"Berlin - Day & Night" star found dead
Falko Ochsenknecht, known as "Ole ohne Kohle," has died at the age of 39. His ex-girlfriend confirmed the news to the "Bild" newspaper. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday on July 30th.
According to reports, Ochsenknecht was found lifeless in his apartment in Berlin on a Monday. "We had hoped that the rumors would not be confirmed, but now we have sad certainty," said a spokesperson for RTLZWEI. For the Munich broadcaster and its Daily-Soap "Berlin - Tag & Nacht," Ochsenknecht had stood in front of the camera for years as "Ole ohne Kohle," and even started as a Schlagersänger under that name on Mallorca.
"We were deeply shocked to learn of the death of our colleague Falko Ochsenknecht today. (...) His sudden death has caused deep sadness among us all. Our thoughts are with his family and friends in these difficult times," the statement from the broadcaster continues.
Rumors about cause of death
According to information from the "Bild" newspaper, Ochsenknecht's extravagant lifestyle, particularly his alcohol consumption, may have played a role in his death. The cause of death was reportedly a cardiac arrest. Ochsenknecht had returned to the series in 2020 after his detour into the Schlager scene and had said then, "I didn't know what to do with my time sometimes. I missed the structured life."
The last post on Falko Ochsenknecht's Instagram account is several months old. In December 2023, he bid farewell to his "Berlin - Tag & Nacht" colleague Alfio De Benedictis, who was also a long-time regular cast member, known as Fabrizio. The 52-year-old De Benedictis had reportedly been suffering from heart disease for a longer period before his death.
After his stint in the Schlager scene, Ochsenknecht expressed his enjoyment of returning to the "Berlin - Tag & Nacht" series, mentioning that he missed the structured life. Despite the sad news, RTLPop, a sister channel of RTLZWEI, dedicated an entire episode to honoring his memory, featuring his favorite Pop music.
