“The Lion’s Den”: How was the reunion of the original lions?

For the tenth anniversary of the VOX founder show “The Lion’s Den” (from September 2nd on VOX and RTL+), the two original lions Frank Thelen (48) and Jochen Schweizer (67) are returning. The latter caused a huge media response when he left in 2016. An insider familiar with the production spoke at the time of an “ego problem” for the experience expert. “The relationship between him and the other four lions in the last few weeks can definitely be described as shattered,” it continued.

Carsten Maschmeyer was looking forward to the reunion

Now, eight years later, is everything forgiven and forgotten? “It was a little nostalgic to sit in front of the founders again in that constellation, but it also had a special dynamic,” explains Carsten Maschmeyer (65) in an interview with the news agency spot on news. He cannot speak for the others, but he was looking forward to seeing them again. “I had a lot of fun filming with the two of them.” Maschmeyer has been part of the lion pack since 2016.

Thelen left the successful show in 2019. “I meet him every now and then at events,” Maschmeyer explains. He last met Schweizer at the Adele concert in Munich. Would he welcome a long-term comeback from his ex-colleagues? “Both have many years of entrepreneurial experience and investor expertise – but most of the current Löwen cast also have both. In the end, the production and the broadcaster have to decide,” Maschmeyer says diplomatically.

In this area, Judith Williams is super

Judith Williams (52), on the other hand, is firmly back in the pack after a one-year break. “Judith is an experienced teleshopping professional, with an absolute focus on beauty products. She’s great in this area. It’s nice that she missed the cave. I’m happy that she’s back,” enthuses Maschmeyer.

He also has nothing but praise for the “newcomers” Janna Ensthaler (40), Tijen Onaran (39) and Tillman Schulz (34): “All three provide a different dynamic in the show. Tijen brings variety to the cave with her provocative attitude. Tillman is of course an absolute food expert and Janna approaches the founders with a lot of empathy and tact as well as startup fund expertise.”

Carsten Maschmeyer wants this ex-Lion back

Nevertheless, he is particularly mourning the loss of one ex-Lion: Nico Rosberg (39). The Formula 1 world champion left the founders’ show in 2022. “We are also friends in private and often meet in the south of France. Even today, we still exchange ideas intensively about investments and developments in the startup scene,” says Maschmeyer.

It would also be “a nice twist if successful founders from the last few years of ‘The Lion’s Den’ made it to one of our chairs. There would be nothing nicer than a transformation into an investor who sits where it all began and where he or she used to pitch himself.”

What happens next with “The Lion’s Den”?

The 65-year-old hopes for many more pitches in the future. He firmly believes that the show will be on television for another ten years. After all, no other format manages to “bring entrepreneurship into German living rooms in such an entertaining and understandable way. In my everyday life as an investor, I repeatedly meet young people who were inspired by the ‘Lion’s Den’ to start something themselves. That is something very special that makes my entrepreneurial heart beat faster.”

And what does his personal future look like on “The Lion’s Den”? “As long as I continue to have a lot of fun, great innovative startups appear, and the audience is happy, I’ll stick with it,” promises the entrepreneur.