Bea Van der Maat

Béatrice Marguerite Van der Maat (15 November 1960 – 27 July 2023) was a Belgian singer, television presenter and actress.

Bea Van der Maat
Born
Béatrice Marguerite Van der Maat

(1960-11-15)15 November 1960
Ghent, Belgium
Died27 July 2023(2023-07-27) (aged 62)
Leuven, Belgium
Occupations
  • Singer
  • television presenter
  • actress
SpouseJan Biesemans
Children2
Musical career
GenresNew wave
Instrument(s)Vocals

Biography

Van der Maat grew up in a family of five girls. The family often moved because of their father's work. They lived in Itterbeek, Sint-Amandsberg (Oostakker), Tienen and Diest, among others. Van der Maat studied Dutch-English regency.

As a singer, Van der Maat started in 1982 with Chow-Chow until that group was disbanded in 1985. Shortly afterwards she became lead singer with Won Ton Ton, which became known with their hit song I Lie and I Cheat in 1988. She cited her 1996 solo album Thin Skinned as her personal musical highlight.[1] She also sang as a guest singer with the LSP band[2] and in 2005, she sang with The Belpop Bastards with, among others, Kloot Per W.[3] In 2010, she did a musical tour with Guy Swinnen, after which she stopped singing completely.

Van der Maat started as a television presenter in 1989 when the new channel VTM asked her to present the music program 10 om te zien with Willy Sommers. In 1994, Yasmine took over from her. This was followed by the animal program Dag Coco and the television game show Studio Gaga. In 1998, she presented the nature program Rare pranks on the newly founded channel Canvas.[4] In 2021, Van der Maat appeared on television again in an episode of Winteruur on Canvas on a rare occasion. She brought the poem 'Trees' by the American poet Joyce Kilmer to express her love for nature.[5]

In 1989, Urbanus asked Van der Maat for a leading role in Koko Flanel. Without acting experience, she was coached by Hugo Van den Berghe.[1] In 1992, she played as false Sinterklaas in Dag Sinterklaas, and in 1994, she appeared in a supporting role for the comedy film Max.

Personal life and death

In 2004, Van der Maat taught English in the second secondary school of the Middle School in Keerbergen. She was married to Jan Biesemans, with whom she had a son and daughter.[6] Van der Maat was a cousin of actress Mitta Van der Maat.

In June 2022, she was diagnosed with ALS. Van der Maat died by euthanasia in UZ Leuven on 27 July 2023, at the age of 62.[7][8]

References
  1. "Van der Maat: "Ik heb een streep getrokken onder muziek en dat geeft me rust"". Deredactie.be (in Dutch). 5 August 2015.
  2. "LSP-Band maakt vanavond comeback". Ring-TV (in Dutch). 3 October 2014. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021.
  3. "Belpop Bastards: 'We zijn geen covergroep'". Agenda magazine (in Dutch). 3 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
  4. "KIJK. Van 'I Lie and I Cheat' tot 'Rare Streken', dit is de media-carrière van Bea Van der Maat". hln.be (in Dutch). 30 July 2023.
  5. "Bea Van der Maat in Winteruur in 2021". vrt.be. 30 July 2023.
  6. "Hoe zou het nog zijn met ...Bea Van der Maat?". Focus Knack. 4 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021.
  7. "Presentatrice en zangeres Bea Van der Maat (62) is overleden na slepende ziekte ALS: "Ze koos voor euthanasie"". HLN. 29 July 2023.
  8. "Presentatrice en zangeres Bea Van der Maat (62) overleden na slepende ziekte". Knack.be. 30 July 2023.
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