TV Anchor and ‘Masked Singer’ Personality Dies of Cancer: Loretta Schrijver Was 68

Longtime Dutch TV anchor and The Masked Singer panelist Loretta Schrijver has died at the age of 68.

The Dutch television presenter passed away on the night of Wednesday, March 26 following a battle with cancer, her family told RTL Nieuws.

Schrijver was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021 and underwent a procedure, weeks-long hospitalization, and treatment before she was declared to be in remission. However, in a July column for the Nouveau magazine, she shared that the cancer had returned and had metastasized, per AD.

“Since last October, after the recordings of The Masked Singer, I have been on chemo, with the associated ups and downs. Difficult: yes. Sad: no,” she wrote at the time. “Maybe it’s a heavy point that is already behind me, so maybe I’m already used to it. I’m not gloomy, I take it as it comes. For the rest, everything is just stable, it doesn’t get more, it doesn’t get less.”

She added, “There is a prognosis, but what good is that? If they say: You have a 50 percent chance of surviving five years, what do you know? Prognoses are useless, life consists of one day; you have to seize it.”

Born in New York in 1956, Schrijver moved to the Netherlands with her parents when she was an infant. She entered the entertainment world after studying history and translation, first at RTL Nieuws, where she presented the news with Jeroen Pauw from 1989, and later the AVRO, Omroep MAX, and again RTL Nieuws.

Throughout her career, she presented the RTL News and Coffee Time, and also served as a panelist on RTL’s The Masked Singer, the Dutch version of the popular competition show. She appeared on the show for six seasons beginning in 2019 and through the most recent season, Season 6, which wrapped earlier this year, per her IMDb profile.

“From the start of RTL Nieuws in 1989, Loretta entered the living rooms,” editor-in-chief Ilse Opennee said. “A warm personality with a beautiful, distinctive voice. She informed millions of people about the world news, in her own accessible way. Her laughter regularly checked with the editorial staff. We are very grateful to Loretta for everything she has done for RTL News.”

Sven Sauvé and Peter van der Vorst added on behalf of RTL, “We are defeated and incredibly saddened by the unexpected message that Loretta has died. It is hard to believe that she is no longer there. We are in mind with her partner and wish him and all the family and friends around her a lot of strength with this incredible loss. Loretta was a very popular and warm colleague, who has meant a lot to RTL and all viewers. With her unsurpassed, unique smile, she could touch everyone in the heart. We will miss her very much.”