Riccardo Simonetti and Anke Engelke end their podcast. “We have reached the 40th and final episode,” explains Simonetti.
Entertainer Riccardo Simonetti (31) and actress Anke Engelke (58) are ending their podcast “Free Hugs”. The 40th episode “An Anniversary and a Farewell” is the last episode, as Simonetti explains.
“Bye Bye ‘Free Hugs’. Those of you who have already heard the latest episode this morning know that we have reached the 40th and final episode of our podcast,” he writes in the post from August 9th. The duo would like to thank “all the hug balls for the support and love that you have shown for this project that has meant so much to all of us,” the 31-year-old explains to the fans. “Without you, ‘Free Hugs’ would never have become so personal and multifaceted!” The two of them themselves had never thought that they would one day speak so openly and personally in public and “that was mainly because it really felt like a safe space.”
In the final episode, Engelke also explains to the listeners: “We would like to thank you for this wonderful time, for your trust, interest and feedback. It was really nice. One door closes and somewhere another door or window opens again. There is always a reunion and a reunion.”
The couple’s fans are visibly surprised and sad about the end. “What, it’s over?”, “No, you can’t stop” and “Now Fridays have no meaning anymore” are some of the comments under Simonetti’s Instagram post.
Riccardo Simonetti and actress Anke Engelke launched the Spotify podcast “Quality Time with Riccardo and Anke” in February 2023. “When you spend quality time with your friends, all emotions are played out, there is no filter and you talk the way you feel in the moment. That’s what we definitely want to do,” Simonetti explained at the start in an interview with spot on news. In a podcast you can “give a lot of food for thought, make recommendations and convey feelings.”
Met on a TV show
After a break, they returned in November 2023 with the Wondery podcast “Free Hugs” with a bonus episode on Amazon Music and under the motto “A hug for the soul”. The two met in 2022 on the ProSieben format “Who’s stealing the show?”, in which they competed against Joko Winterscheidt (45) in quiz rounds.
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.
