Günther Jauch celebrates his 70th birthday on July 13, and the list of prominent well-wishers keeps getting longer. Now Hape Kerkeling (61) has also addressed the "Wer wird Millionär?" host with a video message. The approximately one-minute clip was published as a joint Instagram post by "stern TV" and Kerkeling's official account. "Günther Jauch celebrates his 70th birthday: Hape Kerkeling congratulates him!", it says.
"Incredible. 70 years. Where has the time gone?", the entertainer marvels at the number at the beginning and then tries his hand at birthday greetings in several languages, in Italian, Spanish, Dutch, French and Danish. At the end, he gets personal: "I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart. Health, stay the way you are. You're a great colleague, you're a good friend. But as a boss..." Kerkeling leaves the rest of the sentence open and says goodbye with the words: "All the best, stay healthy."
When Horst Schlämmer sat in Jauch's chair
Kerkeling and Jauch share a long piece of television history. In 2006, Kerkeling, in the role of his fictional character Horst Schlämmer, created one of the most famous moments of "Wer wird Millionär?". In the celebrity special for the World Cup, the roving reporter from Grevenbroich drank a toast of brotherhood with the host, kissed him and did back exercises with him. In the end, Schlämmer unceremoniously took the quiz master's seat and asked Jauch the questions himself. The bit still counts as one of the most legendary appearances in the history of the RTL show to this day. Kerkeling had also previously been a guest in Jauch's studio.
Günther Jauch doesn't reveal how and where he will spend his special day. The host, who privately avoids the public fuss about his person, says he would prefer not to be found at all. Jauch will continue on television even at 70. He has been hosting "Wer wird Millionär?" since September 1999 and has thus shaped the successful quiz show for almost 27 years. For more than two decades, he also appeared in front of the camera for the RTL magazine "stern TV".
Gottschalk and Klinsmann also send congratulations
Kerkeling is not the only prominent well-wisher. Thomas Gottschalk (76) also spoke out publicly and, according to his own statement, broke a joking agreement between the two friends to only publicly comment on each other again "at the other's open grave". From Florida, former German national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann (61) also sent his congratulations, also via Instagram and "stern TV": "All the best for your 70th birthday, especially good health for you and your family. All the best."
