Valerio Zeno is back on television. After five years out of the spotlight, hewill make his return on Monday as the presenter of a new series Real girls inthe jungle. In conversation with NU.nl, Zeno tells what he has done in recentyears and why he was no longer seen on TV.
“I’ve seen my phone explode before,” says Zeno. “For example, when DennisStorm and I during guinea pigs eat each other’s flesh. But when it becameknown that I real girl s was going to present… I never got so many messagesbefore.”
For fifteen years Zeno was a regular face on television. He started his careerin the night program 6 pack , then switched to music channel TMF and wasthen active for BNNVARA for almost ten years. There he presented programs suchas You will have it, Dennis vs Valerio and Over my dead body. In 2018 hesaid goodbye to BNNVARA.
It was reported in the media that Zeno had been fired from BNNVARA. Not true,says the presenter now. “At BNNVARA I enjoyed working for nine years. I neatlyfinished my contract. And then I suddenly read that I was fired. Or that I nolonger wanted to have anything to do with the TV world, or that I wanted tofocus on my DJ career.”
All of that has never been the case. “When my contract with BNNVARA expiredafter nine years, I thought: I’m going to do nothing for a year.” Still, newprojects came his way, such as making a podcast and a Videoland series aboutsneakers (his great hobby).
The presenter was therefore busy and did not miss the attention he receivedduring his BNNVARA time. “I’ve been working in the TV world since I wasseventeen and it’s been going on since then,” says Zeno. “I actually likedhaving it a bit quieter. If something comes along, that’s nice, but I’m notthe type to grab everything out of panic. I don’t go on game shows or moviepremieres to get into the picture to come.”
Valerio tussen de kandidates van Echte meisjes in de jungle.
Foto: RTL
‘I’m not necessarily a jungle boy’
From Monday we will see Zeno again weekly on television, because then the gameshow will start Real girls in the jungle. Twelve female contestants, allknown from the reality or influencer world, compete in a series of games inthe jungle of Laos.
The program was also shown between 2011 and 2013, with Britt Dekker, amongothers, as the winner. Gaby Blaaser, Michella Kox and Janice Blok are amongthe participants this year.
Zeno says that the program makers immediately thought of him when they decidedthat the program would return. “They already saw that I was chasing thosegirls with my snow-white sneakers. That also seemed like a funny idea to me:I’m not necessarily a jungle boy.”
As a presenter, Zeno keeps the contestants in line and explains the rules ofgames. “I’m known for not talking fast and the candidates have a 20-secondattention span, so that was another challenge.”
The presenter himself is not competitive at all. “When I play a game, I don’tcare who wins. Those girls, on the other hand: when the game starts, they getblack in the eyes. They do everything to win. Their talent is to open themeshes of the game during the game. looking up the law. I loved them allequally.”
Tastes Real girls to the next season? “I have to say, three weeks in thejungle is really long. I don’t think I’ve ever been abroad that long. But Icertainly wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.”