Michelle Hunziker recently offered heartfelt reflections about her former colleague, Thomas Gottschalk. Meeting him again led her to share how happy she was to embrace him, though she noted that their contact has lessened recently, as her life, family, and shows are primarily based in Italy, preventing frequent phone calls.
In the face of recent public discussions regarding Gottschalk’s moderation gaps and critiques of his humor, the 49-year-old stood firmly by him. She affirmed her affection for him, stating she never commented when he might have made a slight mistake, and assured readers she would continue to hold him in high regard. Hunziker fondly recalled the beginning of their professional relationship: “Thomas called me in 2009 and asked if we could co-host ‘Wetten, dass…?’. I knew the show as a guest, I was grateful, and I immediately felt comfortable with him, especially because he was so unconventional and made the show fantastic”.
However, when asked how she initially came to Germany, she credited Frank Elstner, Gottschalk’s predecessor, not Gottschalk himself. She explained that after working with Eros Ramazzotti on “Wetten, dass…?” in 1998 (during a time when she and Ramazzotti were a couple), Frank Elstner contacted her and insisted she should work in German television. While Thomas later made her a co-host of the show, she emphasized that Elstner was the one who convinced her to move to Germany.
Hunziker offered a stark contrast between the two media environments. She noted that the German market operates very differently from Italy. “In Italian television, I can be truly expressive. People know me for who I really am. In Italy, I represent music, events, and large comedy and family programs. So far, in Germany, I haven’t found my own unique format where I could be the 100% Italian Michelle. That’s nobody’s fault and not my fault. I even receive many requests for ambitious, amazing productions, but I often have to turn them down because doing so would require me to live here, and I have three children who need me in Italy”.
When questioned about the professional relationship between Thomas Gottschalk and Dieter Bohlen-with whom she filmed “Das Supertalent”-she responded with complete silence, simply covering her mouth.
In a more candid vein, she spoke with the “noz” about the joy of being a young grandmother. Now four years into being a grandmother, she loves her grandchild’s sense of humor, describing it as funny, spontaneous, and full of life. She confessed that her time with him is the best, although when asked if he was just good audience fodder for her jokes or genuinely funny himself, she smiled and replied, “He makes great gags all the time, but he doesn’t know it”.
