The twenty-third season of the Dutch TV series Wie is de Mol? ("Who is the Mole?") began on 7 January 2023. This was the sixth season with Rik van de Westelaken as host. The candidates were announced on 26 November 2022. The season was filmed in South Africa. The 13th season was also filmed in South Africa, making the 2023 season the second time the show revisits a country, although this time the season was fully filmed in the Western Cape region.The candidates visited Australia during the 1999 and 2005 seasons.
Format The season followed the same format as its Belgian predecessor. In total, ten candidates were gathered to complete assignments to earn money for the group pot. However, one of the ten is the titular Mole (de Mol), the one designated to sabotage the assignments and cause the group to earn the least amount of money for the winner's pot as possible. Every few days, players would take a 20-question multiple choice test about the identity of the Mole. Once the test is complete, the candidates await their results in an Execution ceremony. The candidate with the worst score is executed from the game, while in the event of a tie the candidate who completed their test the slowest is executed. The season plays out until there are three remaining candidates, where they must complete a final test (consisting of 40 questions). The candidate with the highest score, or who had completed their test the fastest in a tie, is declared the winner and receives the group's pot.
Candidates NameOccupationDay ExitedResultJurre GelukTelevision presenter18The MoleDaniël VerlaanJournalistWinnerRanomi KromowidjojoOlympic swimmer2nd PlaceSoy KroonActor173rd PlaceAnke de JongEditor-in-chief of Elle Netherlands144th PlaceNabil Aoulad AyadActor125th PlaceAnnick BoerComedian96th PlaceSander de KramerTelevision presenter67th PlaceFroukje de BothTelevision presenter48th PlaceSarah JannehActress29th Place
Candidate progress The order in which the candidates learned their results are indicated in the table below. + Summary of candidates progress in each episode Candidate1234679FinaleDaniëlWinnerJurreRanomiRunner-UpSoyAnkeNabilAnnickSanderFroukjeSarah
The candidate saw a Green Screen and proceeded to the next episode. The candidate used Jokers for this test, and saw a Green Screen to proceed to the next episode. The candidate used Jokers for this test, however, they did not see a Green Screen before the Executed player saw their Red Screen. Thus they proceeded to the next episode. The candidate used a Black Exemption to nullify all Exemptions and Jokers for this test. The candidate did not see a Green Screen before the Executed player saw their Red Screen. Thus they proceeded to the next episode. The candidate received an Exemption to automatically proceed to the next episode. The candidate was executed from the game and sent home.
Notes
Episodes For more information, see: List of seasons of "Wie is de Mol?" (in Dutch) Episode Air Date Title Amount in Pot Location Days Eliminated 1 'Verbinding' (Connection)€0 → €3,250 Cape Town, Western Cape 1–2 2 'Kunstgreep' (Artifice)€3,250 → €4,800 Cape Town & Saldanha, Western Cape 3–4 3 'Spelbreker' (Spoilsport)€4,800 → €8,050 Atlantis & Cape Town, Western Cape 5–6 4 'Weglopen' (Walk away)€8,050 → €8,350 Tulbagh, Western Cape 7–9 5 'Portretten' (Portraits)€8,350 → €6,800 Matjiesfontein & Tulbagh, Western Cape 9–11 6 'Lijdensweg?' (Agony?)€6,800 Karoo & Oudtshoorn, Western Cape 11–12 7 'Inzichtelijk' (Insightful) €6,800 → €8,400 Wilderness, Western Cape 13–14 8 'Brandpunt' (Focal Point) €8,400 → €10,650 Garden Route & De Rust, Western Cape 15–16 9 'Molafpraak' (Mole Appointment) €10,650 → €11,650 Mossel Bay & Tsitsikamma, Western Cape 17–18 10 'Poker Face' €11,650Baarn, Netherlands Runner-up Winner The Mole Notes
Season summary Episode 1 - Verbinding Episode 1 - VerbindingOriginal airdates: 7 January 2023Location: Cape Town, Western Cape Assignment Money earned Possible earningsGulden Middenweg €500.- €4,000.-Toonaangevend €2,750.- €4,000.- €8,000.-Execution Sarah 1st player executed Two weeks before leaving to Cape Town, all candidates met in the Netherlands for the first time. Each candidate receives a phone call from Everon Jackson Hooi (the Mole of the previous season), which they must answer in front of the group, informing them of whether they are a candidate or the Mole.
Gulden Middenweg Candidates are split into five pairs and locked in dark wooden boxes around Cape Town. To escape, pairs must ask passersby to switch on a light so they can see three questions in the box and answer them correctly. At each box, pairs can also help each other answer the questions using phones. Some questions also require passersby to count the numbers of different colored circles on the outside of the box.
After escaping the box, pairs find a map on the outside of the box and are instructed to meet host Rik van de Westelaken at the location on the map where the starting point of all five pairs intersect: VOC Vegetable Garden. All five pairs reaching the garden within the 45-minute time limit earns €4,000 for the pot; four pairs earn €2,000, three pairs earn €1,000; two pairs earn €500; one pair earn €250.
Toonaangevend The group split into two groups of five: one group with a "musical ear" and the other group who can "immerse themselves in music".
The group who can immerse themselves in music have one hour to learn a song before performing it alongside members of the South African Youth Choir. During the performance, a judge attempts to distinguish the five candidates from the rest of the choir based on their singing. Each candidate not selected by the judge earns money for the pot.
Meanwhile, the group with a musical ear participate in five music-related challenges. The more successful they are, the more members from the South African Youth Choir will later participate with the other group during their performance, decreasing the overall probability of them being selected by the judge. They must also divide the €4,000 potential earnings between the five candidates from the other group, and that money is added to the pot if they later remain unselected by the judge.
Episode 2 - Kunstgreep Episode 2 - KunstgreepOriginal airdates: 14 January 2023Location: Saldanha, Western Cape Assignment Money earned Possible earningsStalen zenuwen €1,300.- €3,000.-Propvol €250.- €3,000.- €14,000.-Execution Froukje 2nd player executed
Stalen zenuwen Each candidate begins with two lives and must gather resources from the Saldanha Steel company and place them into a machine to convert into steel balls. Afterwards, they must balance the balls on a plate and deliver them into tubes upstairs. The more they fill the tubes, the more money they earn for the pot, with a maximum of €3,000. Throughout the challenge, an aerial drone may activate and attempt to hunt candidates down, causing them to lose lives. Candidates are eliminated from the challenge if they lose both lives and there is a 45-minute time limit for the assignment.
Meanwhile, Sarah is given a task which allows her to return to the game if successfully completed. She must decrease the amount the candidates earn for the pot at by least €1,500. She can do this by completing a wire loop game; the further she progresses in the game, the higher percentage she decreases the group's earnings by. However, each time Sarah touches the spiral, she activates a drone which temporarily hunts down the candidates and electric shocks them, making it harder for them to earn money. This, in turn, also makes it more difficult for her to complete her task successfully as her result depends on the money earned by the candidates.
€1,300 was earned for the pot and Sarah did not return to the game.
Propvol
The candidates travel in two vans to two different locations: one team travels to the Woodstock suburb of Cape Town and the other team travels to a film prop company.
The team in Woodstock is tasked with identifying six murals around the suburb and, for each correctly identified mural, they earn €250 for the pot. The team at the prop company must use the props to create photos that represent or resemble the correct murals. These photos are then sent to the team in Woodstock and this team can send a photo back for each mural that they have identified as correct. Both teams can only send six photos to the other team and the candidates are given 45 minutes for the task.
The teams identified one mural correctly. Afterwards, the team at the film prop company was also given the opportunity to double the winnings by solving a rebus. They were not able to solve the rebus successfully.
Episode 3 - Spelbreker Episode 3 - SpelbrekerOriginal airdates: 21 January 2023Location: Atlantis & Cape Town, Western Cape Assignment Money earned Possible earningsOm Leiding €2,500.- €2,500.-Per Definitie €750.- €2,000.-Het Schip Ingaan €0.- €2,000.- €20,500.-JokersAnnick & JurrePer DefinitieDaniël, Jurre & SoyHet Schip IngaanExecution Sander 3rd player executed Om Leiding Candidates search the Atlantis Dunes on quad bikes for seven stations with three or four buttons on them. The three or four candidates assigned to the station must push the buttons simultaneously; the more players who press their button at each station, the more money the group earns for the pot. Each candidate has a 15-minute time limit for the challenge, however they can reset the limit by returning to the starting point throughout the assignment.
Per Definitie Candidates are split into four pairs to compete for money and Jokers. Each round, pairs are shown an Afrikaans word and must create a fake definition for the word. Afterwards, all pairs are presented with each invented definition of the word alongside the actual definition, and attempt to select the correct definition. Each time a pair selects the correct definition, €50 is added to the pot. Each time a fake definition is chosen, the pair that created it earns a point; the pair that accumulates the most points by the end of the assignment earns two Jokers.
€750 was earned for the pot. Annick & Jurre accumulated the most points throughout the assignment and won the two Jokers.
Het Schip Ingaan Candidates split into three groups and must search a ship docked at the Port of Cape Town for ice blocks with tagged keys inside. They must break the ice to retrieve the keys and use them to unlock boxes in the corresponding rooms. In each box is a clue to the codeword which candidates must guess by the end of the 30-minute time limit: schip. However, only one group may present host Rik van de Westelaken the codeword at the end of the assignment.
Daniël, Jurre & Soy were selected to present the codeword. After they were correct, they were offered a choice of either the €2,000 prize for the pot or three Jokers. They elected to take the Jokers meaning no money was earned for the pot.
Episode 4 - Weglopen Episode 4 - Weglopen Original airdates: 28 January 2023Location: Tulbagh, Western Cape Assignment Money earned Possible earningsPadvinders €300.- €2,000.-Een(d)zame Hoogte €0.- €3,000.- €25,500.-Execution Annick 4th player executed
Padvinders One candidate at a time enters a maze to find as many packing slips as possible, and bring them out the end of the maze to add their monetary value to the pot. In the maze are also buttons which activate a birds-eye view of the maze when pressed for the remaining candidates to see on a screen, allowing them to help direct the candidate in the maze via walkie talkie.
Throughout the assignment, various doors within the maze open and close, potentially altering the paths candidates can take. Additionally, there is an opponent in the maze attempting to capture candidates; if candidates are caught, the slips they possess become void. There is a combined 45-minute time limit for all seven candidates.
Een(d)zame Hoogte