“Had a good time”: Gottschalk’s “Wetten, dass…?” farewell
Published: Sunday, Nov 26th 2023, 01:01
Retour au fil d'actualité
He saved the emotional part for the end: Accompanied by much applause, show host Thomas Gottschalk bid farewell to the ZDF classic "Wetten, dass...?". There were standing ovations on Saturday evening in Offenburg for the visibly moved presenter. "We had a good time together," the 73-year-old called out to the 2,000 or so people in the Baden Arena.
Gottschalk also explained that it was not a sad event. "I'm not in despair, my life goes on and I'm looking forward to everything that's coming," he added, before being driven out of the hall in an excavator. A surprise guest on the excavator was comedian Mike Krüger, a companion of Gottschalk's over the past decades on TV.
Gottschalk said that there were two main reasons why he decided to end "Wetten, dass...?" for good. Firstly, he didn't want "people to have to explain my guests to me". For another, he always said on television what he said at home. He now speaks differently on television than he does at home - because he fears that he could create a "shitstorm".
Show creator Frank Elstner (81) hugged Gottschalk at the end and paid tribute to his work. "I am grateful that you have lasted so long," he said. Gottschalk had once succeeded him as presenter of "Wetten, dass...?". At the beginning, Elstner had announced him as a "legend". In a video message shown during the show, the Rolling Stones also bid him farewell.
It was Gottschalk's 154th show - which he ended unusually punctually. Normally, he is known for running overtime. It may also have been unusual for some viewers that co-presenter Michelle Hunziker was absent this time. Gottschalk had announced in the summer that he wanted to host the show alone once again.
The first celebrity guest he welcomed to the famous show sofa was actor Matthias Schweighöfer. The British boy band Take That performed their cult hit "Back for Good". Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald took to the stage in the south-west of Baden-Württemberg.
Singers Helene Fischer and Shirin David also made a joint appearance. They performed Fischer's hit song "Atemlos" together, which was first released ten years ago. Gottschalk then slipped into a discussion with Shirin David on the celebrity couch about feminism and influencers. The singer countered. As we all know Gottschalk, he then went back to sponging sentences like: "Let me talk here."
World star Cher also took a seat on the big TV couch. It wasn't her first time on the show, and the singer and Gottschalk also know each other from Malibu. He once met her there in a shoe store, he revealed.
Gottschalk was well prepared - after the last edition there was criticism that only Hunziker had the show under control. Nevertheless, there were still slip-ups - for example, Gottschalk said Schweinsteiger instead of Schweighöfer. Former professional footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger was introduced as "Bastian Schweigsteiger". Later in the show, Gottschalk flirted with his slips of the tongue: If he loses his bet, he wants to say Bastian Schweinsteiger ten times in a row.
The showmaster's outfit was comparatively modest by his standards: a suit in light cardinal red with velvet slippers.
Excerpts from the bets: A man wanted to recognize the breed by the crowing of the roosters - he won. The outside bet was organized in Switzerland. Eight men pulled a seven-ton cable car ten meters uphill in Stans. The queen of the competition was a woman who was able to recognize previous bets on the show classic by means of colourful barcodes.
After 36 years, Thomas Gottschalk ended his career as a betting presenter. Through "Wetten, dass...?" he became a showmaster legend and the entertainment program became probably the biggest in Europe thanks to him. A few moments are particularly memorable. After losing bets, he had himself dipped in mustard and even danced Swan Lake on stage as the "Ballet Prince". This and other scenes were shown again in the end credits.
Gottschalk had already left the show once before in 2011, and "Wetten, dass...?" was discontinued in 2014. There was a celebrated comeback in 2021, after which ZDF scheduled two more episodes with Gottschalk. The broadcaster has not yet announced what will happen after his departure.
©Keystone/SDA
French 
English 
German 
Spanish 
Arabic