A reality TV show from The Netherlands adds romance to the annual holiday season by reuniting Dutchies with their far-away sweethearts. This year, its producers bridged a connection more than 5,000 miles away to Northern Arizona University.
The show—called All You Need Is Love—reunited Tresa Tudrick, an undergraduate journalism major, with her Dutch boyfriend, Daan Brouwers.
Tudrick and Brouwers met last summer when Brouwers came to NAU as part of an annual exchange that brings students from NHTV Breda University of Professional Education to the NAU campus for video production workshops through the School of Communication’s electronic media program.
“I was a student-teacher and Daan was one of 100 or so Dutch students from the program,” Tudrick explained. She said they quickly fell in love but hadn’t seen one another for months once he returned home. Two of Brouwers’ longtime friends contacted the show to suggest a surprise reunion be arranged.
Tudrick traveled to The Netherlands over the winter break, and when the show’s host, Robert ten Brink, showed up with Tudrick at Brouwers’ door, he could hardly believe it.
The couple’s international reunion was broadcast during the show’s Christmas special, which aired on Dec. 24.
Watch the episode here.