Last edition of "Anne Will": "Thank you, thank you, thank you"

Political talk - Last edition of "Anne Will": "Thank you, thank you, thank you"

Bouquets of flowers and lots of praise: Anne Will hosted the last edition of her eponymous ARD talk show after 16 years. The journalist wants to turn her attention to new projects. Her successor is former "Tagesthemen" presenter Caren Miosga.

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck was a guest on the last show on Sunday evening and praised Will at the end. The Green politician said: "Thank you for 16 years of enlightenment. That was a defining style." He was the only top politician on the panel. Writer Navid Kermani - also among the guests - also paid tribute to Will. He said it was a certain mark of respect towards her that he had come on the show.

A "real honor"

At the end, the 57-year-old said to the camera: "I would also like to thank you for the great trust and interest you have shown in us. It has to be said that we have spent quite a few hours together over the past 16 years. I have to say, it was a pleasure." It was also a "real honor" for her, even if that may sound a little pathetic.

The 57-year-old presented the political talk show on German public television ARD for 16 years. She is one of the country's best-known political journalists. At the beginning of the year, it was announced that Will would be giving up her talk show and devoting herself to new projects. Will has now announced that she will continue her collaboration with NDR and ARD. "That's clear." What exactly she will be doing has not yet been revealed.

New plans

In the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung", Will hinted that she wanted to be a reporter again, shoot documentaries and conduct individual interviews. She will also moderate events. She also wants to make podcasts and could imagine doing radio.

In her acceptance speech in the last show on Sunday evening, she also praised her team behind "Anne Will". They are highly professional, stress-tested and great colleagues. "I have to say, I will miss that," said Will. She will never forget what they have achieved.

The last show

Will then announced her successor Caren Miosga as follows: "Be nice to her, she is too." The TV presenter Miosga (54) recently announced her successor on "Tagesthemen", Jessy Wellmer, in exactly the same way.

When Anne Will wanted to transition to the "Tagesthemen" program, it started late because a compilation from previous "Anne Will" shows was presented first. This included, for example, excerpts from the individual interviews with the then Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).

Anne Will was finally surrounded by colleagues in the talk studio and received several bouquets of flowers. She said: "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The last program was entitled: "The world in disarray - Is Germany up to the challenges?". Guests included Federal Minister of Economics Habeck, author Kermani, the President of the German Historical Museum Foundation, Raphael Gross, and the Director of Research at the Nato Defense College, Florence Gaub.

Will made her mark with her person

Anne Will shaped the political talk show so much with her personality that you could almost think that the show would still have to be called "Anne Will" even without her. But that's nonsense, of course. Months ago, the working title for her successor Caren Miosga's show was announced: "Miosga".

The Cologne-born journalist Will began her career in public broadcasting. She did a traineeship at Sender Freies Berlin (SFB, later RBB) and then worked in radio. She later worked for ARD's "Sportschau" and then for many years as a "Tagesthemen" presenter, alternating with Ulrich Wickert (80). She then launched her political program in 2007.

In 2011, the slot for her talk show, which is produced in Berlin, changed to Wednesday. The reason: the Sunday evening slot was vacated for presenter Günther Jauch and Will had to leave the field. In an interview with "Spiegel" in 2010, Will complained about a "months-long delay" and said: "That was unpleasant. You can do better than that." In 2016, she returned to Sunday evenings.