarding his departure, De Walle expressed the emotional weight of the transition. Hart van Nederland reported his words from September:
With gratitude and with a heavy heart, my role as advisor to the national Sinterklaas ends after fifteen years. To all the small and large children of the Netherlands I say: ‘It was an honor and a pleasure. Be kind to one another! Goodbye!’
Stefan de Walle, former Sinterklaas advisor
Candidates for the 2026 season
The NTR has not confirmed the identity of De Walle’s successor for the 2026 season. Discussions in the De Telegraaf podcast Strikt Privé suggest the new Sinterklaas might be a man in his late 40s, noting that De Walle was 46 when he first took the role.
Public polls have linked several names to the role. On Instagram, Veronica Superguide asked followers to choose from six names: Ramsey Nasr, Jochem van Gelder, Kasper van Kooten, Daan Schuurmans, Harry Piekema, and Mark van Eeuwen. Daan Schuurmans received 50 percent of the votes, while Jochem van Gelder received 48 percent, and Mark van Eeuwen received 14 percent.
Daan Schuurmans denied the rumors to Shownieuws, stating, I am really not going to play Sinterklaas.
He also clarified that Kasper van Kooten is not the replacement. Other names mentioned include cabaretier Jochem Myjer, actor and writer Ramsey Nasr, actor Mark van Eeuwen, and Robert ten Brink, who indicated he would be interested in the role.
The platform SintTalk has pointed toward actor Gijs Naber as a candidate following a post he shared, though no official confirmation exists. The broadcaster is expected to reveal the lead when the Sinterklaasjournaal begins its daily broadcasts on Monday, November 9, 2026, at 18:00 on NPO Zapp and NPO Start.
De Walle indicated that he intends to provide more clarity regarding his transition. JAN Magazine reported his statement:
The exact story of how it all went and how this outcome came about, I will tell in detail again one day.
Stefan de Walle, actor