"Surprise!"

Gottschalk returns to the show floor for Raab

The ex-"Wetten, dass...?" presenter becomes game director of the RTL+ show "Du gewinnst hier nicht die Million bei Stefan Raab".(Bild: Patrick Seeger / EPA)

Summit meeting of show legends: Former "Wetten, dass...?" presenter Thomas Gottschalk is getting a new TV job with Stefan Raab, which he mysteriously announces in an Instagram story with the word "Surprise".

The 74-year-old, who recently caused a stir with his book "Ungefiltert" and several interviews ("I touched women on TV purely for business"), will be the new host of Raab's show "Du gewinnst hier nicht die Million bei Stefan Raab" on RTL+. 

Gottschalk had previously hinted on Instagram that he and Raab were planning something. He wrote "Surprise!" to a joint photo from the show - meaning surprise. There are always new game masters on the show who are supposed to make sure that things are fair between Raab and his candidates, against whom he competes in duels, and that everyone understands the rules. Raab's partner Elton, celebrity expert Frauke Ludowig and jungle camp presenter Jan Köppen have already slipped into the role. Now Gottschalk is taking over the baton. The episode will be available on the RTL+ streaming platform from Wednesday evening.

Working together again and again
Gottschalk and Raab have crossed paths from time to time. Among other things, Raab, who is around 15 years younger, was once a guest when Gottschalk was still the king of Saturday evening entertainment with "Wetten, dass...?". After losing a bet, Raab came up with the idea of racing down an ice rink in a wok - the "Wok World Cup" was born.

Gottschalk, in turn, commented on Raab's return after a long break from the screen with the words: "Stefan Raab is coming back - I'm saying goodbye!" It was a reference to his book, in which he was "thinking about time", as he called it.

Increasingly losing audience
Raab's streaming show, which cannot be seen on RTL's free television program, has increasingly lost audience following its launch. In the evaluation by AGF Videoforschung after the show's opening episode, the net reach determined was still around 790,000 people (calendar week 38); one week later - after the second show - the format had around 430,000 viewers.

In the currently evaluated calendar week (21-27.10.2024), the show achieved a net reach of 230,000 people. The streaming-only show format thus dropped out of the broadcaster's top 10 list. At the top was the reality show "Das Sommerhaus der Stars - Kampf der Promipaare" (920,000 people).