Daniela Katzenberger is considered to be an absolute happy person, but lately the cult blonde has been more and more serious. Most recently, she even made it public that she had two burnouts at the beginning of her career. Katzenberger explains why this is so important to her in the GALA interview.
Daniela Katzenberger, 35, is known for not mincing her words. With her refreshing nature, she has been successful on television for years, her fans love her for her humor and her wonderfully down-to-earth way of making fun of herself.
Daniela Katzenberger: “When everything gets too much for me…”
But the “cat” can also be different, she uses her reach for topics that are close to her heart. Whether body positivity or mental health – the 35-year-old wants to raise awareness for her own health and for her daughter Sophia. In an interview with GALA, Daniela Katzenberger reveals what she gives to the six-year-old in a world full of Instagram filters and beauty pressure, how she protects her own psyche and whether she has ever regretted having revealed something in public.
GALA: You always put up for body in a humorous way on Instagram positivity a. How do you try to convey to your daughter Sophia that there are no classic ideals of beauty and that everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin?
Daniela Katzenberger: Lucas and I continue to teach our daughter that everyone is beautiful in their own way. It’s the little flaws that make us so special. The only thing that makes ugly is a disgusting character. Luckily, times are changing now, which is especially important on social networks. Those fake photos edited with 1000 filters aren’t reality, but young girls believe that and then feel inferior. This is a dangerous trend. Unfortunately, these pseudo “I don’t have make-up” photos, where you spent an hour in front of the mirror, are also part of it. Show me the woman who gets up in the morning and isn’t disheveled or has dark circles under her eyes.
You recently revealed that you struggled a lot with public pressure at the beginning of your career and also suffered two burnouts. How do you deal with days when everything is too much for you?
I’ve learned quite a few things over the last few years. Above all, that you have to listen to your own body and your feelings. When everything gets too much for me, I spend time with my loved ones. My family gives me a lot of strength. I take a bath, curl up on the sofa, and watch cheesy movies. Pretty woman, gone with the wind, dirty dancing – that relaxes me immediately. There is a lot of pressure from the public and you have to listen to a lot of crap on the internet, which is sometimes tough and leaves its mark. Envy is also a topic, and it is mainly pushed by social media. That’s why I always take time off and put my cell phone away. Going out, going for a walk, eating something nice – you have to take time for yourself.
Do you find it difficult, as a well-known happy nature, to strike a serious note?
No, everyone who knows me knows that I’m not always happily hopping around or constantly throwing out a casual joke. I’m already worried because not everything is going well in this world. There are wars, hunger, since I became a mother it has occupied me even more. I want my daughter to grow up in a beautiful world and everyone can contribute to that.
How much courage did it take to make your own mental health problems from the past public?
Of course you think about it before you go public with it. But I would like to encourage other people to do this. We should talk about our problems, nobody is alone. There are still far too many who are ashamed, pretend to others that you have to stand by yourself, in good times and bad, and be honest. This is the only way to face problems and overcome them.
“We would never force Sophie to do anything”
In light of your own struggles with public pressure, are there moments when you regret showing your daughter to the public at a young age?
Sophia decides for herself whether she wants to be there, we would never force her to do anything. But she inherited my genes. Of course we thought about keeping them out completely – but then we would always have to hide them and we didn’t want to do that. She belongs to us. I think everyone has to decide for themselves, there is no right or wrong. We also make Sophia very clear that one is real life and the other is show life. But she would like to be on stage with her dad right now.
Victoria Beckham recently admitted she was terrified of her daughter being body-shamed online. You reveal a lot of private information on Instagram, on TV and most recently in your podcast. Were there any issues that you would have preferred to keep to yourself or that your daughter Sophia then complained about?
You’ll have to ask Lucas about that, I occasionally spill little embarrassments about him. I often say what’s on my mind, but I try to be charming. We people from the Palatinate like to babble.
Who does the household chores at home – Lucas or you?
“A bit of housework…” says my husband, this song applies to us a bit. Lucas takes out the garbage, goes shopping, sometimes cooks – but tidying up isn’t really his thing. He leaves everything lying around, and so does my daughter .I’m telling myself that cleaning is a butt workout, vacuuming is slim-waist aerobics, and pulling the Legos out from under Sophia’s bed is mindfulness yoga.Seriously, we try to divide everything fairly, but you know it, men just don’t show pubic hair the toilet seat or find dirty socks in front of the bed normal. (laughs)
“It was definitely the hardest experience of my life”
What was going through your mind as you entered the new discovery+ original “Katzenberger@Work – liquid manure instead of glamour” entered Farmer Peter’s farm for the first time?
To be honest, my first thoughts were “Daniela, what are you doing here and how do you get out of here unnoticed?” (laughs) I think Farmer Peter also thought, what does the crazy blonde want here… When he picked me up in the tractor and I sniffed the “good country air”, i.e. cow shit, I was really excited. I normally have nothing to do with animals and farms. I was grateful that farmer Peter and his family welcomed me so warmly. They didn’t know what to expect.
What is the best memory you take away from the project? And which is the worst?
I really pushed my limits a lot, but my personal nightmare was when I had to pluck the chicken. I will NEVER EVER do that again. I don’t want my hair pulled out either. But seriously, I’ve had a different relationship to meat since then, I appreciate it more and eat much more consciously and less. And the cow’s udder wasn’t smooth either, you know how it feels, like a limp donkey, I was always afraid of pulling too tight. The biggest challenge, however, was the alarm clock. I’m definitely a night owl and not an early bird. As the saying goes: “The early bird can kill me” The best thing for me was when Lucas came and I no longer had to work alone. (laughs) And I really liked driving tractors, most people think I can’t drive a car, which is definitely not true. You have a good view from up there, chugging along so leisurely – maybe I should get a tractor as a second car if it comes in pink. (laughs)
Milking cows, plucking chickens, emptying liquid manure and and and: You got your hands pretty dirty. What do you take with you personally from this week’s country life?
The time was really hard. When discovery+ asked me, I had been thinking for a long time about whether I should really do this – the Katzenbergers on the farm, heavens – but as you know, I love the challenge! I was sweating so much and just stunk (laughs). I had to milk cows, drive tractors, collect eggs, chop wood, scratch pigs, dig in kilos of cabbage, accidentally got sprayed with liquid manure – new tasks every day, but I fought my way through and I’m really proud of myself! It was definitely the hardest experience of my life, the time was very formative! But now I know even more, giving up is not an option – just do it, without a plan B. I’m really impressed how farmer Peter and his family rock it every day, you have to do it with heart and soul, I take my hat off! Even this physical exertion is not without it, I have real respect for all farmers.
Are you going on holiday on the farm with your family from now on?
We will definitely visit Bauer Peter again! Sophia will love it. If she had her way, we’d have a whole zoo with us. Our hamster is enough for me for the first time.
The discovery+ original “Katzenberger@Work – liquid manure instead of glamour” can be seen exclusively at discovery+.