Alfred Biolek
Colleagues and stars mourn the loss of entertainers
Alfred Biolek was among other things with “alfredissimo!” Known to TV viewers.
© imago images / Sven Simon
Alfred Biolek has died. Colleagues and stars mourn the entertainer who did not aim for a television career from the start.
Alfred Biolek (1934-2021) is dead. The entertainer was popularized by numerous TV programs such as “alfredissimo!” or “Boulevard Bio” to the famous TV star. Numerous stars and companions said goodbye to the entertainer on social media and in statements.
WDR director Tom Buhrow (62) explained in a message: “With Alfred Biolek we are losing an all-round talent in German television. He was not only a gifted talk show host, but also an idea generator, discoverer, promoter and extremely creative.” He also fondly remembers his cooking show “alfredissimo!” back: “The joy and humor with which he celebrated it together with his celebrity guests was always a pleasure for me while watching.” Due to the occasion, Das Erste is changing its program and is showing Oliver Schwabe’s film “Tschüss Bio!” At 11:55 pm today. (WDR). Afterwards (00:10) the 90-minute portrait “Mensch, Bio!” (WDR) broadcast.
Patrick Lindner learned from him
Patrick Lindner (60) wrote to a picture with Biolek cooking together in his show: “Today I still cook according to your recipe ‘Monkfish in a pig’s net’, what I’ve looked up to you and learned everything. You were charming, smart, sensitive, an all-rounder in show business, always an excellent host . ” Biolek fought for tolerance, said the singer. “Now we have you in our hearts forever, dear Bio, Alfred Biolek, thank you for the wonderful moments we had.”
Also presenter Marijke Amado (67) shared a video, in which she cooks together with Biolek, and commented: “There are so many moments together! […] Thank you entertainment king! “Moderator colleague Ralph Morgenstern (64) wrote to a broadcast photo with the cook: “We cooked some soups together and also spooned them out. Thank you for everything! Have a good trip, Alfred, you’re missing, even in the television landscape!” Celebrity chef Eckart Witzigmann (80) is Biolek above all grateful for one thing: “Alfred’s great merit – and that cannot be overestimated – is that he got people interested in cooking in general and started a huge avalanche with it. He reached more people interested in cooking with a single TV show, when I was with all my books. Rest in peace! ” Politicians also spoke up: Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (48) tweeted: “He was a smart and thoughtful person who made television history. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
From law school in front of the camera
Alfred Franz Maria Biolek was born on July 10, 1934 in what was then Czechoslovakia. There he grew up with two brothers in a wealthy family. His father was a doctor of law and his mother was an amateur actress. The family moved to Waiblingen near Stuttgart in 1946. Biolek studied law in Freiburg im Breisgau, Munich and Vienna. In 1958 he completed the state law examination with distinction.
In the 1960s, ZDF became aware of Biolek and initially hired him as a legal advisor in the legal department. But it was the work in the editorial office that gradually attracted the budding entertainer. From then on he began to moderate various programs, first and foremost “Tips for Drivers”, followed by “Customized Holidays”, “Nightclub” and “Die Drehscheibe”. After moving to Munich, he devoted himself entirely to working in front of the camera. So it came to the production of “On the Run” with Rudi Carrell (1934-2006) in 1974, the show was Biolek’s big breakthrough. Then he was seen together with Dieter Thoma (1927-2017) on the WDR talk show “Kölner Treff” before he produced his own program “Bio’s Bahnhof” in 1978.
Further broadcasts made Biolek a cult star in the 80s and 90s. From 1991 to 2003 he stood in front of the camera for his weekly ARD talk show “Boulevard Bio”, in which people from various fields had their say. His television series “alfredissimo!”, Which ran on WDR from December 1994, made cooking in front of the camera prominent in Germany. Until 2007, various star guests stood at the stove to cook their favorite dishes. “Bio” eventually ended his TV career.
In 1991 the entertainer was outed as homosexual on the RTL plus talk show “Explosiv – the hot chair”. Filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim (78) said at the time: “Why doesn’t Biolek say he’s gay?” For Biolek it was “a blow”, but afterwards he felt “released”.
In 2010, a serious fall radically changed his life. The then 76-year-old fell down the stairs and was in a coma for a long time. In the following years he withdrew from the public as much as possible, in 2018 he celebrated a comeback at the “Kölner Treff”. He received help in everyday life from his Scottish adoptive son Scott Biolek-Ritchie, among others. In April 2021, his second adopted son, Keith Biolek-Austin, died in the United States at the age of 58. “We had a very close connection until Keith moved back to America. Despite all the distance, we are deeply touched,” said Biolek at the time “Bild”.