Danni Heylen Bids Farewell to Iconic ‘F.C. De Kampioenen’ Character
Belgian actress Danni Heylen (75) has definitively closed the chapter on her iconic character Pascale De Backer, affectionately known as Pascalleke, from the beloved Flemish sitcom F.C. De Kampioenen. Heylen made the announcement during the presentation of the Nationale Cafedag (National Cafe Day) in Aalst on Tuesday, declaring she will not miss the character she portrayed for three decades. As VRT NWS reported, the actress stated: “I won’t miss Pascalleke, I’m busy with theater now and that’s so nice.”
A Farewell at the Cafe
Heylen made her final appearance as Pascalleke at cafe Bij Stinne in Meldert, where the third F.C. De Kampioenen film was recorded. The actress was serving as an ambassador for the Nationale Cafedag, a new initiative aimed at preserving Belgium’s traditional brown cafes. The event, scheduled for September 12, 2026, has already registered nearly 1,000 participating establishments, according to VRT NWS.
“I didn’t know it would become such an item,” Heylen said, according to VRT NWS. “I’m here in Aalst to promote the National Cafe Day.” In one statement, she confirmed she was definitively stepping away from the character she had played since 1990.
“I won’t miss Pascalleke,” she said. “I’m busy with theater and that’s so nice. I started in theater, then had an incredibly wonderful time on television with all my colleagues. I’m very grateful for that, but I don’t have time for it anymore. People should understand that.”
A Three-Decade Legacy
Pascale De Backer was one of the original characters of F.C. De Kampioenen, the sitcom created by Luc Beerten, Willy Vanduren, and Bruno Raes that first aired on October 6, 1990. Heylen appeared in all 273 episodes of the series, a Christmas special, and four feature films, making her one of only three characters to appear in every single episode, as documented on Wikipedia.
The series, which revolved around the misadventures of a poorly performing cafe football team, ran for 21 seasons before ending its original run in 2011. Four feature films followed between 2013 and 2019, and a Christmas special aired in December 2020, after which the actors decided to definitively stop the series. According to Wikipedia’s history of the show, the sitcom remains one of the most successful and longest-running VRT productions ever created.
Interestingly, Heylen was originally cast to play Carmen Waterslaeghers, while Loes Van den Heuvel was slated for Pascale. The actresses insisted on swapping roles, a decision that would define Heylen’s career. Pascale, the cafe owner of the clubhouse and mother of Bieke Crucke, became one of the most recognizable characters in Flemish television history.
A Return to Theater
Heylen’s farewell to Pascalleke marks a deliberate return to her first love: the stage. As she explained, her career began in theater before television, and she is now focused on new theatrical projects. The actress is currently performing in Oost west thuis best alongside Carry Goossens at the Fakkeltheater in Antwerp, and from October 2026 she will appear in Doodgraag, a play about a mother and son confronted with euthanasia.
In a recent interview with P-magazine, Heylen made clear this is her last interview about the series. She is ending commercial appearances, paid engagements, and personal video messages related to the character. “There is more to life than Pascalleke,” she told the magazine.
Heylen also expressed understanding for colleagues like Marijn Devalck, Jacques Vermeire, and Herman Verbruggen who continue to use their iconic characters, but she never felt the need to milk the Pascale character. “I actually don’t think I’m the funniest person as Danni,” she admitted, adding that a solo show as the character would cause her stress.
Championing the Brown Cafe
Beyond her acting career, Heylen is lending her voice to a cause close to her heart: preserving Belgium’s traditional brown cafes. The Nationale Cafedag initiative, organized by the Kroegtijgers association, was founded after Belgium lost nearly 30% of its cafes in ten years. As TV Oost reported, Heylen also supports the theater project Het Gelag about the decline of brown cafes in Flanders.
“Personally, not as Pascalleke from F.C. De Kampioenen, but as Danni, I think the brown cafes shouldn’t disappear,” she said. “In my youth and as a young twenty-something when I was studying, I walked through all the brown cafes in Antwerp. That was so nice.”
The Kroegtijgers organization has grown from a one-man operation with a smartphone into a movement with over 40,000 Instagram followers and 45,000 Facebook followers, with videos viewed more than 54 million times.
What’s Next
When asked what Pascalleke’s final words would be, Heylen replied: “Have one on my health.” The actress is now fully committed to her theatrical career, with a guest role in the daily series Flo and upcoming stage productions on the horizon.
“I’m wrapping it up here, the circle is complete,” she said. For generations of Flemish viewers, Pascalleke will remain an enduring icon of Belgian television. But for Danni Heylen, the future lies firmly on the stage.