Merel Westrik

Merel Westrik
Westrik in 2014
Born (1979-11-01) 1 November 1979
Wormer, Netherlands
OccupationsNews presenter, host

Merel Westrik (born 1 November 1979 in Wormer, Netherlands) is a Dutch news presenter and television host. She is known for the Dutch reality television series Wie is de Mol?, and became the new presenter of the fictional news television series Het Sinterklaasjournaal, replacing her predecessor, Dieuwertje Blok.[1][2]

Westrik and urban ecologist Martin Melchers created multiple nature documentary films about wildlife in the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands: Haring in 't IJ (2009), Amsterdam Wildlife (2015) and Amsterdam Wildlife by Night (2026).

Career

Television

Westrik presented the news for AT5, a local television station of Amsterdam.[3] She worked for AT5 from 2001 to 2011.[4] Westrik presented the shows Vandaag de Dag and Half 8 Live! for broadcasting association WNL.[3]

In 2013, she was a contestant in four episodes of the quiz show De slimste mens.[5][6] She was also a contestant in 2025.[7][8] In April 2014, she became a presenter of RTL Nieuws.[9]

In 2019, Westrik participated in the reality television show Wie is de Mol? playing the role of the mole.[10][11] She was correctly identified by actress Sarah Chronis who won the prize money of €10,150.[10][12] In February 2019, Westrik participated in the game show Weet Ik Veel and she won that episode of the show.[11] In the summer of 2019, she was also a co-presenter during one week of the talk show Zomer met Art alongside Art Rooijakkers as main presenter.[13]

Westrik worked for RTL until 2019 and she then switched to Net5 (Talpa TV).[14] In 2019 and 2020, Westrik presented the talk show Ladies Night.[15] Westrik and Rik van de Westelaken competed as duo in a 2020 episode of the quiz show Deze quiz is voor jou.[16][17] In the same year, she appeared in an episode of Wie is de Mol? Renaissance, a season to celebrate the 20th anniversary season of the show Wie is de Mol?.[18]

In 2021, Westrik appeared in an episode of Verborgen verleden in which she explores her family history.[19] She presented the 2022 television show Grenzeloos Verliefd: baby in het buitenland in which she visits pregnant Dutch women who live abroad.[20] It was the last television show which she presented for Net5 (Talpa).[14] From May 2024 to March 2026, she presented the news during the morning radio show De Coen & Sander Show hosted by Coen Swijnenberg and Sander Lantinga.[21][22][23] Westrik was a contestant in the 2025 anniversary season of the television show Wie is de Mol?.[24][25] She won this season of the show by correctly identifying Nathan Rutjes as the mole.[26][27] In 2026, she was a guest in an episode of the television show Dit was het nieuws.[28]

As of June 2026, she is scheduled to present the fifth season of the painting talent television show Project Rembrandt.[29][30] The previous seasons of the show were presented by Annechien Steenhuizen but she is unable to present the show for personal reasons.[29][30]

Film

Westrik and urban ecologist Martin Melchers created the nature documentary film Haring in 't IJ which premiered in 2009.[31] They also created the documentary Amsterdam Wildlife which was shown in the Eye Filmmuseum.[32] The documentary premiered in December 2015 and won the Kristallen Film award in April 2017 after reaching more than 10,000 visitors.[32] In 2026, they created the documentary Amsterdam Wildlife by Night which is also shown in the Eye Filmmuseum.

Personal life

Westrik is in a relationship with journalist Pepijn Crone and they have a daughter together.[33][34] Their daughter was born in 2021.[34][35]

Her sister Kirsten Westrik presented the television show 112 Vandaag for multiple years.[36][37]

Selected filmography

As presenter

  • RTL Nieuws (2014 – 2019)
  • Vandaag de Dag
  • Half 8 Live!
  • Ladies Night (2019, 2020)
  • Grenzeloos Verliefd: baby in het buitenland (2022)
  • Het Sinterklaasjournaal (2024 – present)
  • Project Rembrandt (upcoming)

As contestant

  • De slimste mens (2013, 2025)
  • Weet Ik Veel (2019)
  • Wie is de Mol? (2019)
  • Deze quiz is voor jou (2020)
  • Waku Waku (2025)
  • Wie is de Mol? (2025, anniversary season)

As herself

References

  1. ↑ "Merel Westrik wil niet dat Dieuwertje Blok 'gillend' naar Sinterklaasjournaal kijkt". NU.nl (in Dutch). 13 August 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  2. ↑ "Merel Westrik vervangt Dieuwertje Blok bij Sinterklaasjournaal". NOS (in Dutch). 12 August 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 Reijmer, Loes (31 July 2012). "'Ik voelde me als door een trein overreden'". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  4. ↑ Gerritsen, Roos (3 April 2022). "AT5 is 30 jaar en blikt terug met Merel Westrik & Hidde van Warmerdam" [AT5 is 30 years old and looks back with Merel Westrik & Hidde van Warmerdam]. AT5 (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "Charly Luske en Merel Westrik in De Slimste Mens". Mediacourant (in Dutch). 31 May 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "Komt Pepijn Crone in De Slimste Mens verder dan zijn liefje Merel Westrik?". Televizier (in Dutch). 20 August 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "Merel Westrik krijgt 'totale black-out' in zinderend finalespel De slimste mens". AD (in Dutch). 5 September 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Rob Jetten en Merel Westrik in nieuw seizoen De slimste mens". RTL Boulevard (in Dutch). 12 August 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Eerste uitzending van Merel Westrik". RTL Boulevard (in Dutch). 7 April 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Actrice Sarah Chronis 'deed zich dommer voor' in Wie is de Mol?". NU.nl (in Dutch). 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  11. 1 2 "Merel Westrik: 'Ik heb dit jaar zoveel gelogen!'" [Merel Westrik: 'I have lied so much this year!']. Margriet (in Dutch). 13 July 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  12. ↑ "De mol was dit jaar 'ongelooflijk geslepen en grappig'". NOS (in Dutch). 9 March 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  13. ↑ "Art Rooijakkers heeft zomerdate met Merel Westrik" [Art Rooijakkers has summer date with Merel Westrik]. AD (in Dutch). 28 May 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  14. 1 2 "Merel Westrik en Talpa zetten punt achter samenwerking" [Merel Westrik and Talpa end collaboration]. NU.nl (in Dutch). 8 October 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  15. ↑ "Talkshow Ladies Night met Merel Westrik gaat ook na de Kerst door". NU.nl (in Dutch). 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  16. ↑ "Rik van de Westelaken en Merel Westrik halen bijna 50.000 euro op voor zieke zussen Jane en Rosa uit Naaldwijk". AD (in Dutch). 3 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Deze quiz is voor jou: Eén tegen 100 meets De Surpriseshow". Het Parool (in Dutch). 2 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "Jubileumseizoen Wie is de Mol vol oud-deelnemers". Televizier (in Dutch). 27 July 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  19. ↑ "Merel Westrik in 'Verborgen Verleden': 'Dit weet volgens mij niemand" [Merel Westrik in 'Verborgen Verleden': 'I think nobody knows this']. Linda.nl (in Dutch). 6 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Merel Westrik 'verrijkt' door het programma Baby in het Buitenland". RTL Boulevard (in Dutch). 2 November 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Coen & Sander Show maandag van start op JOE, Merel Westrik is vaste nieuwslezer". AD (in Dutch). 1 May 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  22. ↑ Tomas, Irma (1 May 2024). "Merel Westrik wordt nieuwslezer bij de radioshow van Coen & Sander". Televizier.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  23. ↑ "Merel Westrik stopt bij De Coen & Sander Show vanwege ritme: 'Heel erg pittig'". NU.nl (in Dutch). 17 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  24. ↑ "Oud-mollen en oud-kandidaten in jubileumseizoen Wie is de Mol?". NU.nl (in Dutch). 1 November 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  25. ↑ "Van Merel Westrik tot Richard Groenendijk: deze oud-kandidaten doen mee aan jubileumseizoen Wie is de Mol?". RTL Boulevard (in Dutch). 1 November 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  26. ↑ "Loes, Merel of toch Nathan? De Mol van het Jubileumseizoen is bekend". NU.nl (in Dutch). 20 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  27. ↑ "Dit gaat Wie is de Mol?-winnaar Merel Westrik met de historisch lage pot doen". RTL Boulevard (in Dutch). 21 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  28. ↑ "Dit Was Het Nieuws gasten van 2026". AVROTROS (in Dutch). 11 February 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  29. 1 2 "Merel Westrik gaat NTR-programma Project Rembrandt presenteren". NU.nl (in Dutch). 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  30. 1 2 "Merel Westrik neemt presentatie Project Rembrandt voorlopig over van Annechien Steenhuizen". AD (in Dutch). 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  31. ↑ "Unieke Amsterdamse natuur met stadsecoloog Martin Melchers". AT5 (in Dutch). 6 November 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Natuurdocumentaire Amsterdam Wildlife bereikt Kristallen Film-status". NU.nl (in Dutch). 10 April 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  33. ↑ "Merel Westrik bevestigt relatie met oud-collega Pepijn Crone" [Merel Westrik confirms relationship with former colleague Pepijn Crone]. NU.nl (in Dutch). 14 November 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  34. 1 2 van Rijswijk, Cindy (15 May 2021). "Merel Westrik en Pepijn Crone verwelkomen dochtertje Billie". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  35. ↑ "Presentatrice Merel Westrik bevallen van een dochter". NU.nl (in Dutch). 15 May 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  36. ↑ "Presentatrice Kirsten Westrik maakt overstap van RTL naar Talpa". NU.nl (in Dutch). 3 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "112 Vandaag-presentator Kirsten Westrik maakt overstap naar Talpa Network voor crimeshow: 'Onzettend veel zin in'". RTL Boulevard (in Dutch). 3 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
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