From 2025: These twins claim, “Bet that…?” to take over

“Yes, the rumors are true” – Bill Kaulitz and his twin brother Tom Kaulitz have once again caused speculation with their current podcast episode. Will the brothers actually follow in the footsteps of recently retired presenter Thomas Gottschalk in 2025?

They could be trusted. The two 34-year-olds have secured a permanent place for themselves in the German-speaking media landscape in recent years. The twins are not only the center of attention on many a red carpet, they hosted the award-winning music format “That’s My Jam” and are fighting for musical talent in the current season of “The Voice”. Not least because of high-profile disputes with colleague Ronan Keating, Kaulitz’s name has often been in the headlines in recent months.

Award-winning podcast

But not just because of that. Also because Bill and Tom Kaulitz, who gained fame in their youth with their band “Tokio Hotel” and currently live in Los Angeles, appear honest and approachable in public. Her podcast “Kaulitz Hills – Mustard from Hollywood” won the German podcast award and is one of the most listened to podcasts on Spotify. The brothers spoke openly about their problems in the show industry, the media, and their “escape” to the States. They chat about life in Hollywood, about drunken nights, about important and unimportant things.

It was their listeners who first found out the news – which was not confirmed by the station: According to their own statements, the Kaulitz brothers will be hosting the Saturday evening show “Wetten, dass…?” from 2025. moderate. Until then, the twins, who were born in Leipzig, want to use the time to plan, “turn things around” and redesign things. When asked, ZDF did not confirm anything about this.

If it’s not one of their jokes – for one episode, the brothers pretended to be broadcasting directly from a tropical water park where they were supposedly celebrating their birthday, complete with rehearsed sounds – that’s big news.

• Clip: Excerpt from “That`s My Jam”

To date there has only been speculation: What would happen next with the “biggest television show in Europe”, which has been flickering on the screens of German-speaking countries for 42 years?

“The bet stands”

The concept of the show is as old as it is good. People bet to do something difficult or rare or spectacular and an audience of millions gets to watch them try. Plus the most sought-after stars on a red couch. A few well-rehearsed jokes, superficial banter, music acts – that’s the winning mix.

“Wetten,dass..?” was started. in 1981 with presenter Frank Elstner. In addition to Thomas Gottschalk, the show was also moderated by Wolfgang Lippert and Markus Lanz.

Farewell: Not everyone wanted to celebrate

Almost 14 million people sat in front of their TV sets for the anniversary show in 2021. Then three final broadcasts were announced. On November 25th, long-time presenter Thomas Gottschalk finally said goodbye to his audience. The ratings were still good – 13 million people watched Gottschalk’s farewell.

• Also read: That was Gottschalk’s “Wetten, dass…?” farewell

After a short internet search, the viewers were relatively unanimous in their opinion that the 73-year-old should give it a rest and stop. The format also needs a breath of fresh air. Gottschalk was called “chauvinistic” because his sayings and humor were simply no longer up to date. The role of “auxiliary character” Michelle Hunziker, co-host of the show, is also viewed with skepticism.

Despite an official invitation, she stayed away from the farewell episode. Hunziker is said to have “demanded too much”. Gottschalk commented on this as follows: “Some people will see it in my last issue of ‘Wetten, dass…?’ and perhaps forget that it was I who brought her onto the show back then and that ZDF in no way put her at my side as a night nurse.” Hunziker is currently hosting her own TV show “Michelle Impossible”.

Authenticity instead of show masquerade

Whether the rumors are true or not remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the entertainment industry has changed. Authenticity is more in demand than perfect show masquerade. If there is a sequel, the format will be allowed to reinvent itself.