A recent analysis by “Der Spiegel” has revealed a surprising dominance in Germany’s popular talk show circuit. The study, which examined guest appearances on major public broadcasters since 2015, found that former SPD Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has been the most frequent participant, appearing in 119 shows.
The investigation tracked appearances on prominent talk show programs hosted by Markus Lanz, Maybrit Illner, Caren Miosga, Anne Will and “Hart aber fair”. Over the eight-year period, these programs broadcast 2,932 episodes, featuring a total of 3,992 different individuals.
Following Lauterbach, ZDF journalist Elmar Theveßen secured second place with 113 appearances. Robin Alexander, journalist from “Welt” placed third with 109 appearances. CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen ranked fourth, followed by CSU leader Markus Söder, in fifth place.
The data highlights the significant exposure achieved by these figures within Germany’s media landscape.
