Ten years after his departure from "betting that..?" Entertainer thomas gottschalk once again plays host on the famous ZDF couch.
He had hosted 151 editions of what is arguably europe’s biggest TV show, bringing together world stars and contestants to achieve fabulous ratings. Falling viewer numbers later caused the end of the ara "bets that..?".
40 years after the first edition, there is now an eagerly awaited revival. Gottschalk has to slim down to fit back into the stage outfit, as the entertainer revealed to the german press agency in an interview.
QUESTION: "bet that..?"Returning to the stage: how are you preparing for the show?? Is the outfit already chosen?
ANSWER: of course, I’m in a slimming cure right now and starving myself into it. But I’m not the type who thinks on thursday about what he’s going to say on TV on saturday of the next week. My world is the liveshow. I react to what is happening. And something exciting will happen. At least i have bets on offer and no beds.
QUESTION: do you know anything like nervousness or excitement??
ANSWER: no! Otherwise I would have become a teacher of german and history. On the way there I was already quite far and turned off in the last moment.
QUESTION: can you already tell us something about the bets?? Is an excavator needed?
ANSWER: "bet that..?" Without excavator is like the "carmen nebel show" without carmen nebel. Sure comes a dredger.
QUESTION: you once talked about a nostalgia show. To what extent will "bet that..?"What it was and what the audience knows from before, and to what extent it is adapted to the zeitgeist?
ANSWER: since the presenter has a hard time with the zeitgeist, this will also be noticeable in the show. Influencers must stay outside. I have remained the one "known from the past" and that is the only one I can present to the audience. And not a new version that makes you cool. That would be mega-cringe!
QUESTION: a family show of the caliber of "wetten, dass..?" No longer exists on german tv. If the special edition is a success, you can imagine doing it more often – maybe once a year?
ANSWER: this was my offer to ZDF when I was about to say goodbye. What became of it, one knows yes.
QUESTION: will your life’s risk, your sons and grandchildren be present in nurnberg – your grandchildren as perhaps the sharpest critics?
ANSWER: i do the show in nurnberg for the viewers, my family has always supported me. I am included in their fees, so to speak.
About him: thomas gottschalk, born in bamberg in 1950, is considered one of the last old-school show hosts. With "bet that..?" (1987-1992 and 1994-2011) reached a huge audience. Since then, gottschalk has appeared in various other formats – including "das supertalent," "50 jahre ZDF-hitparade," "deutschland sucht den superstar," on the radio and in his own literature program.