Overview
- Speaking at Oliver Pocher’s year-end show in Berlin, Jauch said producers were nervous about broadcasting Thomas Gottschalk’s farewell live and RTL chose a lightly time-shifted, live-on-tape format.
- Jauch condemned the derision that followed Gottschalk’s awkward Bambi and Romy appearances, calling the piling-on “typisch deutsch” and noting the scorn persisted even after the cancer diagnosis became public.
- He emphasized that Gottschalk’s health now takes precedence and suggested a comeback cannot be ruled out, cautioning that a definitive retirement should not be taken at face value.
- Gottschalk disclosed his cancer a week before the RTL special, has required strong pain medication, and left the farewell broadcast early after appearing visibly affected.
- After the show he told fans on Instagram “I’ll be back,” while psychiatrist Manfred Lütz urged a milder public tone and said he felt ashamed for having judged Gottschalk harshly earlier.