Who is Thomas Gottschalk?
Thomas Gottschalk is a 72-year-old German entertainer, radio, and television host well-known for anchoring Europe’s biggest television show “Wetten, dass..?” from 1987 and 2011.
This article talks about German entertainer “Thomas Gottschalk” and in it, we will be covering his biography, age, career, net worth, family background, and other facts about him. Before we proceed let’s have a look at his profile summary below.
Profile Summary
| Birth Name | Thomas Johannes Gottschalk |
| Age | 72 years old |
| Birth Date | May 18, 1950 |
| Birth Place | Bamberg, Bavaria |
| Nationality | German |
| Profession | Radio & Television host |
| Parents | Father: Hans Gottschalk Mother: Rutila Gottschalk |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Height | 6’4″ |
| Weight | 95kg |
| Net Worth | $130 million |
| Social links |
Thomas Gottschalk Biography
Thomas Gottschalk was born Thomas Johannes Gottschalk in Bamberg, Bavaria, West Germany on May 18, 1950. He holds German nationality and his ethnicity is white.
Talking about Gottschalk’s age, he celebrates his age every year on May 18. As of 2022, he is 72 years old.
Regarding his family background, his parents are Hans Gottschalk (father) and Rutila Gottschalk (mother). He also has two siblings whose names are Raphaela Ackermann and Christoph Gottschalk.
Educational Background
Gottschalk studied history and German philology after graduating from Kulmbach’s Humanistisches Gymnasium.
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Professional Career
Gottschalk began contributing as a freelancer to the Bayerischer Rundfunk’s kids program in 1971; in 1973, he was promoted to news anchor.
Gottschalk started out as a freelancer for the Bayerischer Rundfunk’s youth program in 1971, and in 1973 he became a newscaster.
After making a temporary diversion to the newspaper Münchner Merkur, he began contributing regularly to the Bayerischer Rundfunk in 1976.
He later rose to fame as the host of the program “Pop nach acht”. In 1978, he received the “Kurt-Magnus-Preis” award in recognition of his “exceptional talents” as a radio host.
Gottschalk presented the television program Telespiele beginning in 1977. It began airing on the television channel of the Bayerischer Rundfunk before moving to the national ARD channel in 1980. The first German hip hop group, GLS United, and the first German rap song, “Rapper’s Deutsch,” were both established by Gottschalk in the same year.
Gottschalk hosted the ZDF program “Na sowas” from 1982 to 1987, and for his work there in 1985, he received the Golden Camera award. He also appeared alongside actor Mike Krüger in a number of German comedies during that time.
In 1987, Gottschalk took over as “Wetten, dass..?host “‘s from Frank Elstner, a role he held until December 2011 with just a brief break from 1992 to 1994 when Wolfgang Lippert hosted the program.
According to reports, his termination from the show was related to an incident that took place on December 4, 2010, during a live broadcast of “Wetten, dass..?”.
Gottschalk also presented a late-night television program called Gottschalk Late Night from 1992 to 1995. Though it was not particularly popular, Gottschalk Late Night is regarded as a forerunner to programs like Die Harald Schmidt Show, TV total, and the Johannes B. Kerner Show.
The Model ’92 Competition, which Heidi Klum won and gained a modeling contract and the winning prize, was also aired on Gottschalk Late Night in 1992, opening the door for her modeling career.
Awards and Nomination
In addition to the awards mentioned above, Gottschalk has won a variety of other awards for his work. These include the Goldenes Schlitzohr (golden rascal), the Goldenes Kabel (golden cable), the Telestar (in 1987), the Goldene Feder (in 2001), and the Goldenes Kabel (in 1991).
Additionally, he was given three Bambi prizes, which he later returned in 1988 following a disagreement with publisher Burda. He did receive a “Bambi of honor” in 2001, which he accepted.
Personal Life
Thomas Gottschalk got married to his wife Thea Hauer in 1976. But in 2019 the couple got divorced making it a total of 43 years in marriage.
Gottschalk has two sons Tristan and Roman. And he also has a grandson named Sebastian Gottschalk from his son Roman.
Height and Weight Measurement
This German entertainer has a height measurement standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 95 kilograms.
Net Worth
Thomas Gottschalk has accumulated significant money as a result of his talent and competence as a German entertainer, and television host. According to sources, he has an estimated net worth of $130 million approximately.