Martine Prenen, Beloved Flemish TV Presenter, Dies at 62

Martine Prenen, the cherished former VRT television presenter known for her warm presence on iconic Flemish programs such as “De Rode Loper” and “Vlaanderen Vakantieland,” has died at the age of 62 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Her family confirmed the news on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, through a statement to VRT NWS.

“With intense sadness, but also filled with admiration for her unprecedented strength, we report that Martine Prenen unexpectedly passed away yesterday after a brave battle against pancreatic cancer,” the family wrote. “Martine was the light in the room. An incredibly warm, sweet, and cheerful woman who, with her inexhaustible positivity, brought a smile to everyone’s face.”

A Storied Television Career

Born on 25 February 1964 in Wilrijk, Belgium, Prenen began her television journey at age 28 with a screen test at VTM for the program “Vroemtuigen.” After stints at VTM and Dutch radio stations NCRV and Veronica, she achieved her major breakthrough in 1997 as an announcer at TV1 (now Eén), the Flemish public broadcaster, according to Wikipedia.

Over the following decade, Prenen became one of the most recognizable faces in Flemish broadcasting. She presented programs including “Koppensnellers,” worked as a reporter for “Vlaanderen Vakantieland,” and notably hosted “De Rode Loper,” the premier showbiz program in Flanders, for many years.

In December 2006, her contract with VRT was not renewed — a rejection she later described as deeply painful. “I absolutely experienced that as a rejection. That wasn’t nice. I mourned, I couldn’t even watch ‘De Rode Loper’ for the first year,” she said in a podcast interview with De Rotonde.

After leaving VRT, Prenen appeared on VT4 as a jury member for “Supertalent In Vlaanderen,” as well as on EXQI, Life!tv, MENT TV, and TV Plus, where she later presented the health program “Mar10s.”

Reinvention as a Health Advocate

Following her television career, Prenen embarked on a remarkable second act. She studied at De Levensschool at Tongerlo Abbey, completing a five-year program in nutrition expertise and health counseling with distinction in 2010, followed by an additional year in orthomolecular nutrition in 2021.

She became a prolific author, writing eight books including the longseller “Live, Love & Laugh,” the menopause guide “Menopower,” and “Restart” — a guide to revitalizing one’s life with energy. She also wrote columns for magazines including “Goed Gevoel” and “Healthy,” and toured with her theater show “De gezonde vrouw?…”

Victim in the Eddy Snelders Case

In 2025, Prenen came into the spotlight as a victim and key witness in the high-profile trial of Eddy Snelders, the former football referee and TV commentator. At the trial, she delivered a powerful testimony about the betrayal she felt as a longtime friend of Snelders and his ex-wife. “What makes this situation so poignant is not just the facts, but also the betrayal,” she said, as reported by VRT NWS. “People you love, you must not abuse and betray. Never.”

Her Final Months

Prenen never publicly disclosed her exact diagnosis, but on social media in February 2026, she shared an honest reflection on her illness. “My life is currently going through an astronomically large, additional transformation. An illness that my body created itself came to tell me something,” she wrote. “About rest. About gentleness toward myself. About slowing down. About feeling.”

In a 2019 interview on the podcast “De Rotonde,” she spoke candidly about death. “On one hand, I’m not afraid of it,” she said. “But now that I have a grandchild, I would like to see him grow up. I would like to be a content old lady, sitting somewhere in a sunny garden painting with my grandchildren around me.”

Legacy

Martine Prenen leaves behind a husband, two children, and a grandchild. Her legacy is twofold: as a television personality who brought warmth and professionalism to Flemish screens for decades, and as a health advocate who used her platform to discuss wellness, menopause, and holistic well-being — topics often marginalized in mainstream discourse.

Her family’s statement captured her essence: “Her message to all of us was clear and sincere: seize the day. Carpe Diem, dear Martine. Your warmth travels with us.”

Newsmonkey also reported on her passing, noting that Prenen inspired thousands through her workshops and motivational lectures to live more consciously, healthily, and happily.