Dutch writer and cabaret performer Paulien Cornelisse has died at the age of 50, De Telegraaf reported on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The cause of death was not given in the reporting available.
Cornelisse was a familiar figure in Dutch cultural life, working across both writing and cabaret. De Telegraaf and NOS both reported her death, while de Volkskrant described her as someone audiences came to feel loosely connected to from a distance.
Her death prompted changes to television schedules. NU reported that the quiz programme De slimste mens would not be broadcast on Wednesday following the news. According to AD.nl, presenter Eva Jinek broke down during a tribute to Cornelisse in her broadcast.
No funeral arrangements or further details about her death have been reported. De Telegraaf's report did not include information on survivors or the circumstances surrounding her death.
Further tributes and broadcast schedule changes are likely to follow in the coming days.
