Lucille Werner
Werner at a 2022 congress of the European People's Party
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
31 March 2021
Personal details
Born
Lucille Martine Werner

(1967-10-12) 12 October 1967 (age 56)
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Political partyChristian Democratic Appeal
Spouse
Servaas Snoeijers
​
(m. 2009)​
RelativesJos Werner (uncle)
OccupationTelevision presenter
Known forLingo, Get the Picture

Lucille Martine Werner (born 12 October 1967) is a Dutch television presenter and politician. She is best known for hosting close to 2,000 episodes of the word game show Lingo in the years 2005–14.

Werner started her career at the Holland Media Group, anchoring news programs about show business. Later, she became a host of game shows and moved to public broadcasting. She presented Get the Picture between 2002 and 2004 before becoming the host of Lingo. After that show was cancelled, Werner worked for SBS6 and KRO-NCRV. Being born with a disability, Werner has also hosted a number of shows involving disabled participants including the pageant Mis(s)verkiezing.

She was elected member of parliament in the 2021 general election as a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Early life and education

She was born in 1967 in the North Brabant city of Eindhoven to Pieter Werner (1936–1989) and Paula Ramselaar (born 1942), an analyst.[1][2] Werner suffered from a lack of oxygen during her birth, leaving her with cerebral palsy resulting in a limp.[3][4] She grew up with two sisters and one brother. At age four, her family moved to the Colombian capital Bogotá, when her father was transferred there by his employer Philips.[5] They moved to the village Leek in Groningen after seven years abroad and later returned to Eindhoven.[6] She attended the high school Sint-Joriscollege at mavo level between 1980 and 1985.[7] She subsequently studied management and communication at hbo level at Schoevers in Groningen.[7] Her father committed suicide when Werner was 21 years old.[8]

Television career

RTL and AVRO

Starting in 1990, Werner interned at De 5 uur show, a talkshow on RTL 4.[9] In 1993, she got a job as an editor of the RTL program Showtime.[1] She also served as a correspondent and interviewed celebrities including David Bowie and Tina Turner.[6][10] Werner made her debut as a television host in September 1997, when the news show RTL Actueel premiered. She co-anchored its segment about show business news.[11][12] After RTL Actueel was discontinued in June of the following year, Werner became host of several other RTL show business programs: Showtime, Big Entertainment Club, and the two-hour-long Hollands Hollywood on Saturdays. She co-presented the last two of those shows with Michael Pilarczyk.[1][13][14] Besides, she encouraged viewers of Henny's House Party, a talent show for disabled people, to donate money to a charity.[15] Werner started presenting game shows in 1999. Her first such show was Zomerkampioen in the summer with Jo De Poorter. In the years 1999–2001, she served as one of the hosts of the new daytime phone-in quiz Puzzeltijd.[16]

Werner signed a three-year contract with public broadcasting association AVRO in 2001. Her first show there was Alle dieren tellen mee, which was alternately presented by Werner and Anniko van Santen starting in September, about animals.[17][18] She hosted another five-episode animal show called De dierentolk, in which a medium communicated with animals, two years later.[19] Werner became a game show host at AVRO in 2002. Smarttest was broadcast starting in January for a short period in the early evening on weekdays.[20] In the second half of 2002, Werner became the sole presenter of Get the Picture and Capibara. The former game show was on television in the early evening on weekdays and was hosted before by Paula Udondek, while the latter program had questions about animals and was broadcast on Saturdays.[21][22] Both programs went off the air in 2004, when she had presented over 500 Get the Picture episodes.[23]

Lingo and further career

Werner began hosting the TROS word game show Lingo on 1 September 2005. The program was broadcast every weekday in the early evening, and she succeeded Nancy Coolen.[24] When rumors reached the media in late 2006 that the network coordinator considered ending Lingo, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende reacted by asking the rhetorical question "How fond are we of presenter Lucille Werner?"[25] In 2007, Werner also hosted the five-episode spin-off Lingo Bingo Show, in which celebrities competed and raised money for the VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam.[26] That same year, she was co-host on Friday of the new Evangelische Omroep talk show Knevel & Van den Brink, appearing as sidekick of Andries Knevel and Thijs van den Brink.[27] Besides, Werner was one of two Dutch commentators of both editions of the Eurovision Dance Contest. She presented the selection of the Dutch candidate in 2007 as well.[28][29] Werner hosted another talk show in the years 2011–12, when she served as the Friday host of 5op2, which was broadcast in the afternoon by Omroep NTR.[30] In 2013, she started serving as an ambassador for the lottery VriendenLoterij.[31]

Lingo celebrated its 25th birthday in early 2014 and was moved from the channel Nederland 1 to Nederland 2.[25] The show went off the air later that year after its average daily ratings had decreased from about 800,000 to 370,000.[32] Werner had presented almost 2,000 episodes, the last of which was broadcast on 2 October.[33][34] In the summer of 2015, Werner hosted the Dutch version of quiz show Pointless.[35] She moved to SBS Broadcasting in 2016.[36] Her first show on its channel SBS6 was Show XL, a program about entertainment news in the late afternoon on Sundays.[37] It was co-hosted by Fred van Leer and was cancelled after three episodes due to low ratings.[38] Werner also hosted Mijn laatste keer in 2016 about terminally ill people enjoying their last moments.[36] Her contract was not renewed the following year.[39]

She became one of the hosts of De Ochtend Show to go, a new online news program by a number of DPG Media newspapers, in December 2018. However, Werner left the show after one month because she had signed a two-year contract with broadcaster KRO-NCRV.[40]

Advancement of disabled people

During her television career, Werner has supported disabled people. She was the host of a 2003–04 concert tour by musicians with a disability and presented the 2005 singing competition Scholierentour for young people. Half of its participants were disabled.[41][42] Werner also wrote a book, which was published in May 2005, about her life as a disabled person called Het leven loopt op rolletjes (Life runs smoothly/Life runs on wheels). She handed the first example to Prime Minister Balkenende.[43]

Besides, Werner was initiator of Mis(s)verkiezing, a pageant for people with a disability. It was hosted by her and Jaap Jongbloed in 2006 and 2007 and was broadcast by TROS, where she presented Lingo. Balkenende crowned the winner.[44] Mis(s)verkiezing was succeeded by the CAPawards, which were given to persons who had best overcome their disability.[45] It was organized in 2008 and 2009 and was nominated for a Rose d'Or.[46][47] A children's version called Cappies was broadcast between 2009 and 2012 by TROS and was hosted by Werner as well.[48][49] In addition, she created the children's drama series Caps Club, that has three seasons and was broadcast by TROS/AVROTROS and in Belgium by Ketnet in the years 2013–16. The show about a visually impaired boy nicknamed Cappie and his friends had a cast that included disabled child actors. Werner also had a minor role in the series.[50][51][52] When Werner had signed a contract with SBS6, her pageant Mis(s)verkiezing was held once more in 2017. She presented it together with Kees Tol, while the winner was crowned by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.[53] In 2019, Werner co-hosted a live show of KRO-NCRV in which an unofficial Minister of Disabled Affairs was chosen.[54]

Furthermore, Werner has a charity, the Lucille Werner Foundation, which has been supporting disabled people since 2006.[55] She launched CAP100, a website showing job seekers with a disability to potential employers, in November 2010.[56] Werner has received a number of awards for her dedication to helping disabled people, namely the 2006 Frekie Trofee, the 2007 Nationale Revalidatie Prijs (National rehabilitation award), the 2008 Cleopatra Award from Miss Nederland, the 2011 Martin Luther King/Hi5 Award, and the 2012 Majoor Bosshardt Prijs from the Leger des Heils.[57][58][59][60][61] She is also a knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.[62]

Politics

She ran for member of parliament in the March 2021 general election. Werner was elected as the tenth candidate on the CDA's party list and received 7,133 preference votes.[63][64] She was installed on 31 March and became her party's spokesperson for disability policy, long-term health care, caregiving, the Social Support Act 2015, volunteering, media, culture, emancipation, and civilian service.[65] Werner is on the Committees for Art, for Education, Culture and Science, for Health, Welfare and Sport, and for Petitions.[66] In the House, she proposed a fixed television channel number for regional broadcasters in order to increase their visibility.[67] Together with two other parties, she also advocated for appropriating additional funds to the public broadcasting organization to increase the amount of programs with audio description.[68] Regarding disabilities more generally, Werner pled for talking about the group more often in terms of emancipation than in terms of healthcare. A 2022 motion by her to establish a citizens' panel to explore the issue further was carried by the House after the cabinet had advised against it.[69] When the collapse of the fourth Rutte cabinet triggered a snap election in November 2023, Werner announced she would not run for re-election.[70]

Personal life

In the second half of the 1990s, Werner bought a historic farm in the North Brabant village Strijbeek, situated close to the border with Belgium, where she lived with her boyfriend.[1] She moved to Amsterdam in 2004 after her eight-year relationship had ended.[71] She married Servaas Snoeijers (born 1969), who works in the media industry, in their place of residence Nederhorst den Berg on 5 June 2009 after being in a relationship with him for five years.[2][72][73] They adopted a four-year-old Bulgarian boy called Angel in 2014.[74] Werner moved from Nederhorst den Berg to Voorburg during her membership of the House of Representatives.[66] She has been singer in a number of bands playing rock and South American music.[1][10]

Jos Werner, a CDA senator, is her uncle.[5]

Filmography

Year Title Role
1997–1998 RTL Actueel Co-anchor
1998 Henny's House Party Assistant
Showtime Anchor
1998–1999 Hollands Hollywood Co-host
1999 Big Entertainment Club Co-anchor
Zomerkampioen Co-host
1999–2001 Puzzeltijd Host
2001–2002 Alle dieren tellen mee
2002 Smarttest
2002–2004 Get the Picture
Capibara
2003 De dierentolk
2005–2014 Lingo
2007 Knevel & Van den Brink Co-host
Lingo Bingo Show Host
2011–2012 5op2
2015 Pointless (Dutch version)
2016 Show XL Co-host
Mijn laatste keer Host

Decorations

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Hendriks, Jacques (26 September 1998). "Presentatrice Lucille Werner v. Hollands Hollywood" [Presenter Lucille Werner v. Hollands Hollywood]. BN DeStem (in Dutch).
  2. ^ a b Van de Sande, Monique (29 December 2022). "'Lucille is een vrouw met een missie'" ['Lucille is a woman with a mission']. FD (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  3. ^ Hendriks, Jacques (7 November 2002). "'Miss Quiz' is stapelgek op rode lopers" ['Miss Quiz' loves the red carpet]. De Stentor (in Dutch).
  4. ^ Werner, Lucille (13 January 2023). "CDA-Kamerlid Lucille Werner: 'Ik zou voor één dag de benen van Doutzen Kroes willen hebben'" [CDA House member Lucille Werner: 'I would like to have the legs of Doutzen Kroes for one day']. Trouw (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Arjan Visser. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b Tol, Iwan (2 November 2020). "Met het 'mooiste loopje van de wereld' van Lingo naar het Binnenhof" [With the 'most beautiful walk in the world' from Lingo to the Binnenhof]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b De Cocq, Marjolijn (18 February 2021). "Lucille Werner: altijd vleugje entertainment" [Lucille Werner: always a little bit of entertainment]. De Stentor (in Dutch).
  7. ^ a b "Biografie, onderwijs en loopbaan van" [Biography, education and career of]. Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  8. ^ De Jong, Angela (20 August 2011). "Ik ben mijn handicap dankbaar" [I am grateful for my disability]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch).
  9. ^ Werner, Lucille (23 July 2015). "In mijn hart ben ik een enorme bourgondiër" [In my heart I'm an enormous bon vivant]. De Volkskrant (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Pascal Lemaire. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  10. ^ a b Brandt, Monique (19 June 2004). "Lucille Werner: 'Gehandicapt en niet op de buis? Schande!'" [Lucille Werner: 'Disabled and not on television? Disgrace!']. Rotterdams Dagblad (in Dutch).
  11. ^ Obbema, Fokke (26 July 1997). "Het serieuze gezicht van RTL 4" [RTL 4's serious side]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  12. ^ Van Bemmel, Noël (30 August 1997). "Televisiejournaals paaien kijker met mooie presentatrices" [Television news shows placate viewer with beautiful presenters]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  13. ^ "RTL Actueel stopt in juni" [RTL Actueel comes to an end in June]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 7 May 1998. p. 49.
  14. ^ "RTL 4 stopt showrubriek" [RTL 4 brings an end to show business segment]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 6 May 1999. p. 25.
  15. ^ Brendel, Carel (30 April 1998). "Henny Huisman zet de juiste toon" [Henny Huisman sets the right tone]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 20.
  16. ^ "De 7 tv-quizzen van quizkoningin Lucille Werner" [The 7 quizzes of quiz queen Lucille Werner]. Televizier (in Dutch). 13 April 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Lucille Werner maakt overstap voor de dieren" [Lucille Werner switches for the animals]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 24 July 2001. p. 17.
  18. ^ "AVRO vaart vertrouwde koers" [AVRO follows a familiar course]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 17 August 2001.
  19. ^ "Communiceren met overleden dier" [Communicating with deceased animal]. Tubantia (in Dutch). 20 November 2003.
  20. ^ "AVRO brengt quiz Smarttest" [AVRO introduces quiz Smarttest]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 15 December 2001.
  21. ^ "Lucille Werner gaat Get the Picture doen" [Lucille Werner will host Get the Picture]. Rotterdams Dagblad (in Dutch). 31 May 2002.
  22. ^ Van Outheusden, Pascalle (7 October 2002). "Uw week in sterren" [Your week in stars]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
  23. ^ "Reünie in laatste Get the Picture" [Reunion in the last Get the Picture]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 18 June 2004. p. 17.
  24. ^ "Lingo krijgt beter tijdstip" [Lingo gets a better time slot]. Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). ANP. 24 August 2005. p. 9.
  25. ^ a b "Van ballenstein!" [Bring the balls!]. nrc.nl (in Dutch). 6 January 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  26. ^ "François Boulangé terug als jurylid bij Lingo" [François Boulangé returns as Lingo judge]. Het Parool (in Dutch). ANP. p. 13.
  27. ^ "Ongewoon mooie meiden" [Unusually pretty girls]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 6 June 2007. p. 18.
  28. ^ "Lucille Werner op danstoer" [Lucille Werner on a dancing tour]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 24 June 2007. p. 2.
  29. ^ "Televisie Voorkeur" [Television preference]. nrc.nl (in Dutch). 6 September 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Ook Dieuwertje en Jörgen bij 5op2" [Also Dieuwertje and Jörgen in 5op2]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 31 August 2011. p. 23.
  31. ^ "Personalia" [Personal details]. Trouw (in Dutch). 9 August 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  32. ^ Takken, Wilfred (31 July 2014). "Lingo moet wijken, maar Lucille vecht door" [Lingo has to go, but Lucille keep fighting]. nrc.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  33. ^ Tienhooven, Gudo (7 April 2017). "Terugkeer van Lingo op SBS6" [Return of Lingo on SBS6]. Het Parool (in Dutch).
  34. ^ "De laatste Lingo" [The last Lingo]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). ANP. 3 October 2014. p. 19.
  35. ^ Tates, Tom (9 April 2015). "Lucille Werner terug op de buis met nieuwe kennisquiz" [Lucille Werner returns on television with new quiz]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  36. ^ a b Elzendoorn, Bart (29 April 2016). "Presentatrice Lucille Werner stapt over naar SBS6" [Television presenter Lucille Werner moves to SBS6]. Omroep Brabant (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  37. ^ "Sylvie Meis één van de nieuwkomers bij SBS" [Sylvie Meis one of SBS's newcomers]. Noordhollands Dagblad (in Dutch). 24 August 2016. p. 16.
  38. ^ "SBS6 stopt per direct met Show XL" [SBS6 cancels Show XL immediately]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 20 October 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  39. ^ "SBS 6 verlengt contract Lucille Werner niet" [SBS6 does not renew contract Lucille Werner]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 20 September 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  40. ^ Tienhooven, Gudo (27 December 2018). "Lucille Werner naar publieke omroep" [Lucille Werner to public broadcaster]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  41. ^ Nanninga, Wilma (4 December 2003). "Idols voor gehandicapten" [Idols for disabled people]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). p. 17.
  42. ^ Maas, Thed (16 March 2006). "Scholierentour". De Gelderlander (in Dutch).
  43. ^ "Lucille overhandigt boek aan premier" [Lucille hands book to prime minister]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 20 April 2005. p. 17.
  44. ^ "Balkenende zet kroon op Mis(s) Verkiezing" [Balkenende crowns Mis(s) Verkiezing]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 1 June 2007. p. 20.
  45. ^ "CapAward uitgesteld" [CapAward postponed]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 4 May 2008.
  46. ^ "Lucille Werner: onbeperkt Nederland wérkt, en hoe!" [Lucille Werner: unrestrained Netherlands works and how!]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 28 August 2009. p. 22.
  47. ^ "Programma Lucille Werner genomineerd" [Program Lucille Werner nominated]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 March 2009. p. 2.
  48. ^ "Wat is het? - Finalisten uit heel Nederland kans op award" [What is it? - Finalists from the entire Netherlands have a chance to win award]. AD/Haagsch Courant (in Dutch). 25 August 2009. p. 7.
  49. ^ Van Engelen, Leontien (23 August 2012). "Talent niet laten beperken door handicap" [Don't let talent be restrained by disability]. Haarlems Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  50. ^ "Lucille Werner bedenkt spannende jeugdserie CapsClub" [Lucille Werner creates thrilling children's series CapsClub]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 25 October 2012. p. 2.
  51. ^ Tates, Tom (24 August 2013). "Ik mis het niet dat ik geen kinderen heb" [I don't miss not having children]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 27.
  52. ^ "Groen licht voor Caps Club" [Green light for Caps Club]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 20 July 2015. p. 26.
  53. ^ "Rutte kroont winnares Mis(s)verkiezing" [Rutte crowns winner Mis(s)verkiezing]. Het Parool (in Dutch). ANP. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  54. ^ "KRO-NCRV komt op voor gehandicapten" [KRO-NCRV fights for disabled people]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 13 February 2019. p. 17.
  55. ^ Stam, Niek (15 August 2014). "Rust na zeven Lingo's per dag" [Rest after seven Lingos a day]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch).
  56. ^ "De tijd van alleen 'wit en fit' is voorbij" [The time of only 'white and fit' is over]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 13 November 2010. p. 27.
  57. ^ "Lucille Werner krijgt Frekie-trofee" [Lucille Werner receives Frekie Trofee]. Trouw (in Dutch). 13 December 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  58. ^ "Werner wil beter beeldvorming" [Werner wants a better representation]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 1 November 2007. p. 18.
  59. ^ "Lucille Werner krijgt Cleopatra Award" [Lucille Werner receives Cleopatra Award]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 30 November 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  60. ^ "Lucille Werner wint Martin Luther King Award" [Lucille Werner wins Martin Luther King Award]. Het Parool (in Dutch). ANP. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  61. ^ "Lucille Werner krijgt Majoor Bosshardt Prijs" [Lucille Werner receives Majoor Bosshardt Prijs]. Trouw (in Dutch). 11 May 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  62. ^ a b "Lucille Werner geridderd" [Lucille Werner knighted]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 19 August 2010. p. 21.
  63. ^ "Kandidaten" [Candidates]. CDA (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  64. ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 17 maart 2021" [Results general election 17 March 2021] (PDF). Kiesraad (in Dutch). 26 March 2021. p. 190. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  65. ^ "Lucille Werner". CDA (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  66. ^ a b "Lucille Werner". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  67. ^ "Lucille Werner: Geef regionale omroep vaste tv-zender" [Lucille Werner: Give regional broadcasters a fixed TV channel]. AD (in Dutch). 29 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  68. ^ Keultjes, Hanneke (28 November 2022). "CDA, CU en GL willen geld voor 'vertelstem' bij programma's NPO: 'We sluiten nu mensen uit'" [CDA, CU, and GL want money for narrator for NPO programs: 'We are now excluding money']. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  69. ^ "'Betere emancipatie mensen met beperking'" ['Better emancipation for people with a disability']. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 9 December 2022. p. 4.
  70. ^ "CDA'er Lucille Werner na november niet terug in Kamer" [CDA member Lucille Werner will not return to the House after November]. NOS (in Dutch). 24 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  71. ^ Langeslag, Mark (22 June 2004). "Lucille's frisse start" [Lucille's fresh start]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 14.
  72. ^ "Lucille Werner stiekem getrouwd" [Lucille Werner secretly married]. NU.nl (in Dutch). ANP. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  73. ^ "Lucille in het kort" [Lucille in short]. Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). 29 May 2009.
  74. ^ "Lucille Werner adopteert Bulgaarse jongen" [Lucille Werner adopts Bulgarian boy]. NU.nl (in Dutch). 25 August 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
Categories