Menderes Bagci: The eternal “DSDS” candidate turns 40

Anyone who knows “Germany is looking for the superstar” (RTL) knows Menderes Bagci. Apart from juror Dieter Bohlen (70), no one has shaped the casting show format as much as he has. The man from Langenfeld in the Rhineland who would love to be a singer. For years, Menderes was mocked for his singing skills and made himself the target of ridicule because of his crazy demeanor – and yet he showed it to everyone again and again. The cult candidate turns 40 on November 13th.

Menderes’ television career began in 2002 in the first season of “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”. The gas station attendant decided to take part in the singing competition after discovering his love for the stage at a karaoke competition. It quickly became clear that this love did not necessarily come with talent. A devastating verdict hailed. “That was great. Super shit,” Bohlen once summed up. But Menderes, true to his motto “Never give up”, didn’t give up – and the cult candidate was born.

In the years that followed, Menderes made himself into a “Bohlen whipping boy,” as the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” once wrote. He came back every year and let Bohlen tear him down at prime time for his singing, his dance steps and his appearance. Mostly to songs by his great idol Michael Jackson (1958-2009), he appeared in front of the jury, sang and was thrown out. “You can’t sing, you’ll never be able to sing, you’re shit. I actually never want to see you here again,” was one of Bohlen’s harsh judgments. But the audience took Menderes to their hearts.

In 2007, RTL slowly realized that the ridiculed permanent candidate was someone who people associated with “DSDS”. They let him perform out of competition in the theme show and in the finale. Menderes quit his job at the gas station – now he just wanted to make a living from music. He was booked for private appearances and appeared on TV in shows such as “Mitten im Leben” and “Rent, Buy, Live”. Menderes now also existed outside the “DSDS” bubble.

But the appearance in the casting show remained his annual highlight. Menderes has made it to the recall five times out of 19 participations. Bohlen emphasized that his voice had improved. Menderes released several singles and his first album “Sieger der Herzen” followed in 2023 for the 20th “DSDS” anniversary – of course with songs from the “DSDS” universe. Menderes said he has continuously worked on himself and his voice. “But I also think I still have a lot of potential in me and there is still a lot of room for improvement. The journey is the goal – and I can achieve even more.”

The highlight of Menderes’ TV career so far has been seven years. At that time he was still able to celebrate a victory because the viewers made him the jungle king of the tenth season of the RTL jungle camp (2016). “Menderes has proven that you can live your dreams if you do everything for it. His fighting heart is exemplary,” said Dieter Bohlen, pleased about the success of his permanent candidate. Menderes, in turn, emphasized that he only owed it all to “DSDS”.

After his participation, he wished “that people would see me differently now. So they wouldn’t make fun of me so much anymore. That people would take me seriously. And my music.” Some people still feel sorry for him and don’t like it at all. “I don’t have to feel sorry for anyone,” he made it clear. Although he opened up in the jungle, he only wanted to show his will to fight: “Sometimes you have to go through a cold, hard time, and then you emerge like a phoenix from the ashes. That’s a great feeling.”

In October 2024, Menderes made his 19th appearance on DSDS. He appeared in front of the jury wearing an octopus costume, the outfit change didn’t work and the appearance seemed haphazard. This time it wasn’t enough for the recall, Menderes was annoyed about the botched show. “But if the audience is having fun and I can put a smile on their faces with my chaotic performance, that makes me happy too. In the end, it’s all about entertaining people,” he said.

This year Menderes was also seen on the reality show “The 50”. He is followed by 100,000 people on Instagram. Since 2019 he has appeared again and again on Jan Böhmermann’s (43) satirical show “ZDF Magazin Royale”. Menderes, the indomitable, the fighter, the (would-be) singer, the clumsy, the sad clown, the stand-up man, the likeable person – he has somehow already found his way. And as he once told “Stern”: “Muhammad Ali had to put up with a lot in the boxing ring.”