Andrea Kiewel (61) turned the "ZDF-Fernsehgarten" into a swimming facility without further ado: In the middle of the live broadcast, the host spontaneously jumped into the pool on Mainz's Lerchenberg. Afterward, she had a microphone handed to her to continue hosting directly from the water.
The 61-year-old made it clear right at the start of the show just how much the midsummer temperatures were getting to her. The decisive trigger then came from a stand-up paddle polo match in the pool. While the athletes fought for the ball on their boards, the temptation was apparently too much for Kiewel to resist.
Before she carried out her plan, she jokingly asked whether a replacement dress was even ready and whether the viewers cared about her hair. The audience left no doubt and loudly called for her to jump. A few moments later, the host landed in the pool to the cheers of the spectators.
"That really feels good now"
After cooling off, the words just came pouring out of Kiewel. "That really feels good now. It's such a shame we don't have cameras behind the scenes", she said, and immediately acted out the reactions around her jump herself. "Now in wardrobe: 'Oh crap, oh crap, she's already jumped in! We knew it, but the second dress isn't ready yet!' In the control room: 'Oh God, what does she look like?' On the internet: 'Kiewel, in the water again, ruining the show!'" She countered all of this with a spirited "Because she can!".
Afterward, Kiewel first returned in front of the cameras with a towel on her head and a bathrobe over her wet dress; there hadn't been time for a costume change. A little later, she finally appeared on stage in a dry yellow replacement dress.
From the pool edge to Lerchenberg
The fact that Kiewel feels particularly comfortable in the water has a history. Before she became known as a host, she was a competitive swimmer: In 1982, she reached sixth place at the GDR Championships in the 50-meter freestyle.
