Joko Winterscheidt: Thomas Gottschalk's quick-wittedness is "great art"


In "Who Steals The Show From Me?" Joko Winterscheidt competes against Thomas Gottschalk. In an interview, he reveals what he values ​​about him.

Entertainer Thomas Gottschalk (70), actor Elyas M'Barek (38), all-rounder Palina Rojinski (35) and a changing wildcard candidate appear in the new show "Who is stealing the show from me?" against Joko Winterscheidt (41) (from January 5, every Tuesday, at 8:15 p.m. on ProSieben and Joyn). The goal: You want to win against him and thus become a show host. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Joko Winterscheidt reveals why he called the format the "stupidest show idea", how he was able to win Thomas Gottschalk for the show and what he appreciates about the entertainer.

With "Who is stealing the show from me?" bring your own format to the start. Is it unusual to be in front of the camera without Klaas by your side?

Joko Winterscheidt: Not unusual, but different. The most fundamental difference for me is more likely to do without Steven (Gätjen) or Jeannine (Michaelsen). The moderators lead through the show and I'm actually just a guest on my own show. As your own host, you want everyone around you to feel good and that you do it well for the people at home and for yourself. Juggling these tasks is a different number than just getting to a recording where Steven says: "In the game you have to hold a lightbulb for as long as possible" – which you do well (laughs). And I can now understand Steven why he is sometimes latently annoyed with us …

As the?

Winterscheidt: I couldn't understand why he was so upset when we asked after he had explained the rules. When you, as a quiz master, constantly have to answer questions, you think to yourself: Folks, I just explained it! Karma strikes back now. I will never ask questions again just to have asked questions.

The great show master Thomas Gottschalk is part of the party. How do you get him to take part in a show like this?

Winterscheidt: I had a dream panel for the first season in mind and it actually consisted of a wildcard winner, Palina, Elyas and Thomas. With Thomas Gottschalk, I called him, he just laughed at the stupidity of the idea and immediately checked his calendar. He said: "That sounds so stupid, I'd like to be there." A dream has come true. I will be grateful to him all my life for saying yes.

What makes it so special?

Winterscheidt: He is the grandmaster on all levels. Nobody in this country is a bigger entertainer than him. Not only can he make a show super entertaining, but he's an amazing person at the end of the day. I have seldom seen someone of such caliber who is so deeply relaxed and has tried to move the show forward in cooperation. Who was so interested in how you felt on a show, what your mistakes might have been, and who offered to chat again after each show in order to exchange ideas. There are already many in the industry who like to work with elbows. Thomas is the complete opposite and is more likely to rebuild you if you are too self-critical. He is the greatest!

How was it to be in front of the camera with him?

Winterscheidt: You just can't hold a candle to him. He'll manage to give you one that you'll laugh at yourself about it. This is the greatest art of all. It was a lot of fun because he has a lot of sporting ambition when it comes to verbal arguments. You immediately get the feeling that you are not up to the situation and that you should move on quickly.

Elyas M'Barek and Palina Rojinski know you very well. Is there a bit of calculation behind the selection?

Winterscheidt: For me, being able to do the show with friends is the greatest luxury. Of course you have the thieving joy of taking my show away from me and showing me how hard my job can really be. They saw the fun in it as well as the seriousness. This is also very important with the show: As seriously as it is meant that it is about winning the show, it is also important that everyone has incredible fun with it, only then is it fun to watch.

Which challenges can be seen in the show?

Winterscheidt: From small games where words are beeped away in video clips, to historical events that have been processed on Instagram, to a live band that takes music quizzes. To enumerate everything, there would be no time here. Everything is really included and that is also the challenge, you have to deliver. Well prepared, unlike many of our wildcard winners, I am still not. Kurt Krömer once said: To the top without rehearsals. I've been sticking to it all my life.

They have "Who is stealing the show from me?" dubbed the stupidest show idea. How big was or is the fear of not getting your show back at all?

Winterscheidt: With every day the show came closer to me, it became clearer to me how stupid the idea really is and I mean that quite honestly. It may just be that I moderate this show only once. I imagine it to be a bit like a bungee jump: You know, in six weeks you have to jump and everything is relaxed. Then there comes the moment when you stand up and have to jump down … But then on the show it got maddened because there is a very clear goal, what you have in mind. The others want the show, you don't want to give it up yourself. It couldn't have worked out better in the end.

Speaking of fighting spirit. In "Duel um die Welt" you repeatedly mess with Klaas, even though it is "only" about a world title between two people. Why is victory always important to you?

Winterscheidt: Precisely because it is such a nonsense title that only has meaning in the Joko Klaas cosmos, you want to show the other person that you can do it better – even when it comes to hitting a buzzer with an excavator. In the last live show we had a game where we played soccer with bowling balls and our colleague Basti, who was on the field, said afterwards that it was so absurd how this indispensable will to win could be felt on both sides. You really noticed how the mood between the two of us changed completely when the game kicked off. I'm in a bad mood for two or three days if I don't take the title home with me. It's a long-cherished duel that we will probably take seriously forever.

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