Jeroen van der Boom says Joling’s Toppers exit came as a surprise

Jeroen van der Boom says he learnt through the media that Gerard Joling was leaving Dutch group De Toppers, describing the announcement as a surprise.

“Like many of you, the news that Gerard is leaving De Toppers came as a huge surprise to me,” Van der Boom wrote on Instagram. “I knew nothing either and heard it through the media today. I had to let it sink in.” [1]

Van der Boom said he had hoped the group would perform together in the same line-up for many more years. He added that the news came as the group was also dealing with concern over fellow member René Froger’s health. Froger recently announced that he has an autoimmune disease and does not know whether he will be able to take part in the 2027 Toppers concerts. [1]

Joling said in an Instagram video that he wanted to focus on his own concerts in early 2027. He later told other media that tensions had also played a part in his decision, according to Nieuws.nl. Van der Boom said he respected Joling’s choice. De Toppers said they would announce a replacement soon. [1]