In the seventh season "Die Höhle der Löwen" ("DHDL"), Dagmar Wöhrl (65) will also take a seat on an lion chair as an investor (from March 10, 8:15 p.m. at VOX). For colleague Frank Thelen (44) it is the last appearance as a deal maker. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Wöhrl reveals what she particularly valued about him and how she assesses his successor Nico Rosberg (34).
You have been part of "The Lion's Den" since 2017. Which deal did you remember most?
Dagmar Wöhrl: My most emotional deal is with Anna Vonnemann. In 2017, she introduced an electronic walking aid that she had developed for her daughter. Dindja had already had a stroke in the mother's stomach and the doctors predicted that she would be in a wheelchair by ten years at the latest. Anna Vonnemann fought against it with the heart of a lion mother and developed the MoveAid in her kitchen. If you sit at her kitchen table and see the traces of this development, you can imagine the motivation with which Anna approached this development. We are all the happier that the device received medical approval at the end of 2019.
And what was the most bizarre deal for you?
Wöhrl: "HappyPo", the mobile podouche, clearly belongs to the most unusual deal. Many people have significant problems that HappyPo can alleviate, whether with bowel problems or shortly after giving birth. Although my deal was ridiculed at the time – also by my colleagues – it developed into a solid, profitable company. I am very proud of that.
The show goes into season seven. What is the show's recipe for success?
Wöhrl: Products are often presented at "Die Höhle der Löwen", where people ask themselves "Why didn't I think of that?". And that is exactly what inspires the audience. The enormous radiance of this show. It encourages people to also be brave and take the step into self-employment. We have had some founders on the show who are fans of the first hour and who were motivated by the show to try it for themselves. There can be no better confirmation for a shipment.
Did a "DHDL" product enrich your everyday life?
Wöhrl: There are many. For example, I love our little "waterdrops", taste for the water, without added sugar and only from natural fruit essences. Without these drops, I can't leave the house. In our home kitchen we only use our "Panela" sugar for sweetening. Our founder Anna is already processing raw cane sugar in her home country of Colombia and through commercial cultivation, she opens up real prospects for coca cultivation to local farmers.
It is the last season for Frank Thelen. What did you like about him and what will you miss less?
Wöhrl: Of course Frank was our tech freak. No one could take apart apps providers as well as he could. I will already miss his technical mind. I will miss less of his open inability to run a household. Nobody could say so convincingly: "I don't cook / vacuum / wash, so I can't say anything about it."
Have you ever thought of getting out yourself?
Wöhrl: No. I focus on our current recordings for the fall season. What comes after that depends on the broadcaster.
Nico Rosberg is his successor. In one of our interviews, you attested his assertiveness. How is he doing, is he a big competitor?
Wöhrl: Very good. You can tell that he has been in front of the camera for decades. He has very precise ideas about what he wants to invest in. It will be an asset to the show.
Carsten Maschmeyer's skin cancer recently became public. How did the lions learn about it and how did it affect the show?
Wöhrl: We learned about it from the producer. For my part, I sent him heartfelt recovery wishes in a private way and I am still in contact with him. I hope he comes back very quickly – I miss his humor.
You recently spoke about your son's death in a TV interview. Why was it important to you to talk about it and what reactions did you get?
Wöhrl: The conversation wasn't planned that way. The reactions have been overwhelming. I was particularly happy to hear from mothers and fathers who had the same experience. That builds up. My son is omnipresent to me and I speak to him very often. This is also my favorite, because I don't want to deal with the topic permanently in public.