Willy Dobbe

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| name = Willy Dobbe

| image = Willy Dobbe.png

| caption = Willy Dobbe in 1981

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1944|01|02}}

| birth_place = The Hague, Netherlands

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| employer = TROS

| occupation = Television announcer and presenter

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Willy Dobbe (born 2 January 1944) is a Dutch television announcer and former television presenter. She was the host of the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest{{cite web |author=euroradiotv |url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=1661&_t=do_you_remember..._amsterdam_1970 |title=Do you remember... Amsterdam 1970? | News | Eurovision Song Contest - Copenhagen 2014 |publisher=Eurovision.tv |date=2008-12-25 |accessdate=2014-06-11}} and also presented the Dutch national finals for the 1971 and 1972 contests.{{cite web |author=B.D. Van Cornewal |url=http://www.dingadong.nl/1970.html |title=NATIONAAL SONGFESTIVAL 1970 |language=Dutch |publisher=DING-A-DONG |date= |accessdate=2014-06-11}}

Career

File:Prins Bernhard geeft Willie Dobbe een handkus, Bestanddeelnr 932-4141.jpg at a fundraiser presented by her for the World Wildlife Fund]]

File:Willy Dobbeplantsoen Olst.JPG]]

Dobbe was born in The Hague and obtained a degree as beautician. In 1967 she joined the broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting and became a television announcer, which she remained for 5 years before moving to the TROS in 1972.

In 1970, Dobbe was asked to host the Eurovision Song Contest in Amsterdam. She maintained her Eurovision connection for two more years, when she hosted the Nationaal Songfestival consecutively in 1971 and 1972. Dobbe also presented programmes such as School TV, WK Allround Dancing, and, most notably, Zevensprong.{{cite web |url=http://www.home.zonnet.nl/amnnsri/rtv2.htm |title=Welkom bij de Televisie van de Jaren Zeventig pagina 2 |language=Dutch |publisher=Welkom bij de Jaren Zeventig |date= |accessdate=2014-06-11}} She remained associated with TV for the next two decades and retired in 1989, to make way for Linda de Mol.{{cite web |url=http://www.mediacourant.nl/?p=132905 |title=Willy Dobbe van de buis door Linda de Mol |language=Dutch |publisher=Mediacourant.nl |date=2012-07-31 |accessdate=2014-06-11}}

Twice during her career, Dobbe was featured in the Dutch gossip magazine Story.{{cite web |url=http://retro.nrc.nl/W2/Nieuws/1999/09/11/Vp/z.html |title=Wat een goed nummer! |publisher=NRC Handelsblad |work=Archief Zaterdags Bijvoegsel |language=Dutch |date=1999-09-11 |accessdate=2014-06-11}} Dutch director Wim T. Schippers created a fictional "Willy Dobbe plantsoen" (Willy Dobbe park) that figured in several of his satirical programs.{{cite web |author=Mac Van Dinther |url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2844/Archief/archief/article/detail/511669/1997/11/28/Willy-Dobbe-is-blij-met-haar-plantsoen.dhtml |title=Willy Dobbe is blij met haar plantsoen |work=Archief - VK |language=Dutch |publisher=De Volkskrant |date=1997-11-28 |accessdate=2014-06-11}} In 1997, a real park was named after her in Olst, with Dobbe and Schippers both being present at its opening.

Heerlen has been her domicile for most of her life.