Diederik Jekel

Diederik Jekel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdidərɪk ˈjeːkəl]; born 22 June 1984) is a Dutch science journalist, television presenter and physicist. In 2018, he was elected president of the Dutch Physical Society (NNV).

Diederik Jekel
Jekel in 2011
Born	(1984-06-22) 22 June 1984 (age 40) Bilthoven, the Netherlands
Occupations	Science journalist Television presenter

Career

Jekel was born in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. He studied physics at Twente University, where he obtained a Master's degree in physics in 2010. Since 2011 he regularly appeared in the early-evening Dutch television talk show De Wereld Draait Door to discuss science-related topics. In 2013, he acted as a host alongside Matthijs van Nieuwkerk and Isolde Hallensleben, in the spin-off television programme De wereld leert door, in which scientists were interviewed about their research.^[1] Between 2015 and 2018, Jekel explained scientific concepts and experiments in the Dutch television game show Professor Nicolai & Dr. Beckand, presented by Ruben Nicolai and Tijl Beckand. In 2016, he won the National IQ Test with an IQ of 137.^[2]

He was one of the contestants in the 17th season of the Dutch television show Wie is de Mol? where he finished in 3rd place.^[3] In 2018 and 2019, Jekel and Elisabeth van Nimwegen presented the television show De Kennis van Nu. In 2020, Jekel and Patty Brard presented the Dutch television series Brard & Jekel: VetGelukkig?! about people who are overweight.^[4] In that same year, he appeared in the second season of the television show The Masked Singer.^[5]

Since 2021, he appears as one of the Champions in Beat The Champions, the Dutch adaptation of the British game show The Chase's spin-off Beat the Chasers.^[6] In 2021, he also played the role of traitor in the television show De Verraders.^[7][8]

In 2022, he looked at historic scientific experiments in the Dutch television series Jekels Jacht.^[9]

Jekel and Jon Karthaus are the script writers of the 2022 Dutch feature film Costa!!.^[10][11]

Selected filmography

As presenter / host / expert

• De wereld leert door (2013)
• Professor Nicolai & Dr. Beckand (2015 – 2018)
• De Kennis van Nu (2018, 2019)
• Brard & Jekel: VetGelukkig?! (2020)
• Jekels Jacht (2022)

As expert

• Beat The Champions (2021 – 2023)

As contestant

• National IQ Test (2016)
• Wie is de Mol? (2017)
• The Masked Singer (2020)
• De Verraders (2021)

Publications

Jekel's publications include:

• Ironing out pnictides, Master's thesis Twente University, 2010. In Dutch.
• Zeven rampen die niet gaan gebeuren, Contact, Amsterdam, 2011. In Dutch.
• Bèta voor alfa's, Uitgeverij Atlas Contact, Amsterdam, 2014. Reeks Kleine boekjes. In Dutch.
• with André Kuipers et al., Antidepressiva en agressie, wiskunde redt mensenlevens, Hannover Messe. DVD video, NTR, Hilversum, 2014. In Dutch.