A Coming Out Prom

A year and nine months ago, during her annual New Year's Eve message, Amira Willighagen announced publicly on Facebook and YouTube that she had a boyfriend.

We didn't yet get to hear his name though, nor see pictures. Also I was told that we fans were not to discuss her private life publicly. So we left it alone and didn't pry. However, Amira gave us another mysterious hint about her boyfriend in her recent 'On My Own Concert' where she celebrated her 18th birthday, letting us know he was in the room.

Now at last, on the occasion of her senior prom, Amira has come out and we get to see the in love couple. His name is Daniel Johannes Cornelius Stoop and he is dashing. The two indeed make a wonderful couple. As one fan commented on seeing his pictures:

Ahh this is exciting Amira. We finally get to see your Knight in shining armour. You are a beautiful couple. I remember when you announced your new boyfriend and how excited you were then. I believe it was New Years day 21 months ago. He is very handsome and also very brave. I don't mean that negatively but when I was your age I would have been extremely nervous to approach a girl such as you of fame and beauty. Not DJ congratulation! Hoping your relationship continues to grow. Thank you for sharing Amira.

Brave indeed. Exactly what I thought. Here now are a few great photos of the happy couple. Good luck to both of them.

The South African newspaper headline reads, "Child Sensation Will Spread Her Wings After Matriculating." The caption refers to Amira's announcement in the article of a world tour she plans after graduation.

BEELD: Child Sensation Wants To Spread Her Wings After Matriculating

[by Seugnet van Zyl]

The nine-year old girl who won world-wide fame overnight after winning Holland’s got Talent almost ten years ago, is almost finished with school.

Amira Willighagen (18) has recently published photos of her and her partner, DJ Stoop, at her matric farewell party, on her Facebook page.

Amira, a matric pupil at Gimnasium Secondary School, says her matric farewell and that of DJ, a matric pupil at Volkskool High, took place on the same day. “His was not open (for pupils from other schools). He either had to attend it alone or come with me”, she said.

She described the matric farewell as a “Magical night we shall never forget”.

Amira and DJ have been in a relationship for a year and 9 months.

In the recent record examination she obtained distinctions in ALL her subjects - mathematics, English, Afrikaans, life orientation, biology and physics, music, dance and drama.

“My musical gift has been developed in this way. Now I know much more about music. And now I also have a choice about what I want to sing.”

She speaks Afrikaans fluently although her Dutch accent is still audible.

Amira’s mother, Frieda, is a South African. Before she had won Holland’s Got Talent, Amira together with her family visited her grandma Elsa Brand in Potchefstroom. During these visits she noticed that there were no play parks for children in squatter camps. She started dreaming about building play parks for children. This gave rise to the Gelukskinders [Happy Children] Foundation.

In 2017 [actually, it was in 2014] she opened her first play park, which she had built for children attending the Promosa Primary School in Potchefstroom.

After school she is going to take a year-long tour through the Netherlands, America and Europe. During this year she will also perform in South Africa.

Before leaving in December for the Netherlands, together with her older brother Fincent (20), who studies ancient languages at the University of North West and DJ, she will perform in a Christmas concert in Potchefstroom.

Her father Gerrit is still living in the Netherlands. In 2018 she and FIncent moved to South Africa together with their mother.

A CD of Amira’s 18th birthday concert, On My Own, will be available for purchase from 19 October.

“The concert is very special to me, because it was my 18th birthday and I could dress up like Eliza Dolittle.”

Dolittle is a fictitious character in George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion (1913) and the musical of 1956 My Fair Lady, based on the play.

Next year, ten years will have gone by since she had won Holland’s Got Talent.

In the light of this, she has recently been asked to watch it again.

“It felt very strange to watch it. That moment changed my whole life and jump-started my career.”

Upon her return in 2024 she is planning to study music and biology at the University of Stellenbosch or Cape Town University because “The Cape has a rich musical tradition”.

“It was very interesting to grow up in the Netherlands and South Africa. South Africa is a beautiful country. It really is a lovely place.”