Jan Jaap van der Wal

Jan Jaap van der Wal (born 1 November 1979 in Leeuwarden) is a Dutch stand-up comedian, cabaret performer and television presenter. He is known both in the Netherlands and in Flanders, Belgium for his television appearances and theatre shows.

On Dutch television, Van der Wal is known as a team captain in Dit was het nieuws, the Dutch adaptation of the BBC show Have I Got News for You. In Belgium, he presented the satirical news show De ideale wereld for four years, having previously appeared as a sidekick on the programme; he succeeded Otto-Jan Ham as presenter, and Ella Leyers later succeeded him. In 2023, he presented the late night show Jan Jaap op zondag, which ended after disappointing viewing figures. He served as a contestant on De Slimste Mens ter Wereld in 2016 and in 2025, and has been a jury member of the Belgian quiz show since 2017. He performed oudejaarsconferences in 2007 and 2009, titled Onderbewust and Lekker hard lachen met oliebollen.

As a cabaret performer in both the Netherlands and Belgium, Van der Wal has staged shows including Dystopia (2014), De Nieuwe Belg (2015) and Mijn vlakke land (2024, 2025), in some of which he discusses the differences and similarities between the two countries. In 2014, he starred in the film The Happy Sad Route (and a Comedian), directed by Linda Hakeboom, which won the best film award at the 2014 Friars Club Comedy Film Festival. He holds awards including the Neerlands Hoop and Poelifinario.

Van der Wal lives in Antwerp, Belgium. He met actress Eva Duijvestein in 2006, and they married in 2010; they have a son born in 2017. He has a cleft lip.