With her characteristic cheerful flowers in her hair, Debbie de Jong took the gamble last summer to sign up for the love program B&B Vol Liefde. Now that we are almost a year further, Debbie is turning a new page. In conversation with Jan & Marc-Marie, she talks candidly about the relationship with her ex-partner.
The B&B Full of Love adventure of Debbie and Paul
In the vibrant television adventure of B&B Vol Liefde, where Bed and Breakfast owners went looking for love, it was impossible to miss: the spark between Debbie and her charming partner Paul Visser. As the cameras captured everything, they started out as good friends, but soon you could feel the sparks flying off the screen. Yet there has also been another special man in Debbie’s life.
A dream together
Before Paul crossed her path in the program, Debbie was married to none other than the Dutch actor Alfred van den Heuvel. Together the two had the dream of running a B&B in Spain and so they took this big leap together.
Living past each other
What sounds nice was less successful in execution. This had everything to do with Alfred’s work in the Netherlands. He often had to return to the Netherlands for various television programs and for his work as a comedian. “I sometimes hear people say that it is good for your relationship if you don’t see each other much. That was not the case in our case, because you grow apart,” she says candidly. “I’m working very hard in Spain to run the place and Alfred is playing hard there. He lived his life there. And when I did a renovation here I thought ‘oh never mind, I’ll take him there “If you decide to go abroad together, I don’t know if it works well if one of the two is away a lot. In love, we have started to live past each other,” Debbie concludes.
All’s well that ends well
Despite the breakdown of her relationship with Alfred, Debbie now beams with happiness at her Paul’s side in sunny Spain. They enjoy each other’s company like two hands on one stomach and work hard on their Bed and Breakfast. It seems she has found her own fairytale in the Spanish sun. All’s well that ends well!
