Has already undergone surgery

Shock diagnosis: Gottschalk has cancer

(Bild: APA/Jens Kalaene)

Thomas Gottschalk has been diagnosed with cancer. The TV legend has already undergone surgery. Since July, a battle has been raging that no one has been allowed to see. "I have cancer," he tells the German newspaper "Bild" candidly.

"The diagnosis was fierce. Epithelioid angiosarcoma. A rare, malignant tumor that originates in the cells of the blood vessels," says Gottschalk's wife Karina. "Thomas was operated on immediately. They had to remove part of the ureter as well as the bladder." But that wasn't the end of the battle, Gottschalk had to go under the knife a second time. 

"Thomas urgently needed a second operation because much more tissue was affected by the cancer than suspected," explains Karina. After several days in hospital, Gottschalk was allowed to return home. Instead of taking it easy, the presenter carried on as before. "Looking back, that was probably my biggest mistake," he says self-critically. But he felt responsible. "I had firm commitments and contracts that I wanted to fulfill."

Gottschalk still has to take medication to this day. "Strong painkillers, opiates," Karina explains to the "Bild" newspaper. The couple thought the presenter was doing well. "He's the same as always at home," says Karina. It was only at the Bambi Awards that they realized how strong the side effects of the medication were. It was as if his head was stuck in a washing machine, Gottschalk describes the feeling.

Nevertheless, Gottschalk did not want to cancel the Romy Awards in Kitzbühel. "That would have brought me even more malice." He had considered not taking any medication before the performance, but "the doctors told me not to." However, his speech in Kitzbühel showed him one thing: "I can no longer perform. I have to get better."