An old, white man? Thomas Gottschalk: "I have nothing against the young, but..."

Thomas Gottschalk defends his appreciation of young talent, but qualifies his statement shortly afterwards. The presenter talks about his views on modern entertainment and his desire to remain on television.

Thomas Gottschalk, 74 years old, returns to the screens. In Stefan Raab's new show, 'Du gewinnst hier nicht die Million bei Stefan Raab', he takes on the role of game master. But it's not just a game: Gottschalk and Raab also discuss Gottschalk's recent controversial comments, including his statement that he "touched women purely for business".

An old, white man?

The question of what one is still allowed to say these days quickly arose when Raab introduced Gottschalk as an older man. Gottschalk replied that he had no problem being called an old, white man and emphasized: "It's now being made out as if I have something against young people. I don't have that at all." He did not want to start a fight. But the discussion took a turn when Raab remarked that it was a great time for young artists to express themselves on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Gottschalk countered: "They think: everyone can do it today. And everyone does it. But very few can."

No retirement in sight

Perhaps a little envy also plays a role, as Gottschalk recently admitted in an interview with RTL that it pains him to no longer be on television regularly. He rejects retirement: "Retirement is something where you can say you have to rest now because you're tired. I'm not tired. Nor am I tired of giving people a piece of my mind. On the contrary, I'm confident now because I say I'm old enough to know what I'm talking about." Gottschalk has nothing to worry about: There will surely be another invitation to a TV show for him soon.

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