Thomas Gottschalk puts an end to “Wetten, dass ..?” – with the show that made him great and that made him great. However, this does not mean a final farewell to television for the presenter legend.
The ZDF has Thomas Gottschalk’s farewell to “Wetten, dass…?” announced, but the 73-year-old moderator does not want to withdraw entirely from television. “I’m not saying goodbye to the screen because I still believe in the power of television,” Gottschalk wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. On November 25, Gottschalk will moderate the show “Wetten, dass…?” in Offenburg for the 154th and last time.
Michelle Hunziker (46) should no longer be a co-moderator. In the November 2022 edition of the show, many viewers perceived the Swiss woman as the spokesman for Gottschalk during the show.
“The great days of Saturday night entertainment are over”
Gottschalk wrote about Hunziker on Instagram: “One or the other will miss her in my last issue of “Wetten, dass ..?” And maybe forget that it was me who brought her to the show back then and that ZDF she didn’t put me at my side as a “supervising night nurse” because I didn’t know where to go anymore. Some suspect that.”
He had grown fond of Hunziker and invited her to the last show, according to the moderator. “If only to thank her with a bouquet of flowers for the time we spent together.”
In “Wetten, dass..?” Pulling the plug is not easy for him, Gottschalk continued. But: “The great times of Saturday evening entertainment, which is talked about everywhere on Monday, are over. I’m grateful that I was able to experience and help shape them.” However, before an editor constantly gives him “shitstorm warnings” during the show or explains to him which “celebrity” is sitting next to him, he prefers to stop.
However, the moderator announced that he would present a review of “100 Years of Disney” a week later on RTL. “I’m familiar with looking back, at my age you look in the rear-view mirror. And you’ve learned that there is a life without cameras that is worth living.”
The biggest TV show in Europe
ZDF announced on Monday evening that Gottschalk “Wetten, dass ..?” will moderate for the last time. The broadcaster quoted Gottschalk in the message as saying: “I thank the audience that has faithfully accompanied me through life as a show host.” He is looking forward to hosting the show for the last time on this special occasion.
For decades, “Wetten, dass…?” as the biggest television show in Europe. Gottschalk took over the moderation from show inventor Frank Elstner (81 today) in 1987 and moderated it until 2011 with a short break by Wolfgang Lippert (71 today). From autumn 2009 Hunziker was at his side.
After the betting candidate Samuel Koch was seriously injured during a broadcast in December 2010, Gottschalk and Hunziker ended their “Wetten, dass..?” moderation in December 2011 hosted the show a total of 16 times through December 2014.
In 2021, ZDF relaunched the TV classic as a one-off Saturday evening show with Gottschalk and Hunziker. After the success with a good 14 million viewers, two more editions for 2022 and 2023 were announced. In 2022, more than 10 million people watched.
ZDF message Gottschalk on Instagram
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
