Sinterklaasjournaal presenter Dieuwertje Blok dies at 67 after bout with cancer

Television presenter Dieuwertje Blok passed away on Sunday evening at the age of 67, her husband told ANP on Monday. Blok had been suffering from cancer, and she passed away peacefully at home, he said. The funeral will take place in private.

For many years, Blok presented the holiday season program, Sinterklaasjournaal, which garnered her significant fame. Her cancer diagnosis led to her decision to stop working last year. Merel Westrik took over the job of hosting Sinterklaasjournaal last autumn.

Blok confirmed in April that she had nasal cancer cancer, and she withdrew from public life. The NTR presenter underwent a nose amputation that same month. This January, her employer announced that Blok was again diagnosed with cancer, and that it was clear that it was terminal.

Blok was named a Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau in December. During a meeting for the television program organized in Baarn, the presenter was surprised by Mayor Mark Verheijen of the municipality of Wijdemeren. He praised Blok's many social contributions, including her committed work for refugee organization VluchtelingenWerk Nederland, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Hartstichting, the Dutch Heart Foundation.

"In the Netherlands, we increasingly ask ourselves, 'What actually binds us in this country?' Perhaps the answer is simple: Dieuwertje Blok," Verheijen said.

Blok was an ambassador for the Hartstichting for almost 20 years and has "meant a great deal," a spokesperson for the foundation said. "Particularly in making scientific research for cardiovascular diseases visible."

The news about the presenter's death was a tough blow to the foundation. "Dieuwertje Blok leaves an indelible impression and we will miss her terribly."

She frequently presented the annual Dekker research grants for scientists, awarded by the Hartstichting. "She was supposed to do that next Wednesday, but we already knew she wouldn't be there. We didn't expect that she would die now," said the spokesperson.