During the broadcast of "De slimste mens," presenter Herman van der Zandt paid tribute to the recently deceased folk singer René Karst, who passed away unexpectedly in November from cardiac arrest at a young age. Van der Zandt acknowledged the potential strangeness of Karst appearing on the show post-mortem, emphasizing that Karst was seen singing, laughing, and enjoying his participation, and that the broadcast aimed to showcase his character as per his family's wishes. Karst's participation was confirmed by his manager during his funeral, and due to his victory in the episode's finale, he will also be featured in the following day's broadcast. The episode, which also featured influencer Roxanne Kwant and strategist Maarten van Rossum, was viewed and approved by Karst's family before airing.