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Moderators Harald Schmidt (left) and Herbert Feuerstein (1990): "Now things have turned out differently"
Photo: Horst Galuschka / imago images / Horst Galuschka
The moderator and entertainer Harald Schmidt said goodbye to his late "Schmidt Each other" partner Herbert Feuerstein with humorous words.
"Feuerstein was a genius - he told me that himself, and I confirmed it to him," Schmidt told Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).
"During 'Schmidt each other' he ordered me to die first - now things have turned out differently."
Feuerstein had conceived the "Schmidt Each other", which was successful with its brilliant comedy elements, for which he used some elements from successful late-night shows from the USA.
For Schmidt, the show meant the rise of the most popular late-night presenter in Germany for years.
The personal relationship between Schmidt and Feuerstein, on the other hand, was rather hypothermic.
Schmidt told the WDR that at their last meeting at the security checkpoint at Berlin-Tegel Airport, he told Feuerstein that he basically owed him his career.
"He confirmed it to me - Feuerstein is immortal, at least as long as complete strangers play the cleaning noise of the miniature rat on escalators," said the 63-year-old Schmidt on the WDR.
"Thank you in goodbye and softly servus on the nasal flute - bye, Feuerstein."
WDR director Tom Buhrow also said: "Today we are sad".
And further: "We would like to thank Herbert Feuerstein not only for 'Schmidtanders', a cult show that made television history and changed a lot. But also for his clever humor, his wonderful silliness, the intelligently thought-out anarchism and many, many highly entertaining ones TV and radio lessons. So many times he made us laugh. "
Feuerstein first became active as the author of the Michael Braun talk show on WDR, followed by "Wild am Sonntag".
As a council guest in the game show "Psssst ..!"
he then became known to a large audience.
The show was moderated by Harald Schmidt.
Then he conceived "Schmidt One another" and there, as a co-moderator alongside Schmidt, he gained great comedy by mainly flaunting foolishness and boredom.
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jon / dpa