Bart Frederikus de Graaff was born on 16 April 1967 in Haarlem in the Netherlands.
Because of a car accident in his youth in 1976, De Graaff suffered from serious kidney failure for most of his life. This also caused a growth disorder which caused de Graaff to appear much younger than his actual age. In his career as a television presenter he often used his childlike appearance to his advantage, for instance, when he hosted the children's TV show B.O.O.S..
In 1997, he founded a public broadcasting network, Bart's News Network (BNN). After his death, it was renamed to Bart's Neverending Network. Targeted at a youthful audience, the network quickly became known for its sometimes provocative programming. A television show De Grote Donorshow (The Big Donor Show) by BNN won an Emmy Award for Best Non-scripted Entertainment.
Death
At the end of 1997 De Graaff received a donor kidney and was for a time able to live a relatively normal life. In 1999 the kidney was rejected and his health deteriorated quickly. De Graaff died on 25 May 2002 at the age of 35.
