In 2014, Ilse DeLange achieved Eurovision silver after finishing second at the contest as part of The Common Linnets. Two years ago, she proposed her former The Voice mentee Duncan Laurence and his song “Arcade” to the Dutch selection committee. A literal golden choice, as the Netherlands won the competition for the first time since 1975. But for Eurovision 2021, she has been passed over.

The singer revealed this news in the latest episode of the Dutch interview programme CollegeTour. When host Twan Huys asked about her involvement in Eurovision 2021, Ilse DeLange said that it was really a “calm after the storm” when the delegation returned home from Tel Aviv.

“Maybe they would call me… but that didn’t and didn’t happen. I think it’s very beautiful that this many people are working on Eurovision in Rotterdam. I went to it, to the rehearsals with Duncan, and I am very impressed and I think it’s amazing that we have this in the Netherlands.”

“It would have been nice if they had at least invited us for a coffee with just the question: ‘Would you like do something?’. That would have been enough, I think. But don’t ask me for the reason. I can’t give the answers to you, because I don’t know them. Do I think it’s a pity? Yes, I think it is a very large pity and I find it quite inappropriate.”

“But I hear myself talk, then I realise that I do not want to come across as some kind of annoyed person. Like ‘Oh, I am not allowed to participate’, you know.”

On the question of whether the Dutch broadcasters know of this situation, Ilse answered that she told certain people that she thinks it’s strange. Adding to that, she says that she is not going to share names and that “they know themselves who they are”.

Sieste Bakker says he’ll call Ilse

In a statement to AD, Eurovision 2021 Executive Supervisor Sietse Bakker has replied to Ilse DeLange’s revelation in CollegeTour.

Bakker did not want to comment on the exact things that Ilse said. He noted: “I want to know how it all fits together at first. We are in good contact with Ilse DeLange, so I think it is sensible that we are going to ask her herself what she meant with it. Such a broadcast is recorded on beforehand. It might be that it is different.”

From sources close to the programme, wiwibloggs notes that the very first episode of this season’s CollegeTour with Ilse DeLange was recorded a few days prior to its airing. During the programme, Ilse acknowledged that she had never talked with Bakker on the phone before.

Ilse DeLange reveals she made up with Waylon after seven years

CollegeTour invited students of Dutch universities and institutes to appear in the audience and ask Ilse DeLange questions. Among other things, they asked about her Eurovision experiences. Her Eurovision 2014 participation and its aftermath, including a long-term personal fight with her then fellow The Common Linnet bandmate Waylon, were included in the questions.

Ilse revealed that she has forgiven Waylon for the things that happened back in 2014. Weeks after The Common Linnets finished second at the contest, Waylon left the group. Mutual accusations followed after Waylon’s departure.

In CollegeTour, Ilse shared that she recently met Waylon somewhere in Hilversum, purely by accident. Noticing that the emotions she had in 2014 had calmed down, she decided to talk with her former Eurovision colleague. The two buried the hatchet. Ilse said in the programme that she wishes Waylon nothing less than the best.

Next to that, she revealed that her Eurovision dream is not yet over. Speaking to Twan Huys, she said:

“I wouldn’t exclude it. (…) Everything starts with a song, but at this moment, I don’t have the song. If I got it, I would really think it’s amazing to try it once more.”

What are your thoughts on Ilse DeLange being left out of Eurovision 2021? Would you like to see her back at the contest in the future? Let us know in the comments below!

Read all our Netherlands Eurovision news here

39 Comments
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Frank
Frank
2 years ago

She could have given the points from the Dutch jury’s. But that honour goes to Duncan. Who has next to his performances on the shows a new task. That could easily given away to Ilse in my opinion ?

L’oiseau
L’oiseau
2 years ago

Ilse! Please come again. We desperately need you!

Heya
Heya
2 years ago

Well technically, she just recommended someone. Her involvement ends here. Aside of that I just think she wants the spotlight back on her! Lost all respect honestly!

Gxp
Gxp
2 years ago
Reply to  Heya

She didn’t just recommended someone actually. She was highly involved in creating the performance throughout the whole competition.

Jeroen
Jeroen
2 years ago
Reply to  Heya

No, she did more than that. She recommended Duncan and mentored him to winning the 2019 ESC. Her role has always been described as a key role to Duncan’s success.

Giving the Dutch points would have been a nice gesture.

Pernilla
Pernilla
2 years ago

I hope Ilse can somehow be included in this year’s ESC – maybe even the Final and agree with others about her success record. With only a few days to go however, it might be too late – especially if the structure of the shows (away from the competitive performances) has already been decided and cannot be changed at all/too much

Note to moderator – this is fair comment which satisfies posting rules

Alwin Verhoog
Alwin Verhoog
2 years ago

She was a coach for a coach for Duncan, not a writer, not the artist and one of the five writers and one of the five band members of the Common Linnets. I guess Dolf van der Linden was more successful than Ilse. He was the conductor of the orchestra of the Dutch winnings and the winning song of Dana. That makes three winnings.

Sot
Sot
2 years ago

If I were her I would literally shout and demand to be a part of the show so I get her point, but there are so many contestants that helped the Netherlands in recent years, like Anouk or Edsilia, the latter is a host, yes, and she was lucky but unfortunately we can’t have all of them as hosts or singing in interval acts

Sabrina
Sabrina
2 years ago

Leaving the drama aside, it would be lovely to see Ilse and Duncan performing together.

Jonas
Jonas
2 years ago

Not much more than the other songwriters, who nobody seems to care about.

Kenny
Kenny
2 years ago

I want her back to Eurovision solo!!

Alex
Alex
2 years ago

I don’t get how they invited Glennis Grace and not Ilse!! Like wtf?? Invite Ilse and Waylon to perform calm after the storm, the song that light up the fire in the Netherlands and made people believe in the trophy. Ilse made it possible for Arcade to win ESC and she was in contact with the Dutch broadcaster. WTF happened and they did not invite her for ESC21, even for semifinals??

Dutch fans should put pressure on the ESC committee.

Piet
Piet
2 years ago

I had expected at least Ilse Delange and Danny Vera as interval artists. Ilse because she is the woman behind Duncan Laurence and made it happen for him. And Danny Vera’s Rollercoaster has been THE most successful Dutch song of the last few years. But somehow the organisation chose less well-known artists in the Netherlands. Davina Michelle is basically the only really popular artist. But even she is new in the business.

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
2 years ago
Reply to  Piet

Danny vera is just as ‘new’ to stardom as Davina though.

Piet
Piet
2 years ago
Reply to  Frisian esc

True. But Rollercoaster has been and still is a hit!

Alwin Verhoog
Alwin Verhoog
2 years ago
Reply to  Frisian esc

Danny makes albums for almost 20 years and some of those are hitalbums. Davina seems to be populair. I don’t know why.

sTommie
sTommie
2 years ago
Reply to  Piet

Danny Vera will be the Dutch representative in the FreeESC on the German broadcaster ProSieben.

HarpyDarper
HarpyDarper
2 years ago

Even if she doesn’t perform, I would like her to be there on the night, she deserves to be there. Great to hear that she and Waylon have made up too.

musica
musica
2 years ago
Reply to  HarpyDarper

She’s going to be there, since she’s part of Duncan Laurence’s support crew.

Michel
Michel
2 years ago

Of course, she’s one hundred percent right. At least, that’s how I see it. Not only did she almost take the victory with The Common Linnets in 2014. On top of that, it’s almost single handedly thanks to her that the contest came to The Netherlands at all. It was her who suggested the song “Arcade” and artist Duncan Laurence to the Dutch selection committee in 2019. She also had a big hand in guiding Duncan to the win. It is a huge disgrace that she wasn’t even invited by the organizers to play some part in the contest in… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Michel
Kim
Kim
2 years ago

And yet she was invited for last year’s alternative broadcast where she got to sing a duet with Michael Schulte.

Jimmy Smit
Jimmy Smit
2 years ago

For Sieste, this is easy to resolve. Invite her.

And if Ilse gets an invite, she should accept.

Moving on, rather than holding grudges, and working together would be much better. Considering how much Dutch talent is being showcased over the course of Eurovision week, it will be odd indeed, and noticeable to Eurovision fans and Dutch audiences, if Ilse is nowhere to be seen.

Ilse was a part of Europe Shine A Light so I can only assume the lack of communication with her this year is an unfortunate oversight.

Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Jimmy Smit

Ilse didn’t sound bitter, she was just honest and it is good that she communicated because everyone was wondering why she is not part of any of the shows.

Sietse better call her and give her a last minute spot although i think it’s really difficult now because they have already planned the show.

Ilse is the definition of ESC success. 2nd place in 2014 (best place since 1975) and 1st place in 2019 (she was in the green room with Duncan).

Jimmy Smit
Jimmy Smit
2 years ago
Reply to  Alex

I agree with all of that, Alex—apart from the difficulty to include her, because that’s easily resolved by having her introduce someone (such as the JESC winner) or simply have her as a special guest in the green room.

Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Jimmy Smit

Introducing the jESC winner, i am not sure that’s honorary, it’s mainly the job of the host to do that.

Ilse is a singer, not a presenter so she should sing. They could also appoint her as the spokesperson but it’s announced that Duncan will announce the 12pts from Netherlands

musica
musica
2 years ago

The bigger news is that she’s made up with Waylon, that’s quite the turn of events because these two really hated each other’s guts (even during the performance in Eurovision).

Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  musica

I don’t think they hated each other during Eurovision, i think the problem started after the end of ESC and it was about the artistic decisions of the band and their record. Waylon is very arrogant and did not want to be in the shadow of Ilse.

musica
musica
2 years ago
Reply to  Alex

It’s clear where you stand in the Ilse vs. Waylon debate 🙂 You don’t have to pick a side, you don’t know either of them, neither do I, and we don’t know the complete story. I do know both of them have some specific character traits that might clash from time to time (and apparently they did, definitely during Eurovision as well… even Ilse admitted as much).

Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  musica

you said you don’t know them and then you say you do know both of them??? doesn’t make any sense.

There’s pressure ofc and there might be disagreements, it happens to all.

Vasco
Vasco
2 years ago

Someone needs some attention, right? She knows there is a pandemic going on, and that they can’t invite everybody to the shows?!

Errret
Errret
2 years ago
Reply to  Vasco

Wasn’t that Anouk?

Errret
Errret
2 years ago
Reply to  Errret

Oh ok thanks for the clarification

Alwin Verhoog
Alwin Verhoog
2 years ago
Reply to  Errret

Why are you talking about Ilse as she was the only person on that stage, the only person who wrote that song and the person who designed the lightning and did the camerawork?

Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Vasco

how rude of you. so according to you they did not invite her because of corona but there is no coronavirus when they invited Glennis Grace, Afrojack and that other girl. Right..

esc1234
esc1234
2 years ago
Reply to  Vasco

If they can have Glenis Grace, they can have the person behind their victory. Period.

Taco
Taco
2 years ago
Reply to  Vasco

You could not be further than the truth. Ilse is in no need for attention that is a very rude comment when addressing Ilse., she is exactly not that. It is typical Dutch for ‘forgetting’ the biggest inspirer for Eurovision for the last 8 years and made is very successful for us. She should have been invited to sing. simple as that and it is shameful that she wasn’t.

Nikko
Nikko
2 years ago

She is attending the German version of “Strictly Come Dancing” which is still going on. She left because of problems with her foot but she was supposed to be in the show for the whole of May.

Cassandra
Cassandra
2 years ago
Reply to  Nikko

Yes! She was very popular on the show and the fans are extremely sad that she had to quit due to her foot injury.

Lisianthus
Lisianthus
2 years ago
Reply to  Nikko

Everybody involved in Eurovision had already been invited when Ilse decided to be part of that dance show.