Geert Verholst and James Cook mourn Chef Annie from ‘Ger…

“This morning we received the sad news of Anetje’s passing,” James Cook wrote on Instagram. “Annie,” that was the host’s pet name for Annie Deleersnyder, who was seen regularly on the talk show. Changed late at night. On the yacht Evanna, where Cooke and Gert Verhulst greeted their guests, Annie took care of the meals.

Annie kept a café open in Oostduinkerke for thirty years, where she also served food. This is how they got to know Verhulst, who owns a house in Oostduinkerke. “Simple and very sympathetic people,” says Annie. “One day Geert talked about his plans for a talk show. He looked for another host who could cook well and asked, ‘Annie, wouldn’t that be your thing?’ That at least.”

Annie Dillersneider was 74 years old. She passed away this morning after a short illness. “In addition to being a private chef, Annie was above all a true friend,” says Gert Verholst. “I can always count on her and always felt at home and so welcome. A warm, sober woman who made me realize after every reunion how important it is to value the little things in life. I visited her last week. She was sick for a while, but I didn’t expect it to go through this Speed. I want to thank her for who she was and what she meant to me.”

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“When I think of Annie, I can’t help but smile,” James Cook adds. “I had so many memorable moments with her on Ivana. We often had the laughs, but she was also our mother on the boat. Did we eat enough veggies? Shouldn’t we sleep a little more? She always stayed normal. Nothing bothered her.” BV. There wasn’t much to ask. And she taught us what was important. Friendship and good food. I had arranged for Annie’s family to go this morning but it wasn’t meant to be. He went fast. I’ll miss her so much.”