Presenter Frank van Leeuwen: ‘You should celebrate your student days’
As the host of the morning show Goedemorgen Nederland, Frank van Leeuwen gets out of bed at a time when he, as a public administration student, was still hanging out at the bar. Together with Univers, he reflects on his student days. ‘My year as a student council board member was the best year of my life.’

His workday starts while most people are still turning over in their beds. Frank van Leeuwen (1995), presenter of Goedemorgen Nederland (WNL), is the first to admit that his working hours are intense: ‘The alarm goes off at a quarter to five at the latest, but usually, I’m already reviewing the evening’s news so I know what was discussed on talk shows and current affairs programs. If I don’t do that, I get restless,’ Van Leeuwen says, rubbing his palm across his forehead.
‘Once I’ve reviewed the most important news, I freshen up and drive from my home in Utrecht to the Omroep Max studio at the Media Park. I arrive around 5:30 a.m., and that’s when my workday really begins. By 7:30 a.m., the program needs to be completely ready because we go live then.
‘These hours never really become routine, and they do take a toll on my life. You have to sacrifice a lot in your personal life. Fortunately, my boyfriend also works in the media, so he understands how this world works.’
Not exactly a morning person
We meet the Brabander in the morning, right after a broadcast. Guests are being seen off, the studio is being tidied up, and co-host Welmoed Sijtsma is filming content for social media. After that, she kicks off her shoes and starts on the sandwiches, already set aside for Van Leeuwen.
‘Do you mind if I eat those first? I’m really hungry.’ After he’s eaten and changed into his own clothes – jogging pants and a hoodie ‘to hit the gym later’ – he finally sits down to relax. In a nearby lunch café, Van Leeuwen shares that, as a student in Tilburg, he was anything but a morning person. ‘How I ended up in a morning show is a mystery to everyone.’
Making the most of student life
‘I believe you should celebrate your student days,’ he says with conviction. ‘And I did: whenever possible, I was at the bar. During the first months of my studies, I deliberately stayed at home in the Brabant village of Budel-Schoot, where I played soccer, was a leader at Jong Nederland, and active in the carnival association. It seemed wise to first see if I liked studying at all. But I quickly made friends who were already living on their own.’
Started here
Professional soccer players, party leaders, ministers, presenters, and judges. Tilburg University boasts many well-known alumni. In the series Started here, Univers takes a look back at their student days.
‘The decision to move out and make the most of my student life was a very good one. I literally owe my career to the people I met during my studies. Through the university council, I met Koen Becking, who was then the chairman of the executive board but had also worked in television.’
‘I studied public administration and breezed through my bachelor’s and master’s. For my thesis, I came up with the idea of exploring something at the intersection of governance and media. Maybe I could even combine it with an internship? So, I messaged Koen, asking if he had any contacts. A few days later, I got a call, and a week later, I had a meeting, and it was all arranged.’
Room for everyone
‘Honestly, it was that easy. So, it really pays to get active during your studies: join a club, be part of a committee, or just hang out at the bar—anywhere you can make connections. A network like that is very valuable, even after graduation. Of course, your degree is important too, but knowing the right people helps enormously.’
‘Even if you’re more introverted and not really into parties or activities, you can still contribute to a club,’ Van Leeuwen says. ‘In the 2016-2017 academic year, I was the chair of Fractie Front, and that association has both a social and a substantive side. The students who contribute think about the university’s direction or educational reforms. I believe there’s a place for everyone in a student association.’
Binge-watching under a blanket
Back to the moment he decided to move into student housing. ‘With friends who were already living in Tilburg, we came up with the idea to find a house together. It worked out—we moved into a house on Wagenaarstraat with four of us. It was super fun and very laid-back.’ Van Leeuwen laughs: ‘We’d be on the couch binge-watching Prison Break, all under a blanket and drinking soda. Tough guys, right?’
‘Once in Tilburg, I got fully immersed in student life. My life was more about the evenings than the mornings or afternoons. After beers, frikandel rolls, and other unhealthy snacks, I weighed about 105 kilos after my year on the board at Front. That was ridiculous. So I started cutting back.’ With mock seriousness: ‘So please, leave the photos from that time behind.’
A valuable addition
What’s the biggest difference between Frank the first-year student and Frank at graduation? ‘At first, I was very focused on Budel-Schoot and my social life there. At the bar, the talk wasn’t about politics or anything, but about the latest gossip from the village. There’s nothing wrong with that, but during my studies, I met people with different hobbies or different perspectives on life. I always saw that as a valuable addition.’
‘I learned to appreciate that people can approach things completely differently than I do. You don’t have to agree with each other completely. A university is precisely a place where you can discuss things. In public administration, for instance, we often debated how the Netherlands should look in the future. I always enjoyed those substantive discussions, and I still do.’
The best year of my life
Van Leeuwen has one final message for Tilburg students. ‘I know I’m repeating myself when I say you should get active. But I do it because you often only realize afterward how special your student years are. Life will never be as relaxed as it is now.
‘Living with friends in a house, leaving things undone if you don’t feel like it—everything is carefree and fun. That will never come back. And my year on the board was amazing. That was the best year, maybe even of my life.’ Silence. ‘Yeah, I actually think so.’
CV
2013 – 2016 Bachelor’s in Public Administration, Tilburg University
2016 – 2017 Chair of Fractie Front
2016 – 2017 Student member of the university council
2016 – 2018 Master’s in Public Governance
2018 Intern at the Media Policy Department, Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science
2018 – Present Political editor, Omroep WNL
2020 – Present Reporter, Goedemorgen Nederland
2022 – Present Presenter, Goedemorgen Nederland
2024 Nominated for Televizier-Ring in the Talent category