"Wetten, dass...?" with Thomas Gottschalk for the last time
This time it will be for good: Thomas Gottschalk wants to say goodbye to "Wetten, dass...?" on Saturday (8.15 pm). The show host is expecting world star Cher, the British cult band Take That, actors Matthias Schweighöfer and Jan Josef Liefers as well as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ana Ivanović on his TV couch in Offenburg. Helene Fischer and Shirin David are set to perform a special "Breathless" duet.
"This time I'm more relaxed than ever, because they can't kick me out anymore," said Gottschalk about his farewell. The 73-year-old had already announced in the summer that it would not be easy for him to say goodbye. But the days of Saturday night entertainment, which are talked about everywhere on Monday, are over. "I am grateful that I was able to experience it and help shape it," said Gottschalk.
Show attracted millions of viewers to the television
Gottschalk presented a total of 153 editions of "Wetten, dass ...?" in around 36 years. Some of his appearances are particularly memorable. After losing bets, he dipped himself in mustard and even danced Swan Lake on stage as the "Ballet Prince".
The cult presenter also showed full physical commitment in front of a knife-throwing target, dived into Lake Constance in unpleasant temperatures in a green "Borat" swimsuit and danced dressed as a woman in a red glitter dress with the then national soccer coach Joachim Löw. Gottschalk was also known for his unusual outfits in leopard or check patterns.
He regularly attracted millions of viewers to the television. ZDF was able to win Gottschalk back for a TV comeback of the show, which was discontinued in 2014 under the moderation of talk show host Markus Lanz. He had already said goodbye to the show in 2011. The first revival show from Nuremberg attracted 13.8 million viewers in 2021. The second edition from Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance attracted around 10.1 million.
The show on Saturday will once again offer everything that belongs to "Wetten, dass...?": crazy bets, stars and a quick-witted presenter. The audience can expect typical Gottschalk gag fireworks, albeit perhaps a little slower: "I always shoot from the hip, but now I think before I say something," Gottschalk told dpa.
Symbol of German television entertainment
According to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov, one in four (26 percent) want to watch Gottschalk's "Wetten, dass...?" farewell. However, seven percent of these said they would not watch the show live, but at a later date in the ZDF media library.
"Wetten, dass...?" has become a symbol of German television entertainment since its launch on February 14, 1981. Inventor Frank Elstner hosted the first 39 episodes. His successor Gottschalk arrived in September 1987 and left his mark on the show. Almost 21 million people watched his first show.
ZDF has not yet decided what will happen to "Wetten, dass...?" after the end of the Gottschalk era. The decision will be made after the show.
The popularity of "Wetten, dass...?" extended beyond the live broadcasts, with many viewers choosing to watch the episodes later on ZDF's media library. Despite this, ZDF's media library recorded that seven percent of viewers who intended to watch Gottschalk's farewell would prefer to do so at a later time.
The success of "Wetten, dass...?" on ZDF television has contributed to the show becoming a symbol of German entertainment, with one out of four people expressing their interest in watching Gottschalk's farewell according to a YouGov survey.
Source: www.dpa.com
