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Thilo Mischke Reveals Suicide Attempt Following ARD Appointment Backlash

In a podcast interview, he ties the crisis to the ARD climbdown, describing lasting mental strain.

Overview

  • Mischke said on the 'Hotel Matze' podcast that he attempted to take his life on 26 December, explaining he wanted to escape the situation.
  • ARD had announced him for 'ttt – titel, thesen, temperamente' in late 2024, then withdrew the appointment after more than 100 cultural figures criticized past book passages and podcast remarks.
  • He described panic attacks, insomnia and exhaustion, saying the fallout also deeply affected his family, including his mother.
  • Reflecting on earlier work, he called his 2010 book a product of its time and said he is willing to apologize, adding that his past podcast comments now repel him.
  • He urged greater media diligence and warned of potentially fatal consequences from public pile-ons, while noting he has stabilized and returned to reporting for ProSieben.