Journalist Tom Klein has become the winner of the twenty-second season of the show The smartest person. He won the final against musical actress Nandy van Beurden and theater director Jurgen Tjoon A Fong.

Van Beurden was the first to withdraw, allowing Kleijn and Tjon A Fong to compete. The journalist eventually won with an answer about Bonaire (“the municipality”) and was then showered with sweets.

“It was embarrassing,” he said on KRO-NCRV’s website. “I’m a journalist and I always think: It’s not about me.”

In the broadcast, he thanked his 14-year-old son, who convinced him to participate in the program. “Whatever discussion we had: I’m right,” Klein joked.

The final was already taped earlier and only his girlfriend and mother were informed of the win by Klein, his 14-year-old son was not informed. “I didn’t want him to keep his mouth shut for a week at school.”

Klein was awarded the trophy by poet Martin Rombauts, who was named “the smartest person” this past winter. The quiz broadcast on NPO 1 was the most watched on Dutch TV almost every day for the past week.