Gerard Joling has lifted the lid on the annoyances that built up behind the scenes at De Toppers before he left the group. In an interview with Privé, the Dutch singer described how his role in the shows steadily shrank until he felt pushed to the edge of the lineup. Feeling sidelined on stage clearly stung, even as the public saw the usual glitzy performances. The way his departure was communicated added to the friction, since he says the messaging around it was muddled. Joling's account makes clear the irritation accumulated over time rather than erupting out of nowhere. For now he seems content to have said his piece and moved on from the whole affair.