Bart de Graaff


Bart Frederikus de Graaff was an influential Dutch television presenter, comedian and creator, as well as the founder and chairman of the public broadcasting network BNN.

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, 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.

Career

In 1997, he founded a public broadcasting network, Bart's News Network. 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 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.