Bart de Graaff

Bart Frederikus de Graaff (Dutch pronunciation: [bɑrt ˌfreːdəˈrikɵz də ˈɣraːf];[1] 16 April 1967 – 25 May 2002) was an influential Dutch television presenter, comedian and creator, as well as the founder and chairman of the public broadcasting network BNN.

Bart de Graaff
Bart de Graaff in 1991
Born
Bart Frederikus de Graaff

(1967-04-16)16 April 1967
Haarlem, Netherlands
Died25 May 2002(2002-05-25) (aged 35)
Leiden, Netherlands
OccupationPresenter, comedian

Early life

Bart Frederikus de Graaff was born on 16 April 1967 in Haarlem in the Netherlands.

Because of a car accident in his youth in 1976, De Graaff suffered from serious kidney failure for most of his life. This also caused a growth disorder which caused de Graaff to appear much younger than his actual age. In his career as a television presenter he often used childlike appearance to his advantage. For instance, when he hosted the children's TV show B.O.O.S..

Career
Collection of items of Bart de Graaff

In 1997, he founded a public broadcasting network, Bart's News Network (BNN). After his death, it was renamed to Bart's Neverending Network. Targeted at a youthful audience, the network quickly became known for its sometimes provocative programming. A television show De Grote Donorshow (The Big Donor Show) by BNN won an Emmy Award for Best Non-scripted Entertainment.

Death

At the end of 1997 De Graaff received a donor kidney and was for a time able to live a relatively normal life. In 1999 the kidney was rejected and his health deteriorated quickly. De Graaff died on 25 May 2002 at the age of 35.

References
  1. In isolation, Frederikus is pronounced [ˌfreːdəˈrikɵs].


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