By Maximilian Both
He is considered THE face of German television: Günther Jauch (66) – his career could have been very different…
With the RTL show “Who wants to be a millionaire”, the moderator has not only won the hearts of puzzle fans since 1999, but also those of the entire German TV audience.
What many viewers don’t know anymore: Jauch’s media career started with the public sector. Together with Thomas Gottschalk (73), he initially moderated a radio show on Bayerischer Rundfunk. From 1989 to 1995 he moderated the ZDF annual review “Menschen”.
Hard-hitting billing with ZDF
When moderating the ZDF annual review “People”, the influence of politics on the ostensibly non-state broadcaster should have been noticeable.
► Even the composition of the audience in the Rheingoldhalle Mainz was really annoying for Jauch. Jauch tough as nails: “The first ten rows were always full of broadcasting councillors, their wives, people who got tickets, bored editors, hierarchs, etc. – it was scary!”
But not only that: The then Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate Kurt Beck (74, SPD) should not have liked that he was seen less often during the three-hour program than the opposition leader Johannes Gerster († 80, CDU).
According to Jauch, this should have led to major problems behind the scenes. With tangible consequences for the ZDF program.
SPD Prime Minister was allowed to choose topics on ZDF
“In fact, a deal was made between the director of ZDF and Kurt Beck that he was allowed to choose three topics for the ‘Heute-Show’ in order to get a balance again,” says Jauch.
► For Jauch, the process was “incomprehensible”, so that he no longer wanted to moderate the show the following year.
But not only that: Jauch’s career could have taken a completely different course without political influence on ZDF. “I got an offer very early on that I should be the second man in the ‘Heute Journal’…”, says Jauch. “That would have been the greatest thing for me.”
According to Jauch, a corresponding job interview is said to have taken place. “The CSU allegedly had the claw on this post,” said Jauch. As a former moderator of Bavarian Radio, he actually had good chances.
But things turned out differently: “Then the CSU threw up their hands over their heads because they knew me from Bayerischer Rundfunk and I was anything but CSU, I was completely independent.”
Jauch is said to have received a rejection because he was not considered “reliable enough”. “They actually didn’t take me for these party reasons,” said Jauch. The moderation then went to the CSU-affiliated journalist Sigmund Gottlieb (71).
This decision had tangible consequences for Jauch’s life: “That’s when I realized that I’m hitting a glass ceiling, that I always have to stay two, third, fourth rows if I don’t want to bend over backwards. Then it was clear to me, then you take the detour via entertainment, at least it’s funny there.”