Petula Louise "Patty" Brard (born March 25, 1955) is a Dutch singer, television personality, actress and entrepreneur, most notable for being a former member of the girl group Luv'. For five decades, she has often hit the headlines of the tabloid press.
In the late 1970s, Luv' scored a string of international hit records such as "You're the Greatest Lover", "Trojan Horse", "Casanova" and "Ooh, Yes I Do" on the charts. Brard left Luv' in 1980 and went on to release a series of solo studio albums throughout the 1980s. The group reunited on several occasions.
Since 1983, Brard has been active on television as a host/presenter. She hosted the Candid Camera-like TV programs such as De Bananasplit Show and Gaan met die Banaan as well as the 1985 edition of the Sanremo Music Festival and the 2001 version of Big Brother. Inspired by the success of The Osbournes, she appeared in reality television shows that featured her life, the most popular being Patty's Posse (2003–2004). Her participation in the ice skating competition Sterren Dansen Op Het IJs (2007) and the celebrity diving competition Sterren Springen Op Zaterdag (also known as Celebrity Splash!) were highly covered events. Since 2007, she has been a showbiz expert on the entertainment news program Shownieuws on SBS6. Brard was also involved in other shows on the same channel including De Nieuwe Uri Geller ("The new Uri Geller"), Wie Ben Ik? ("Who Am I?"), K2 zoekt K3, Bonje Met De Buren ("Trouble With Neighbours").
In 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2019, she signed exclusive deals with SBS Broadcasting B.V. (taken over by Talpa Network in 2011). Currently, she is working as a freelance TV host.
Since February 2020, Patty Brard has launched collections of household items, jewellery and skincare lines in association with Kruidvat shops in the Netherlands.
Contents
Early life
Petula Louise Brard was born on March 25, 1955, in Sorong, Dutch New Guinea (now Southwest Papua, Indonesia). She is of Indo (Dutch-Indonesian) descent, with some distant French and German heritage. The family moved to the Netherlands when Brard was eleven years old, settling in Rijswijk.
Her cousin Stanley Brard was a professional footballer with Feyenoord.
Musical career
The Luv' years
In 1976, she was recruited by Hans van Hemert to be part of a girl group called Luv' with José Hoebee and Marga Scheide. On December 31, 1979, Luv' received the Buma Export Award. The trio scored a string of hit records in Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mexico. In 1980, she left the group and took part in two comebacks with Luv' (in 1993–1996 and in 2005–2012).
The Post Luv' era
In 1981, Brard was the first Luv' member to start a solo career. She recorded in the 1980s three albums (All This Way, You're in the Pocket and Red Light) in Los Angeles. She collaborated with sought-after session musicians (including Billy Preston, Paulinho Da Costa, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Jai Winding). Brard's American recordings were not as popular as those of Luv' (except the single "Hold On To Love" which was a Top 20 hit in the Netherlands, a Top 10 hit in Belgium and which reached the 12th position in South Africa in 1981).
She is used to record duets:
In 1986, she performed the ballad "Tender Love", released as a single, with Eddie Kendricks.
In 2000, she sang a track with Def Rhymz, a Dutch rapper.
In 2004, she recorded the single "Huilen is voor jou te laat" with Jacques Herb, which was a minor hit on the Dutch charts (#64 on the Mega Top 100).
In 2005, the duet "That's Life" with her lover Derick was the theme of Pat's Life, one of her reality television shows.
In 2006, her Carnival song "Ik wil knallen" with Ome Henk became a Dutch Top 5 hit.
In 2012, she released the digital single "Carnavals Party Hitmix" with Alex.
In 2015, she put out the digital single "Bonje Met De Buren" with Joey Hartkamp and Jochem van Gelder.
In 2017, the song "Wat Zijn Ze Lekker" (with Roy Donders) came out.
In 2018, the song "We Zullen De Laatsten Zijn" (with Roy Donders) was released.
In 2024, her duet "Feesten in de stad" with the reality star Kees de Bever came out.
Discography
All This Way (Philips, 1981)
You're In The Pocket (Ultraphone, 1983)
Red Light (Striped Horse, 1986)
Een vrolijk kerstfeest (Tip Top TTC, 1995), a Christmas music compilation on which Patty Brard sings "It's Gonna Be A Cold Christmas" with Robert Halewijn
Gouden Kerst (Megado, 1996), a re-issue of Een vrolijk kerstfeest
Patty's Party Vol. 1 (NRGY Music, 2011)
"Hold On To Love" (Philips, 1981)
"Brazilian Love Song / Samba Man" (Philips, 1981)
"You Stole a Little Piece of My Heart" (Ultraphone, 1983)
"Never My Love" (Ultraphone, 1983)
"Woman in Love" (Striped Horse, 1985)
"Mystery Theme" (Striped Horse, 1985)
"Over My Head" (Striped Horse, 1986)
"Red Light" (Striped Horse, 1986)
"Tender Love" (duet with Eddy Kendricks, Striped Horse, 1986)
"Ik ga extreem" (Red Bullet, 1996)
"BN'ers voor BNN: Hij gaat voor C" (Bunny Music Bucs, 1997)
"Huilen is voor jou te laat" (duet with Jacques Herb, Telstar/CNR Music, 2004)
TV career
Since 1983, Patty Brard has hosted numerous TV shows, including De Bananasplit Show, Gaan met die banaan, Brard gaat extreem, Onder de B van Brard, and Hart van de stad.
In 1985, she presented with Pippo Baudo the Sanremo Music Festival on the Italian TV channel Rai Uno.
In early 2001, in her TV show Absolutely Patty on Yorin, she interviewed VIPs in her house. In that year, she also hosted the third Dutch edition of Big Brother.
Two years later, a reality TV programme Patty's Posse featured her domestic life, her friends and her family (her daughter Priscilla, and her third husband René).
In the autumn of 2004, she was filmed with other celebrities (among them, her Luv' colleague Marga Scheide) as they were having a health cure in Ibiza.
On March 25, 2005, she celebrated her 50th birthday, which spawned a special TV programme Pat's Life (in which she met the most important persons in her life) was prepared. Later that year RTL 5 broadcast Lieve Patty, in which Brard helped desperate candidates to solve their love problems.
In 2006, the docusoap Back in Luv' featured Luv's reunion.
Her funny performance in Sterren Dansen op het IJs (the Dutch version of Skating with Celebrities) in January 2007 was a heavily covered media event. After a 15-year-long partnership with RTL Nederland, she signed a contract with SBS6. She was involved in several programs:
"Shownieuws" (an entertainment news show) she presented from February 2007 to May 2011.
"De Nieuwe Uri Geller" (the Dutch version of paranormal talent contest "The Successor", which was high in the ratings in 2008–2009). She was a regular guest on the first season, co-hosted the second season with Tooske Ragas and the third edition with Beau van Erven Dorens. She was also part of a jury on the 2010 edition.
TV shows
As the main host:
Gaan met die banaan (RTL Véronique, 1989–1990)
Hart van de stad (RTL 4, 1995)
Brard gaat extreem (RTL 5, 1995)
Onder de B van Brard (RTL 5, 1996)
Brard gaat extreem (Veronica, 1997–1998)
Brard (Veronica, 1997–1998)
Veronica Goes Gay (Veronica, 1998)
Patty (Veronica, 1999)
Patty gaat extreem (Veronica, 1999)
Absolutely Patty (Veronica, 2000–2001)
Big Brother 3: "The Battle" (Yorin, 2001)
Patty's Posse (Yorin, 2003–2004)
Patty's Fort (Yorin, 2004)
Pat's Life (Yorin, 2005)
Lieve Patty (RTL 5, 2005)
Coming to Holland: Prins zoekt vrouw (SBS6, 2010–2011)
Echte Meisjes op de Prairie (RTL 5, 2013)
Lust, Liefde Of Laten Lopen (Dutch version of Snog Marry Avoid?) (RTL 5, 2013 – rerun in 2014)
Patty's Big Fat Ibiza Wedding (SBS6, 2014)
Dutch version of Hotter Than My Daughter (RTL 5 - 2019)
Series
Brard's life was made into a television series. In February 2024, the drama series PATTY, about Brard's life, premiered on the streaming service Videoland. The series was directed by Will Koopman. Brard was played in the series by Eva van de Wijdeven and Holly Mae Brood, both in different stages of life.
Career in other media
Radio
In 1996, Brard hosted Radio Romantica on Hitradio Veronica, in which she gave the listeners advice about their love problems. In 2003 and 2004, she worked on a weekend show on Noordzee FM.
Podcasts
In late 2022 and early 2023, she hosted a podcast series in six episodes, Patty’s levenslessen, with Audiohuis, featuring celebrity guests like Hans Klok and Richard Groenendijk to share life lessons and reflections.
In 2025, her podcast series Datecast featured singles in voice-only conversations to determine compatibility, concluding with a real-life date.
Playboy
In January 1988, Brard was the cover girl of one issue of the Dutch edition of Playboy.
Columnist and interviewer
In 2005 and 2006, she wrote a weekly column in Weekend (a Dutch gossip magazine) about her career and her point of view about show business. In August 2007, she was a temporary correspondent of Privé (a Dutch celebrity magazine) in which she writes another column about her holidays in Ibiza. She interviewed female stars for the glossy publication Beau Monde between 2008 and 2010. Between 2012 and 2019, she was a columnist again for Weekend.
Acting and dubbing
Brard appeared in Odyssée d'amour, a movie directed by Pim de la Parra in 1987 as well as in An Amsterdam Tale in 1999 and Costa! and the series based on it in 2001. She also played cameo roles in the TV series Pittige tijden (a parody of Goede tijden, slechte tijden in 1997) as well as in the films Spion van Oranje (2009) and Sinterklaas en de Pepernoten Chaos (2013). Since 2010, Brard has been voicing characters for the Dutch versions of 3-D animated comedies and children's films: How to Train Your Dragon and Sammy's Adventures in 2010, Heksje Lilly en de reis naar Mandolan (the sequel of Lilly the Witch: The Dragon and the Magic Book) in 2011, Legends of Valhalla: Thor in 2012, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip in 2015, The Emoji Movie in 2017 and Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2022.
Advertisements and TV commercials
in the 1980s in a newspaper advertisement to promote Papillon/American Love romance novels
in 1984 for the Coebergh Spirits
in 2001 for the Sun tablets (dishwasher products)
in 2003 in a newspaper advertisement for the Dutch subsidiary of Debitel, a mobile services provider
in 2003 for the internet provider chello in which she played the role of an Idols contestant
In 2003 and 2004 for Albert Heijn
in 2006 for Media Markt
in 2012 for De Meubelmarkt, a low-budget furniture retailer.
Business
In the early 1990s, she had a fashion store in The Hague. In 2016, she launched her corrective underwear line named "Patty sexy correctie". In 2017, she intended to open a gift shop in Ibiza. Since February 2020, Patty Brard's products (including household items) have been available in Kruidvat shops in the Netherlands, as part of the "From PB with love" campaign. Patty Brard's deal with Kruidvat also permitted the launch of the jewellery line "Pritty" with her daughter Priscilla Nasi in 2022 and the skincare line "PB Beauty" in 2023.
Books
A journalist, Pieter Ploeg wrote her biography (De Naakte Waarheid: The Naked Truth) which was published by Strengholt in 2003.
Dutch authors Michel van Egmond and Antoinnette Scheulderman wrote another biography entitled De Negen Levens van Patty Brard (The nine lives of Patty Brard) which came out the day of her 65th birthday on March 25, 2020.
On November 6, 2020, her first children's book "Bibi & Lulu – Het is Feest!" (inspired by her two dogs) came out.
Personal life
Husbands
The Luv' singer got married four times:
1979–1980: Her first husband, Ron Brandsteder, is a TV presenter in the Netherlands.
1983–1988: The second, Carlo Nasi, is an Italian music producer who is an heir and descendant of Giovanni Agnelli, founder of the FIAT company. He's the father of Brard's daughter, Priscilla.
1999–2004: The third one, René Muthert, is a singer and a musician who appeared in Patty's Posse, one of her reality TV shows.
Since September 2014, she is the spouse of architect Antoine van de Vijver.
Brard's bankruptcy in 1993
Due to the flop of Hello/Brard (a magazine she had launched with Eric Peute and that focused on women's fashion, beauty, health and entertainment), Brard went bankrupt in December 1993. She was obliged to sell all her possessions. It took years to recover.
