Noa Vahle gets candid about MDMA: 'Loved it the first time' and Merel Ek responds
She’s the daughter of Linda de Mol, but by now she’s well and truly made a name for herself as a sports reporter. Noa Vahle knows like no other how to balance the sharp end of the football pitch with the harsh realities of the media world. But this week, she’s surprised everyone with a statement no one saw coming. In a candid interview, she’s opened up in detail for the first time about her experiences with substances. Specifically, that one time she used MDMA.
‘Loved it the first time, the next day I just wanted to die’
We usually know Noa from her sharp analysis on the sidelines of women’s football, or as the daughter who isn’t afraid to get into a lively debate with her mum. But now she’s showing a different side. Without batting an eyelid, she talks about the first time she took a pill. “I loved it,” she says honestly. “It was a night of pure euphoria, everything felt light and fun. But the next day… I just didn’t want to exist anymore.” That hangover, both physical and mental, taught her a lesson she won’t soon forget.
It’s exactly this raw honesty that means Noa Vahle has her finger on the pulse with the younger generation. She doesn’t romanticise drug use, but paints the full picture. And that’s precisely what’s often missing in public debate. You won’t hear her say “never do drugs”, but she does clearly spell out the consequence of that ‘amazing’ feeling: a void that completely knocks you flat the next day.
Merel Ek on Noa’s confession: ‘I thought, just go for it’
Noa Vahle wasn’t the only one baring her soul. Her colleague and mate Merel Ek also joined the conversation. While Noa shared her own experience, Merel said she knew the feeling all too well. “I was listening to her story and thought: yeah, I get that. But I also thought, just go for it. Just jump in headfirst and be open about it.” The two women, who usually shake up the world of sports, show that their bond goes beyond the football pitch.
In a world where perfection is often the goal – especially when you grow up in a family like Linda de Mol’s – it’s almost refreshing to hear how Noa Vahle and Merel Ek interact with each other. No judgement, no moralising, just a simple ‘I get you’. In the conversation, Merel even refers to a moment when she thought: “If she can say this, then so can I.” It shows the pressure on young women in the spotlight is huge, but that shared experiences can actually ease that pressure.
Why this revelation is so necessary
Everyone knows there’s plenty of use at festivals and in the nightlife scene, but as soon as someone with a famous surname mentions it, the shock factor seems huge. The reactions to Noa’s confessions show that while we in the Netherlands might be pretty forthright about sex and relationships, the topic of drugs remains taboo when it involves well-known figures.
The great thing about how Noa Vahle does this is that she’s nowhere saying “I’d love another pill”. She shares a story of growth, of testing a boundary and learning from it. And she does this together with Merel Ek, who acts as the sidekick and confirms: you’re not alone if you feel rubbish after a night out.
- Honesty over shame: Noa breaks with the picture-perfect image often expected of Dutch celebrities.
- Relatable for young people: By talking about the ‘day after’, she gives a realistic view often missing in education.
- Friendship as an anchor: Merel Ek’s reaction shows how important a good support network is, especially in the chaotic world of media and sport.
Whether she’s reporting from a World Cup or laying her soul bare in an interview, Noa Vahle remains someone who knows how to stir things up. And with Merel Ek by her side, she has not just a colleague, but an ally who knows exactly what it feels like to find that balance between the public eye and private life. The conversation they had is one not of sensationalism, but of authenticity. And that’s precisely what we need.