“Who is stealing the show from me?”
Riccardo Simonetti wants to “bring glamor to TV”
Riccardo Simonetti will be at “Who will steal the show from me in 2022?” included.
© ProSieben / Florida TV / Anna Thut
“Who is stealing the show from me?” – candidate Riccardo Simonetti reveals why he fears the competition and how he would change the quiz show.
On January 4, 2022 (every Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. at ProSieben and Joyn), “Who is stealing the show from me?” into the third season. Then singer Mark Forster (38), comedienne Anke Engelke (56), entertainer Riccardo Simonetti (28) and a wildcard winner will try to win the show from host Joko Winterscheidt (42) in nine quiz categories and three profit levels.
In an interview with the news agency spot on news, candidate Riccardo Simonetti reveals how he wants to win, why he has “huge respect” for his competition and how he wants to “bring a bit of glamor to TV” when taking over the show. The entertainer also tells how he looks back on 2021 and what he has planned for 2022.
You want to steal the show from Joko Winterscheidt. How do you think you can do that?
Riccardo Simonetti: With a lot of well-sorted half-knowledge, of course! Also, I am notorious by my friends as a pop culture dictionary and I very much hope that this can help me win the show!
Which areas of knowledge are your weak points?
Simonetti: I’ve seen a lot of unusual things in my life and I hope that I can apply some of them. I would also see my affinity for pop culture as an advantage. I am now deliberately only listing strengths (laughs).
If you did the show, what would it be like?
Simonetti: I would like to bring a bit of glamor to TV and show the audience how much fun it can be. But I would also like to include something with social added value, a show like this is of course a great platform to convey a message! I think Germany is ready for some gay primetime (laughs).
What is your impression of your competitors Mark Forster and Anke Engelke?
Simonetti: I have a lot of respect for both of them – Anke Engelke, for example, has a lot to do with “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” has proven several times what an extremely clever person she is and I rate Mark as a guy who has always said he didn’t know anything and who probably ended up writing a 1 anyway (laughs). As much as we are competitors in the format, I would also love to see what they would do with their airtime. I think it would be best if we all won.
Did you have jitters before the show, after all, many TV greats were already sitting on the council chair in front of you?
Simonetti: Let’s put it this way: I almost pissed my pants before shooting started (laughs). Because of course I don’t want to embarrass myself and I know that the audience is always a bit strict. But on the other hand, in my opinion, this show is one of the most entertaining shows on German TV and that’s why I feel it’s a great privilege to be there and I’m sure to have a lot of fun. And I love Joko and his team – for that reason alone I would never have said no.
What is special about the show for you?
Simonetti: This show combines fun with knowledge and it is very different from all other quiz shows – you are really gripped by ambition and you don’t know what can happen yourself. Everything is possible and that makes you totally crazy in the best sense of the word. Joko is a wonderful host and in the show itself you become so beautifully human because it doesn’t matter how much you know in real life, that doesn’t mean anything in the show. Everyone is in the same boat – including the audience, and that’s really fun. But let’s not kid ourselves: Above all, we enjoy annoying Joko.
How do you look back on 2021?
Simonetti: For me personally, it was a year that was associated with many professional successes, but also one or the other lesson. I am very grateful for that. I hope that this show will bring people a bit of much-needed ease with which they can start the new year. I know that 2021 was very tough for a lot of people – maybe a few hours of entertaining TV can be a distraction right at the turn of the year.
Which highlights and which less beautiful moments were there?
Simonetti: I think the division in society caused by the pandemic is very threatening at the moment and I very much hope that 2022 will bring us all closer together again. I had to struggle with a few health problems myself in the past year and only then do you notice that Corona is not the only disease that you can get sick from. That was definitely a wake-up call that will stay with me for a long time in my further life planning.
Do you have new year’s resolutions?
Simonetti: I held five honorary positions in 2021, including setting up my own non-profit organization. It was all very fulfilling, but it also made me forget my personal limits at times. Therefore, in 2022, I plan to simply bring a little more lightness back into my everyday life in order to continue to be the person I am.
What do you wish for in 2022?
Simonetti: I spent the last few weeks of 2021 in many doctor’s offices and hospitals, so my main wish is to stay healthy and happy in the New Year. The end of the year was also a great burden for my family, my partner and my friends and I want to give them back some of the love and time they gave me.