Listen to what the people are saying, check where the shoe pinches and what really annoys the citizens: Pforzheim’s mayor wants to know exactly – and goes on television to do so.
Bleached hair, false teeth and a moustache – this is how Pforzheim’s mayor Peter Boch (CDU) disguises himself as he mingles with the citizens of his city for a special edition of the RTL show “Undercover Boss” and listens to their problems and worries. Boch pretends to be TV candidate Timo, who is taking part in the fictitious show “The City Explorers – Pforzheim Up Close”. The show is being broadcast as “Undercover Boss Special” – because according to RTL, this is the first time an elected politician has taken part in this experiment in this format. The broadcast date is July 15th at 8:15 p.m.
Work at the fire department and daycare center
Boch meets many people who work for the city every day, speaks to local residents, looks at projects and lends a helping hand here and there. He helps with lunch and homework at a daycare center and with the rescue service of the Workers’ Samaritan Federation (ASB). He talks to members of the professional fire brigade and learns about their everyday lives. He takes a look at the city’s technical services, repairs playground equipment and rummages through rubbish bags left behind by the “Waste Watchers”, a kind of Pforzheim garbage police force.
Many insights gained
“I was able to take a lot from the undercover operation for my work,” says the 44-year-old. He encountered many worries. City employees and affected citizens told him about vandalism in playgrounds and illegally disposed garbage. He was also told what needed to happen in the city so that people felt safe. In a high-visibility vest and functional clothing, Boch had taken on a lot, climbed very high ladders at breakneck speed and rode in police cars – and would have liked to have looked around the city undercover for a longer period.
Was the mayor recognized during filming?
Boch is actually quite well known in Pforzheim – not everyone falls for Boch’s disguise. Or at least they think he looks awfully similar to the mayor. This doesn’t affect his work as the supposed TV candidate Timo during his days on the job. Speaking of disguises: Boch still has his dental braces that were made especially for the undercover episode, as he recently wrote 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.
