Silvana Hildegard "Sylvana" Simons[a] (Dutch pronunciation: [sɪlˈvaːnaː ˈsimɔns]; born 31 January 1971) is a Surinamese-born Dutch politician and former television presenter. She served as a member of the House of Representatives between 2021 and 2023 on behalf of BIJ1, an egalitarian anti-racist party founded by Simons in 2016.
Sylvana Simons | |
---|---|
Member of the House of Representatives | |
In office 31 March 2021 – 5 December 2023 | |
Member of the Amsterdam municipal council | |
In office 29 March 2018 – 5 November 2020[1] | |
Succeeded by | Jazie Veldhuyzen |
Personal details | |
Born | 31 January 1971 Paramaribo, Suriname |
Political party | BIJ1[a] (2016–present) |
Other political affiliations | DENK (2016) |
Spouse |
Frank van Hoorn
(m. 2003; div. 2006) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Kenneth Leeuwin (half-brother) |
Occupation |
|
Known for | Dancing with the Stars, De bus, TV makelaar |
Signature | |
| |
She was born in Suriname and moved to the Netherlands while an infant. She was a dancer in the Amsterdam nightlife scene before becoming a VJ for the new music channel TMF in 1995. Simons left four years later to join SBS Broadcasting, where she presented reality television series De bus (2000). She subsequently spent almost a decade at RTL Nederland, hosting the first few seasons of TV makelaar (2001–05) about home buying and the Saturday evening show Dancing with the Stars (2005–07). Starting in 2009, Simons worked some years in public broadcasting as a radio presenter on Radio 6 and for the association NPS.
She transitioned to politics in 2016, when she joined minority rights party DENK. Her career change followed her questioning of a term which she deemed racially insensitive during talk show De wereld draait door the previous year. Her speaking out against institutional racism – and especially Sinterklaas's blackfaced companion Zwarte Piet – caused fierce criticism on social media platforms and racist remarks and threats. Simons left DENK after seven months to establish her own political party called Artikel 1, which was later renamed BIJ1. She did not win a seat in the 2017 general election, but she was elected to the Amsterdam municipal council the following year. Simons became the first black parliamentary leader in Dutch history following her election to the House of Representatives in 2021.
Early life and education
editSimons was born on 31 January 1971 in the Surinamese capital of Paramaribo to Wilfred Hugo Leeuwin (born 1928) and Roline Yvonne Kerk (born 1945).[2] She was raised without her siblings even though her father and her mother had fifteen children and one child, respectively, from previous relationships.[5] The family came to the Netherlands when Simons was aged one and a half and lived in the Amsterdam neighborhoods Kinkerbuurt and Osdorp.[6][7] She moved to the North Holland city of Hoorn another ten years later, growing up in its neighborhood Grote Waal.[5][8] Her father worked as a bookkeeper for an insurance company, while her mother was employed by IBM.[9] In her childhood, Simons rode horses and danced.[10][4] She had started dancing lessons at the age of seven and later did preparatory training in Amsterdam for the ballet academy, dreaming of becoming the first black soloist of the Dutch National Ballet.[4] She went to the secondary school RSG West-Friesland, initially studying at vwo level, but she later switched to havo.[5][11]
At the age of fourteen, Simons moved out of her parents's house after her father had told her to leave if she did not want to abide by his rules.[12] At first, she stayed at her half-sister in Amsterdam, but she later spent time in a youth shelter and in lodgings with assistance.[3][13] During that period, she attended the Amsterdams Lyceum and the Spinoza Lyceum, among others, but never graduated.[11] Simons also went to the Lucias Marthas Institute For Performing Arts and the Hairdressing Academy, finishing neither school.[5][9] When she was twenty years old, she was admitted to the show and musical department of the Amsterdam University of the Arts, but she dropped out shortly after the start of the program because of her first pregnancy.[14]
Entertainment career
editDancing and early television career (1989–2000)
editSimons began her career in 1989 as a dancer for the Amsterdam nightclub iT[15] and during performances of musicians such as CB Milton and Grace Jones. She went on tour with 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor and performed as backing for UB40 at the World Liberty Concert in Arnhem. Simons also appeared in commercials for Pepsi, Philips, and Victoria Vesta.[6][9][16] She did a screen test for radio and television executive Lex Harding in 1992 after he had seen her dance in the Veronica music program Countdown.[17] Harding asked her a few years later to join the new musical channel TMF. Simons accepted and started as VJ and interviewer at its launch in May 1995.[6][18] She later gave up dancing to focus on her television career.[16] On TMF, Simons presented the show Sylvana's Soul, which helped popularize R&B in the Netherlands and earned her the nickname "Dutch Queen of R&B".[16][14] She also recorded the single "Get Close To You" with fellow VJs Fabienne de Vries, Bridget Maasland, and Isabelle Brinkman as part of the music group The Magnificent Four. It reached position sixteen in the Dutch Top 40 and spent five weeks in that chart, but Simons has told that she was unable to sing and was mostly responsible for backing vocals.[10][19][20] She became a board member of Mixt, a foundation attempting to combat racism through music and the organizer of the annual pop festival Racism Beat It, in early 1999.[16][14]
Simons left TMF in 1999 and joined SBS Broadcasting later that year, presenting Sexquiz on the beach, a new weekly couples quiz involving stripping candidates, starting in September.[21][22] She also hosted the program Politie door 't lint (Police snapping) and the first season of reality competition De bus, which was similar to Big Brother and which took place in a bus.[23][24] Next to her job at SBS, Simons presented a radio show on Radio 538, and she wrote columns for the Dutch edition of Playboy and for the short-lived More! Magazine.[22] The latter was launched by TMF in May 1999 with an issue featuring Simons and two of her colleagues naked on the cover.[14][25]
RTL Nederland (2000–09)
editShe abandoned SBS Broadcasting in favor of RTL Nederland – then called Holland Media Group – and replaced Beau van Erven Dorens as host of the afternoon news magazine RTL Live in September 2000. The show was anchored by Minoesch Jorissen on Mondays and Tuesdays and by Simons on Wednesdays and Thursdays.[26] RTL Live was canceled in May of the following year as a result of dwindling ratings.[27] In the meantime, Simons had also moved her column from Playboy to Veronica Magazine, where it would remain until 2002, and had left her radio show at Radio 538 to work for Noordzee FM in March 2001. She had two shows on that station, Sylvana and Sylvana's Soul, which were broadcast on Friday and Saturday evenings, respectively.[5][28][29]
Simons started presenting her second show for RTL Nederland in November 2001, when TV makelaar (TV real estate agent) debuted. She was the sole host of the program, in which she assisted people in their search for a new home.[30] It was renewed for several new seasons. At the same time, she co-presented the Monday evening show Met man en macht (With all his power), in which she and two other women interviewed male guests, in early 2002 and the program Je echte leeftijd (Your real age) with John Williams starting in May 2003.[31] In the latter show, participants performed a RealAge test to find out how healthily they had been living.[32][33] Simons also became the sole host of the book program Kaft (Cover), which first aired in April 2004.[34][35] At TV makelaar, she was joined by Sybrand Niessen that same year.[36] In 2005, she hosted the hidden camera show Bekend en bekeken (Famous and watched) and the quiz show De aanhouder wint (Slow and steady wins the race), based on the British Perseverance.[37][38]
When television franchise Dancing with the Stars was brought to the Netherlands, Simons and Ron Brandsteder became the hosts.[39] It debuted in August 2005. The first season finale was watched by 2.7 million people, and the show was nominated for a Golden Televizier Ring.[9][40] It had been announced shortly before the first airing of Dancing with the Stars that Simons would be replaced by Marilou le Grand as host of TV makelaar.[41] Besides, she became an ambassador of development aid agency Simavi around that time.[42] She had already been in the same role at Stichting Pink Ribbon, which raises awareness of breast cancer, since 2004.[43] Simons co-hosted the second season of Dancing with the Stars in the first half of 2006. She also presented three reality television shows later that year: Inpakken en wegdromen (Pack up and dream away), in which people went on their dream holiday; Opvolger gezocht (Successor wanted), in which she helped family business owners find their successor; and Hoe mooi is jouw straat? (How pretty is your street?), in which residents gave their street a makeover.[44][45] Opvolger gezocht was canceled after three episodes due to low ratings.[46] Simons presented a third season of Dancing with the Stars in early 2007 as well as the new RTL 5 reality show Ex Wives Club along with two other hosts.[47] In December, she replaced Chazia Mourali as the presenter of Char, a show with American self-proclaimed psychic medium Char Margolis.[48][49] Simons's last episode of Dancing with the Stars, a special to promote Plan International, aired days later.[50]
It was reported in January 2008 that RTL Nederland had ended Simons's contract. Several new presenters had recently become part of the media network following the disbandment of TV channel Tien. She did continue hosting Char, and she co-hosted the daily RTL 4 program Nederland vertrekt (The Netherlands leaves) with a dozen other presenters in the summer of 2008 about people going on their holiday.[51][52]
Radio 6 and other activities (2009–2015)
editSimons started working for public broadcasting in 2009. She was given her own two-hour radio show in July called Sylvana's Choice, which aired on jazz station Radio 6 on weekdays, and she returned to television in September with a music-related TV show for NPS with the same name on Sunday afternoons on Nederland 2.[53][54] Simons also started hosting the Saturday late evening talk show Sylvana in April 2010 on Nederland 1.[55] Besides, she co-presented live television and radio coverage of the North Sea Jazz Festival, and she presented De zwarte lijst (The black list) about black music annually.[56][57] News broadcaster NOS described her as the face of Radio 6.[58] Sylvana's Choice was canceled in 2010, but she later received a Tuesday evening slot for a show called Soul & Jazz.[59][9][60] She permanently left Radio 6 at the start of 2014, while remaining the host of North Sea Jazz Festival coverage and De zwarte lijst on television.[57][61][62]
Next to her work for Radio 6, Simons started appearing as a recurring sidekick on talk show De wereld draait door in 2012, and she participated in the celebrity dancing contest Strictly Come Dancing, part of the same franchise as Dancing with the Stars.[59][63] She was coupled with professional dancer Redmond Valk, who was later replaced by Aerjen Mooijweer because of an injury, and they were the season's runners-up.[64] In late 2012, Simons presented the three-episode music series Puro 43 Music Sessions on RTL 8.[65] She later also worked as a public speaking and personal leadership coach as co-owner of The House of Power.[61][66][67] Simons participated in the theater tour LULverhalen (Dick stories), in which women talked about an either literal or figurative dick, in 2015. She was uninvited after she had talked about her opposition to Zwarte Piet – Sinterklaas's companion with blackface – during her first performance, causing some audience members to walk out of the performance.[68]
Political career
editDENK (2016)
editSimons has told that she decided to publicly speak out against institutional racism following a May 2015 incident and the reactions it had brought about, which included fierce criticism on social media:[69] in an episode of De wereld draait door, presenter Martin Šimek used the word zwartjes (darkies) in a discussion about immigrants, causing Simons to question him on his usage of the word. The Algemeen Dagblad described 2015 as the year in which Simons had become the figurehead of the Dutch black community because of this event and her opposition to Zwarte Piet, whom she had protested at the national arrival of Sinterklaas in Meppel.[70][71]
She joined the left-wing minority rights party DENK on 18 May 2016, and it was simultaneously announced that she would run for member of the House of Representatives in the 2017 general election.[72] DENK had been founded the year before by Turkish-born Dutch politicians Tunahan Kuzu and Selçuk Öztürk after they had left the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid, PvdA).[73] Simons had been asked by Kuzu to join the party, and she also started serving as a communications advisor.[74][75] Simons indicated an interest in anti-racism, decolonizing education, and empowering women.[73]
Her announcement caused an avalanche of negative reactions on social media platforms, some of which referred to her Surinamese heritage and have been characterized as sexist or racist. This last category includes a Facebook event, which received tens of thousands of reactions, to wave Simons goodbye on Saint Nicholas Day – a reference to her opposition to Zwarte Piet.[76][77] Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister Lodewijk Asscher condemned the reactions, calling them "disgusting", and Simons filed a police report.[78][79] DENK announced in November 2016 that Simons was receiving protection following a threat video on Dailymotion.[80] It combined the carnival song Oh Sylvana, the lyrics of which ask her to leave the country, by Rob van Daal with a picture of lynched African Americans, whose faces had been replaced by the one of Simons.[81] 22 people were prosecuted in April 2017 for threats and insults including the creator of the video, leading to at least twenty of them receiving fines of up to €450 and community-service orders of up to 80 hours.[82][83][b] The Public Prosecution Service stated that it did not have the resources to investigate all 40,000 comments that were identified as possibly illegal.[85]
Own party and 2017 general election
editSimons left DENK on 24 December 2016 to establish a party of her own called Artikel 1 to participate in the 2017 general election. Simons told that she wanted to belong to a party where she felt safe. She criticized DENK for being more concerned with celebrating media attention than with Simons's well-being when she received protection. Besides, she called the party's tactics polarizing, although she praised its goal of putting racism on the political agenda. She also said that there was not enough space at DENK to stand up for women's and LGBT rights because of its conservative supporters. She founded her new party, which was named after the constitution's article addressing equality before the law and prohibiting discrimination, with DENK's campaign manager Ian van der Kooye.[86][87] Following her departure, DENK demanded €62,000 in damages from Simons for violating her employment contract's confidentiality clause and notice period. A court determined that DENK instead owed €5,000 in wages to Simons, which she later declined.[88][89]
Ahead of the 2017 general election, Artikel 1 released its election program, in which it advocated single-payer healthcare, more female and immigrant cabinet members, a prohibition of Zwarte Piet in public spaces and on public television, an investigation into racial profiling, and a new national holiday to celebrate the abolition of slavery. Besides, the party pledged to strive for a world in which people could live and work wherever they want.[90] Simons also co-wrote a book ahead of the election called Artikel 1: Een nieuwe politiek van gelijkwaardigheid (Article 1: A new politics of equality).[91] Simons was the lead candidate of Artikel 1, and its party list contained more women than men, several people from the LGBT community, and both the youngest (18) and oldest (82) candidate of the election.[92] The party received 0.27% of the vote in the March 2017 election – not enough for a seat in the House of Representatives.[93]
Artikel 1 changed its name to BIJ1 (Together) in October after a court had ruled in June that the original name was too similar to that of Art.1, a discrimination expertise center. The party reiterated its commitment to be "against the current politics, which is full of hatred of Muslims, xenophobia, gender inequality, racism, socioeconomic exclusion, gender discrimination, division, exclusion, and exploitation".[94]
Amsterdam municipal council (2018–2020)
editIn March 2018, Simons participated in the municipal election in Amsterdam as her party's lead candidate. She campaigned on a platform of economic justice, radical equality, and the importance of intersectionality, and she told that she wanted Amsterdam to maintain its inclusivity.[95][96] She also refused to participate in a debate after learning that she would have to debate Annabel Nanninga (FVD) one-on-one.[97] BIJ1 won one out of 45 seats in the election and Simons was sworn into the municipal council on 29 March.[98] Her party was most popular in Amsterdam-Zuidoost.[99] A documentary by Ingeborg Jansen about her campaign called Sylvana, demon of diva (Sylvana, demon or diva) premiered in November 2018 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[100]
Following the killing of Michael Fudge by police officers in February 2019, Simons requested a debate about the incident, which was described as a suicide by cop by the media. She said there had been excessive and unnecessary police violence and told that teenagers of color lived in an understandable fear of the police. Councilor Nicole Temmink (SP) said it would have been better to await the results of an investigation by the Rijksrecherche and Simons's comments were denounced by the rest of the council as well as by Mayor Femke Halsema.[101] Simons also introduced motions to stop the municipality from fining homeless people for sleeping in the streets and to provide white privilege training for civil servants. Both passed the council.[102][103] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she opposed plans of the municipal executive to raise local taxes, which would compensate for financial setbacks.[104]
Newspaper Het Parool wrote that Simons was able to influence the council's agenda during her time in office despite having only one seat. According to the article, her party's competition with GroenLinks caused that party to focus more on identity politics in Amsterdam. Simons also played a role in getting the city to apologize for its history of slavery, in making the toilets of the Stopera unisex, and in getting the city to proclaim a climate crisis.[104] She was awarded the Ribbius Peletier medal in 2021 by the province of North Holland for "being an example to the next generation of women" and for "publicly speaking out against a combination of sexism and racism".[105]
2021 general election and House of Representatives
editIn January 2020, BIJ1 signaled its intention to participate in the 2021 general election.[106] Simons gave up her seat in the Amsterdam municipal council in early November to focus on the campaign.[107] She called her party's platform the country's "most leftist, greenest, and most inclusive". It included a rise in the minimum wage to €14 per hour, the introduction of a Ministry of Equality, and "taking control of the economy's most important industries".[108] She rejected capitalism, saying that it is based on the illusion of endless economic growth and that it leads to poverty, exploitation, and exclusion. According to Simons, an alternative economic system has to be designed and created with the participation of everyone.[12] BIJ1 won one seat in the March 2021 general election causing Simons to be elected to the House of Representatives. She was sworn in on 31 March as the first black parliamentary leader in the House's history.[109] Her election occurred amidst the anti-racism movement Black Lives Matter gaining traction following the murder of George Floyd in the United States by a police officer in May 2020.[110]
In the House, Simons focused on education, the interior, economic affairs, climate policy, social affairs, and kingdom relations, while cooperating on many issues with Caroline van der Plas (BBB) and Liane den Haan (independent) because of their positions as fellow one-person caucus leaders.[111][112] In the House, Simons has criticized the cabinet's strategy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that stricter measures such as longer and more stringent lockdowns were required to contain the virus.[113] She filed a motion in July 2021 in which she argued that the cabinet's strategy of "letting [the virus] run wild in a controlled way" had led to 30,000 deaths. No other parties in the House supported her motion, and Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the accusation "brazen and uncivilized".[114] Another motion by Simons, which called for an investigation into establishing a constitutional court in the Netherlands, was adopted by the House.[115] Simons also described her family history of slavery when potential apologies for the Netherlands' history of slavery were discussed in a House debate in 2021. Mark Rutte cited the moment as one of the reasons that made him decide to issue an apology on behalf of the government the following year.[116][117] Simons was less active in debates during the last period of her term due to her membership of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Fraud Policy and Public Service, initiated as a result of the Dutch childcare benefits scandal.[116][118]
On several occasions, the media reported on clashes between Simons and fellow politicians. Renske Leijten asked Simons in October 2021 whether she considered her to be a racist as a result of online comments directed at Leijten by BIJ1 members, and Ockje Tellegen rebuked Simons while chairing a legislative meeting a month later, when Simons wanted to address comments that she described as intimidating. House Speaker Vera Bergkamp later defended Tellegen's actions in a letter after Simons had filed a complaint.[119][120] Following a 2022 riot in Staphorst against anti-Zwarte Piet protestors, Simons denounced the police's handling and asked Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz why she resisted a broad investigation into racism in the police force. In turn, Yeşilgöz criticized Simons's description of police officers as using unwarranted violence against citizens.[121]
When the collapse of the fourth Rutte cabinet triggered a November 2023 snap election, Simons announced on 24 July that she would not run for re-election. Two BIJ1 Amsterdam councilors had left the party weeks earlier because of what they alleged to be a toxic and unsafe climate in the party. They mentioned Simons had not supported them enough – a characterization Simons vehemently denied. The party had seen several other internal struggles in the preceding years. Simons also cited her health and well-being reasons for her decision not to run.[116][122] She was succeeded as party leader by Edson Olf, BIJ1's vice chair.[123] For her work, Simons had received the Ally Award from queer lifestyle magazine Winq in 2022 and the Black Achievement Award from the organization of the Black Achievement Month in 2023.[124][125]
Personal life
editSimons has two children. Her son, Salvatore, was born in 1992, when she was 21 years old.[9] Simons has described the father and her then boyfriend as abusive and depressed.[14][16] She has told that he stalked her after the end of their three-year relationship, and he died about a year after the birth of their child. According to Simons, the police reported an unknown cause of death, but she believes that it was a suicide.[14][5] Her second child, Levi, was born in 1996, shortly before Simons's father died by suicide.[16][126] From late 1998 to 1999, Simons lived in London with her British boxer boyfriend and two children while still working in the Netherlands.[5][16] She moved to Duivendrecht, situated close to Amsterdam, in 2001 after having spent the intermittent time in Diemen.[5][127]
She married entrepreneur Frank van Hoorn in early 2003 in Costa Rica.[128] Simons wrote a book about the household, consisting of herself, her husband, her two children, her husband's two teenage daughters, and an au pair, called 1 1=7.[129][130] Another book by Simons and her half-brother Kenneth Leeuwin, a karate world champion, called In balans about the balance between physical and mental health was published a year later in 2005.[3] Simons and her husband divorced in 2006, and she subsequently had a relationship with entrepreneur Roland Kahn, the founder of clothing retailer CoolCat, in the years 2009–12.[9][131][132] She moved from Duivendrecht to Amsterdam, when she became a municipal councilor in 2018 to satisfy a residency requirement, but had moved back to the former village by the time she was installed as member of parliament in 2021.[8][133][134]
Simons is non-religious. She often reflects on her day and her actions through a conversation with herself in the mirror.[12][13] Drawing is a hobby of hers.[135] While a member of parliament, Simons disclosed that she had been suffering from chronic pain for ten years, possibly resulting from osteoarthritis, as well as from long COVID since March 2022.[113][136][137]
Filmography
editYear | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1999 | Sexquiz on the beach | Host |
Politie door 't lint | ||
2000 | De bus | |
2000–2001 | RTL Live | |
2001–2005 | TV makelaar | Host/co-host |
2002 | Met man en macht | Co-host |
2003 | Je echte leeftijd | |
2004 | Kaft | Host |
2005 | Bekend en bekeken | |
Zoop in Africa | Safira | |
De aanhouder wint | Host | |
2005–2007 | Dancing with the Stars (Dutch version) | Co-host |
2006 | Inpakken en wegdromen | Host |
Opvolger gezocht | ||
Hoe mooi is jouw straat? | ||
2007 | Ex Wives Club | Co-host |
2007–2009 | Char | Host |
2008 | Nederland vertrekt | Co-host |
2009–2010 | Sylvana's Choice | Host |
2010 | Sylvana | |
2012 | Puro 43 Music Sessions | |
2014 | Fashion Planet | Herself |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Vergadering RAAD 04-11-2020" [Meeting COUNCIL 04-11-2020]. Gemeente Amsterdam Raadsinformatie (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Afstammingsreeks Amba Leeuwin - Sylvana Simons" [Pedigree chart Amba Leeuwin - Sylvana Simons]. NTR (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d Leistra, Gerlof (12 July 2021). "'Wie Sylvana niet kent, ziet een bitch met een grote mond'" ['If you don't known Sylvana, you will see a bitch with a big mouth']. EW (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Jansen, Dolf; Simons, Sylvana (15 June 2019). "Zomerspijkers met Sylvana Simons". Zomerspijkers (in Dutch). Event occurs at 0:20:15. NPO Radio 2. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Van Rossum, Milou (13 January 2001). "Als je op zwarte mannen valt, heb je een probleem" [If you are attracted to black men, you've got a problem]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). p. 21.
- ^ a b c Langerak, Henk (14 August 1998). "Sylvana wil niet alledaags zijn" [Sylvana does not want to be ordinary]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 3.
- ^ Verkerk, Corrie (10 April 2004). "Sylvana Simons Daar" [Sylvana Simons There]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 16.
- ^ a b Vriend, Jan (1 November 2018). "Sylvana Simons had boze Zwarte Pieten voor de deur staan" [Sylvana Simons had angry Zwarte Pieten standing at her door]. De Gooi- en Eemlander (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Simons, Sylvana (17 December 2011). "'Ik bén gewoon een prinsesje'" ['I just am a little princess']. Het Parool (Interview) (in Dutch). p. 10.
- ^ a b De Mol, Johnny; Simons, Sylvana (2 November 2021). "Sylvana Simons". Waar is De Mol?. Season 4. Episode 5 (in Dutch). SBS6. Retrieved 2 December 2021 – via KIJK.
- ^ a b "08:10". Goedemorgen Nederland. Season 2021. Episode 44 (in Dutch). 4 March 2021. WNL. Retrieved 5 December 2021 – via NPO Start.
- ^ a b c Odaci, Enis (11 February 2021). "'De grootste zoektocht in ons leven is dat we zoeken naar onze gedeelde spiritualiteit'" [The greatest quest in our lives is to search for our shared spirituality]. Volzin (in Dutch).
- ^ a b Den Besten, Tim; Simons, Sylvana (21 July 2019). "Sylvana Simons". Tims ^ tent. Season 4. Episode 4 (in Dutch). VPRO. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via NPO Start.
- ^ a b c d e f Van der Zee, Renate (1 July 1999). "'Ik krijg mezelf steeds meer onder controle'" ['I'm getting myself more and more under control']. Opzij (in Dutch).
- ^ Esma Linnemann (11 August 2023). "Interview - Sylvana Simons - 'Ik heb lang gedacht over racisme: als ik het aankan, dan moeten anderen het ook aankunnen'". Volkskrant Magazine. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Pels, Dorien (3 March 1999). "Giechelen om een glimp van Sylvana" [Giggling because of a glimpse of Sylvana]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ Bouma, Japke-D. (25 March 2000). "Neutrale waardigheid" [Neutral dignity]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ Langerak, Henk (27 April 1995). "The Music Factory strijdt voor plaats 6 op de tv" [The Music Factory fights for channel six on TV]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 22.
- ^ "The Magnificent Four". Muziekencyclopedie (in Dutch). Beeld en Geluid. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "The Magnificent Four". Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons kiest voor SBS6" [Sylvana Simons chooses SBS6]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 26 August 1999.
- ^ a b "Veejay Sylvana verruilt Music Factory voor Playboy" [Veejay Sylvana goes from Music Factory to Playboy]. Trouw (in Dutch). 9 July 1999. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ De Haan, Harold (7 January 2000). "Sylvana Simons neemt De Bus als opstapje voor nieuwe carrière" [Sylvana Simons used De bus as a stepping stone to a new career]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch).
- ^ De Haan, Harold (29 December 1999). "De Bus gemener dan Big Brother" [De bus meaner than Big Brother]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch).
- ^ "More! Magazine". KB (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ Geluk, Jacques (28 August 2000). "Sylvana Simons: serieus, grappig en brutaal" [Sylvana Simons: Serious, funny, and bold]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch).
- ^ "Opknapbeurt heeft 'Koffietijd' niet gered" [Makeover did not save Koffietijd]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 16 March 2001.
- ^ Bloemkolk, Jos (4 January 2002). "Lippenstift all over the place" [Lipstick all over the place]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 16.
- ^ "Sylvana naar Noordzee FM" [Sylvana to Noordzee FM]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 30 January 2001. p. 23.
- ^ Bouma, Japke-D. (22 November 2001). "De stilte rond Sylvana Simons" [The silence surrounding Sylvana Simons]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). p. 29.
- ^ "Vrouwen interviewen mannen" [Women interview men]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 28 December 2001.
- ^ Breure, Bernice (3 May 2003). "Vanaf maandag presentatrice van het programma Je Echte Leeftijd" [Host of the program Je echte leeftijd starting on Monday]. Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch).
- ^ "135 Jaar jonger" [135 years younger]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 5 May 2003. p. 12.
- ^ Van der Beek, Hans (24 February 2004). "Boekenprogramma's met veel humor en amusement het grote publiek" [Book programs with much humor and amusement for the larger public]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 3.
- ^ Brandt, Monique (3 April 2004). "Boekenprogramma Kaft wordt geen ECI-show" [Book program Kaft will not be an ECI show]. Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch).
- ^ Staps, Freek (5 October 2004). "Er moet toch een koper zijn" [There must be a buyer]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). p. 21.
- ^ Rogmans, Dolf (24 February 2005). "Na winterpauze, voor zomerstop" [After winter break, before summer break]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 16.
- ^ "Nieuwe quiz draait om wie het snelst leert" [New quiz revolves around who learns the fastest]. Trouw (in Dutch). 1 August 2005. p. V10.
- ^ "Brandsteder en Simons samen in dansshow" [Brandsteder and Simons together in dance contest]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 7 July 2005. p. 2.
- ^ "Oudejaarsspecial van Dancing with the Stars" [New Year's Eve special of Dancing with the Stars]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 18 October 2015. p. 12.
- ^ "RTL: niks nieuws onder de zon" [RTL: Nothing new under the sun]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 22 July 2005. p. 13.
- ^ "Sylvana voor Simavi" [Sylvana for Simavi]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). 26 July 2005. p. 2.
- ^ ""Tandenpoetsen sla je toch ook niet over?"" ["You don't skip brushing your teeth, do you?"]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 8 May 2006. p. 7.
- ^ De Jong, Angela (9 June 2006). "Wegdromen met Sylvana Simons" [Dream away with Sylvana Simons]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 29.
- ^ "Als de kinderen de zaak niet willen, zoekt RTL4 een opvolger" [RTL finds a successor if the children don't want the business]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 11 September 2006. p. 17.
- ^ "Opvolger Gezocht alweer van de buis gehaald" [Opvolger gezocht already canceled]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 26 September 2006. p. 18.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons helpt gescheiden vrouwen" [Sylvana Simons helps divorced women]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 22 February 2007.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons presenteert 'Char'" [Sylvana Simons presents Char]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 11 September 2007. p. 12.
- ^ "Praten met het hiernamaals" [Talking with the afterlife]. Spits (in Dutch). 20 December 2007. p. 38.
- ^ "Otazu wint 'Global dancing with the stars'" [Otazu wins Global Dancing with the Stars]. Trouw (in Dutch). Novum. 23 December 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ Langeslag, Mark (3 January 2008). "RTL: Geen contract voor Sylvana" [RTL: No contract for Sylvana]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 1.
- ^ Carlier, Nicole (12 June 2018). "Televisie trekt deze zomer de wereld over" [TV travels around the world this summer]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons krijgt programma op Radio 6" [Sylvana Simons get her own show on Radio 6]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 9 July 2009. p. 2.
- ^ "Nieuwe NPS-show voor Sylvana Simons" [New NPS show for Sylvana Simons]. ED (in Dutch). 18 August 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Mensen" [People]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 24 March 2010.
- ^ "Mensen" [People]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 7 July 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ a b Groenier, Rivka (21 March 2015). "Sylvana Simons, een bevlogen ambassadeur van zwarte muziek" [Sylvana Simons, an inspired ambassador of black music]. De Stentor (in Dutch).
- ^ "NPO wil Radio 6 opheffen" [NPO wants to disband Radio 6]. NOS (in Dutch). 5 March 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ a b Kok, Albert (8 October 2011). "Ik heb het best ver geschopt" [I've made it pretty far]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch).
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (9 July 2011). "Ik ben ijdel genoeg" [I'm vain enough]. de Volkskrant (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Haroon Ali. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Nostalgische soul vibe van nu" [Nostalgic soul vibe of now]. Metro (in Dutch). 2 January 2014. p. 26.
- ^ "Thuis swingen met North Sea Jazz" [Swinging at home with North Sea Jazz]. Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 July 2015.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (16 November 2018). "'Ik ben wel echt een arrogante betweter'" ['I really am an arrogant know-it-all']. NRC (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Carice Gargard. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Mark van Eeuwen wint finale Strictly Come Dancing" [Mark van Eeuwen wins final Strictly Come Dancing]. NU.nl (in Dutch). 13 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons krijgt popprogramma" [Sylvan Simons gets pop program]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 27 November 2012. p. 30.
- ^ Van Rossum, Daphne (10 December 2014). "Vooruitblikken" [Looking ahead]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (7 October 2014). "'Ik ben geen slachtoffer van een racistisch systeem'" ['I am not a victim of a racist system']. de Volkskrant (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Robert Vuijsje. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ Van Wijk, Leon (15 October 2015). "Geen LULverhalen meer voor Sylvana Simons na pietenbetoog" [No LULverhalen anymore for Sylvana Simons after Pieten speech]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons sluit zich aan bij Denk" [Sylvana Simons joins DENK]. Trouw (in Dutch). 18 May 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ Oomen, Eefje (24 December 2015). "Sylvana Simons: Ik leef niet voor m'n imago" [Sylvana Simons: I am not living for my image]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ "Hoe Zwarte Piet veranderde, van pageknecht tot roetstrepen" [How Zwarte Piet changed, from page boy to soot stripes]. NOS (in Dutch). 30 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons sluit zich aan bij DENK" [Sylvana Simons joins DENK]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 18 May 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ a b Niemantsverdriet, Thijs (19 May 2016). "Tv-ster Sylvana Simons gaat politiek dekoloniseren" [TV celebrity Sylvana Simons is going to decolonize politics]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (24 December 2016). "'Ik lach om die hele Zwarte Pietendiscussie'" ['I am laughing at the Zwarte Piet debate']. de Volkskrant (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Frank Hendrickx and Joost de Vries. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "Denk verdubbelt claim: partij eist 60 duizend euro van Sylvana Simons" [DENK doubles claim: party demands €60,000 from Sylvana Simons]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 10 April 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Van Houten, Maaike (25 May 2016). "Voor Hoofdpiet is het feest nu ook wel voorbij" [The party is now over for Hoofdpiet]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ Huisman, Charlotte; Van der Velden, Lisa (26 May 2016). "OM onderzoekt racisme op sociale media tegen Simons" [Public Prosecution Service investigates racism on social media against Simons]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons doet aangifte" [Sylvana Simons files a police report]. Het Parool (in Dutch). ANP. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ Kroes, Nicole (26 May 2016). "OM neemt contact op met Sylvana Simons" [Public Prosecution Service contact Sylvana Simons]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Denk: Sylvana Simons wordt beveiligd" [DENK: Sylvana Simons is receiving protection]. NOS (in Dutch). 22 November 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Zanger geeft toe: 'Oh Sylvana' gaat wel degelijk over Simons" [Singer admits: Oh Sylvana is about Simons]. NOS (in Dutch). 31 December 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "OM eist tachtig uur tegen Kudelstaarter voor lynchclip Sylvana Simons" [Public Prosecution Service demands eighty hours of community service for Kudelstaart resident for lynching video Sylvana Simons]. NH Nieuws (in Dutch). 12 April 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Werkstraffen en boetes voor beledigen Sylvana Simons" [Community-service orders and fines for insulting Sylvana Simons]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 18 May 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ Abjij, Youssef (12 April 2017). "Dit zijn de verdachten in de zaak-Sylvana Simons" [These are the suspects in the Sylvana Simons case]. NOS (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "OM kan niet alle beledigingen tegen Simons onderzoeken" [Public Prosecution Service cannot investigate all insults to Simons]. NOS (in Dutch). 1 June 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons weg bij Denk, begint nieuwe partij" [Sylvana Simons leaves DENK, starts new party]. NOS (in Dutch). 24 December 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (24 December 2016). "Waarom Sylvana Simons vertrok bij Denk en haar eigen partij begon" [Why Sylvana Simons left DENK and started her own party] (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Nadia Ezzeroili. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ Mouissie, Sjoerd (24 April 2017). "Sylvana Simons hoeft DENK geen vergoeding te betalen" [Sylvana Simons does not have to pay damages to DENK]. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons en Denk leggen conflict bij na 'goed overleg'" [Sylvana Simons and DENK reconcile after 'good talk']. NRC (in Dutch). 25 July 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Dit staat in verkiezingsprogramma van Sylvana Simons' Artikel 1" [This is what is in the election program of Sylvana Simons's Artikel 1]. AD (in Dutch). ANP. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ Van Houten, Maaike (3 March 2017). "Het nieuwe boek van Sylvana Simons is ook meteen het partijprogramma voor Artikel 1" [Sylvana Simons's new book is at the same time the party program of Artikel 1]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ Wiegman, Marcel (9 March 2017). "'De kandidatenlijst is indrukwekkend én historisch'" [The party list is impressive and historic]. Het Parool (in Dutch). p. 6.
- ^ "Uitslag Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2017 (getekend exemplaar)" [Results 2017 general election (signed copy)] (PDF). Kiesraad (in Dutch). 21 March 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "Nieuwe naam van partij van Sylvana Simons is BIJ1" [New name for Sylvana Simons's party is BIJ1]. RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 29 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (3 December 2017). "Sylvana Simons: 'Gevestigde partijen hebben veel laten liggen'" [Sylvana Simons: 'Established parties have missed the boat on a lot of things']. Het Parool (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Marcel Wiegman. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (29 December 2017). "'Alles wat ik zeg en doe, wordt negatief vertaald'" ['Everything I say and do is translated negatively']. De Stentor (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Tonny van der Mee. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ Couzy, Michiel; Koops, Ruben (7 March 2018). "Sylvana Simons wil niet in debat met Annabel Nanninga" [Sylvana Simons does not want to debate Annable Nanninga]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Nieuwe gemeenteraad Amsterdam geïnstalleerd" [New Amsterdam municipal council installed]. NU.nl (in Dutch). ANP. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ Middel, Mark (6 April 2018). "Grachtengordel: 0,7 procent voor Denk" [Grachtengordel: 0.7 percent for DENK]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Documentaire Sylvana Simons in première op IDFA" [Documentary about Sylvana Simons premiers at IDFA]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 18 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Amsterdamse raad neemt afstand van Simons in debat over politiegeweld bij bankgebouw" [Amsterdam council distances itself from Simons in debate about police violence near bank building]. NH Nieuws (in Dutch). 13 February 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Gemeente stopt met beboeten op straat slapende daklozen" [Municipality will stop fining the homeless for sleeping in the streets]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 19 December 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Muller, Mike (22 October 2021). "Gemeente Amsterdam geeft 'witte privilege'-trainingen aan ambtenaren" [Municipality of Amsterdam provides white privilege trainings to civil servants]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b Couzy, Michiel (1 November 2020). "Sylvana Simons wist met één zetel de agenda te beïnvloeden" [Sylvana Simons managed to influence the agenda with one seat]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons krijgt Ribbius Peletier-penning" [Sylvana Simons receives the Ribbius Peletier medal] (in Dutch). ANP. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Bij1 doet nieuwe gooi naar Kamerzetel" [BIJ1 will again try to get a House seat]. AT5 (in Dutch). 25 January 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons geeft zetel in gemeenteraad Amsterdam op" [Sylvana Simons gives up seat in Amsterdam municipal council]. AD (in Dutch). ANP. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "BIJ1 van Simons wil met 'linkse, groene' koers in Tweede Kamer" [BIJ1 of Simons wants to enter House of Representatives with 'leftist, green' course]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 14 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Rubio, Ilah (31 March 2021). "Kleurrijk feestje voor Sylvana Simons" [Colorful party for Sylvana Simons]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ Lammers, Esther (12 March 2021). "Sylvana Simons kan zomaar een Kamerzetel bemachtigen met Black Lives Matter: 'In Den Haag worden de messen al geslepen'" [Sylvana Simons might just get a House seat with Black Lives Matter: 'The knives are already being sharpened in The Hague']. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ Korteweg, Ariejan (14 April 2021). "Sylvana Simons zetelt in het voormalige ministerie van Koloniën: een zeldzaam bondige geschiedenisles" [Sylvana Simons is sitting in the former Ministry of Colonies: a rare concise history lesson]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Het kleinefractieberaad: 'kleintjes' in Kamer werken samen om meer te bereiken" [The small caucus deliberation: 'little ones' in House cooperate to achieve more]. RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 16 October 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ a b Simons, Sylvana (17 December 2021). "Sylvana Simons ontpopte zich als de felste tegenstander van het coronabeleid: 'Lockdown? We hebben nog helemaal geen pijn geleden'" [Sylvana Simons revealed herself to be the fiercest opponent of the COVID-19 policy: 'Lockdown? We haven't felt any pain yet']. Het Parool (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Keultjes, Hanneke; Klaassen, Niels. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Rutte vindt motie BIJ1 over coronastrategie 'onbeschaafd'" [Rutte finds BIJ1 motion about COVID-19 strategy 'uncivilized']. Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Kamer wil weten hoe een constitutioneel hof opgericht kan worden" [House wants to know how a constitutional court could be established]. Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). ANP. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Wieringa, Rein (24 July 2023). "Sylvana Simons niet opnieuw Bij1-lijsttrekker nadat Amsterdamse raadsleden zich afsplitsen" [Sylvana Simons won't be BIJ1 lead candidate again after Amersterdam councilors leave the party]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Julen, Jeannine (25 July 2023). "Hoe radicale gelijkwaardigheid het politiek leiderschap van Sylvana Simons in de weg zat" [How radical equality was in the way of Sylvana Simons's political leadership]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Enquêtecommissie zoekt nog twee jaar naar de waarheid rond fraudebeleid" [Parliamentary inquiry will seek the truth about fraud policy for another two years]. FD (in Dutch). 3 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ "Kamerleden Leijten en Simons botsen over racismetweets" [House members Leijten and Simons clash over racism tweets]. AD (in Dutch). 29 October 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "Kamervoorzitter in brief aan Simons: regels gelden voor iedereen" [Speaker of the House in letter to Simons: Rules apply to everyone]. NOS (in Dutch). 10 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Yesilgöz botst fel met Simons over nasleep Sint-intocht Staphorst" [Yeşilgöz clashes with Simons about aftermath Sinterklaas arrival Staphorst]. NOS (in Dutch). 22 November 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ Linnemann, Esma. "Sylvana Simons wil geen lijsttrekker Bij1 meer zijn, 'ziet uit naar rust'" [Sylvana Simons no longer wants to be BIJ1 lead candidate, 'is looking forward to rest']. de Volkskrant. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Rotterdammer Edson Olf volgt Simons op als lijsttrekker Bij1" [Edson Olf from Rotterdam succeeds Simons as BIJ1 lead candidate]. NOS (in Dutch). 16 September 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Diversiteitsprijzen voor Splinter Chabot en NOS-podcast" [Diversity awards for Splinter Chabot and NOS podcast]. NOS (in Dutch). 9 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ "Black Achievement Awards uitgereikt: 'Belangrijk podium voor mensen van kleur'" [Black Achievement Awards presented: 'Important stage for people of color']. NOS. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Helberg, Glenn. "Sylvana Simons over eenzaamheid, woede en de dood van haar ex" [Sylvana Simons about loneliness, anger, and the death of her ex]. The Therapist - Benelux. Season 1. Episode 1 (in Dutch). Viceland. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Zoektocht naar de ideale woning" [Searching for the ideal house]. Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 22 November 2001.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (23 October 2005). ""Je moet in jezelf geloven"" ["You have to believe in yourself"]. De Telegraaf (Interview) (in Dutch). p. 11.
- ^ Snoeijen, Monique (3 April 2004). "Sylvana met boeken: ik ben een doorsnee lezer" [Sylvana and books: I am an average reader]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). p. 53.
- ^ Simons, Sylvana (19 October 2004). "Sylvana Simons: In eeuwige trouw heb ik nooit geloofd" [Sylvana Simons: I have never believed in eternal loyalty]. Algemeen Dagblad (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Antoinnette Scheulderman. p. 15.
- ^ "Sylvana is polygaam" [Sylvana is polygamous]. Trouw (in Dutch). Novum. 25 April 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Albers, Matthijs (22 September 2012). "Alleen ben ik ook erg happy" [I am also very happy alone]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 28.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons berispt om woonplicht" [Sylvana Simons reprimanded for residency mandate]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 17 October 2018. p. 4.
- ^ "Sylvana Simons". Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "#74 - Sylvana Simons recenseert New Female Leaders" [#74 - Sylvana Simons reviews New Female Leaders]. Miss Podcast (Podcast) (in Dutch). 12 May 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2022 – via NPO Radio 1.
- ^ "De Zwoele Stad: Lize Korpershoek en Sylvana Simons over seks en taboes doorbreken" [De Zwoele Stad: Lize Korpenshoek and Sylvana Simons about sex and breaking taboos]. AT5 (in Dutch). 10 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ Van der Molen, Michelle (15 March 2023). "Sylvana Simons heeft long covid én reuma: 'De pijn is soms ondraaglijk'" [Sylvana Simons has long COVID and rheumatism: 'The pain can sometimes be unbearable']. Linda (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 March 2023.