Anyone who grew up in the 90s could not ignore the moderators of music television.
But what became of Mola, Enie and Co?
In the 1990s in particular, there were many talented moderators at VIVA and MTV.
Some are no longer in the public eye, others have blossomed into absolute superstars.
The photo story provides an overview:
"Tobi" Schlegl
+
© Thomas Frey / imago images
Tobias "Tobi" Schlegl
started in 1995 as the presenter of the VIVA show "Interactive" - and that at the age of just 18.
Three years later he got his first live show "kEwL", which was replaced in May 2000 by the format "Schlegl, take over".
The VIVA moderator discussed current affairs with guests such as Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Die Ärzte, Robin Williams and Herbert Grönemeyer.
Schlegl gives up his TV career
+
© Georg Wendt / dpa
After his young VIVA career,
Tobias Schlegl
worked for NDR from 2007 to 2011 for the satirical magazine “extra 3” and the cultural program “Aspects” - then he quit his TV job for the first time.
He withdrew from the public eye and trained as an emergency paramedic for three years.
He was a guest on the talk show "3nach9" in summer 2020, reported on his everyday life and called for better working conditions for rescue workers.
Mirjam Weichselbraun
+
© Michael Schöne / imago images
Sapling, change yourself!
Mirjam Weichselbraun
actually started
her moderation career in 2001 at the newly founded VIVA PLUS station.
After she had moderated the program “Cologne Day” for eight months, she was discontinued.
Then Weichselbraun went to MTV Germany, where she became the face of the formats “Select MTV” and “TRL”.
Weichselbraun stayed true to the moderation
+
© GEPA pictures / Christian Walgram / imago images
The blonde Austrian is already working as an actress, but has remained loyal to the moderation.
Among other things, she led the audience through “Dancing Stars”, “Dancing on Ice” (RTL), “Die Hit-Giganten” (Sat.1) and the “Eurovision Song Contest 2015”.
Since 2011 she has also been broadcasting the Vienna Opera Ball live on ORF together with Alfons Haider and Barbara Rett.
And privately, too, things are going well:
Weichselbraun
and her partner Ben Mawson, the manager of Lana del Reys, have two daughters.
Janin Reinhardt
+
© Hoch Zwei / imago images
Immediately after graduating from high school, the lively
Janin Reinhardt
took part
in a VIVA casting in 2000 - and with great success.
Until 2005 she was not only a presenter for "Interativ" but also for the weekly lifestyle and fashion magazine "Inside" in front of the camera.
For the cinema format “Film ab”, Reinhardt also got real Hollywood greats on her microphone, including Russel Crowe.
Janin Ullmann
+
© Mary Evans / imago images
Reinhardt is now called
Janin
Ullmann
and has remained loyal to television: Among other things, she acts as a presenter for the satire show "extra 3", the Tagesschau24 channel and for "red Style" on Sixx.
In 2018 she also moderated the inventor show “Das Ding des Jahres” (ProSieben), which was produced by Stefan Raab.
Patrice Bouédibéla
+
© imago images / teutopress
Patrice Bouédibéla
was discovered in 1996 in a Berlin club for the docu-soap "MTV Road Rules", whereupon he traveled through Europe with four other participants.
After various modeling jobs, MTV Germany signed him in 1999.
Until the end of 2009 he hosted programs such as “MTV Urban” and “TRL Urban”.
From MTV to “Let's Dance”: That's what Bouédibéla is doing today
+
© Rolf Vennenbernd / dpa
Bouédibéla has been
in front of the camera for MTV for
almost ten years,
making
him the longest engaged presenter there.
In 2004 he met and fell in love with the American singer Anastacia at the ECHO Awards - and continued to support her after their separation when she again developed breast cancer in 2013.
In the same year he took part in the RTL show “Let's Dance”, but dropped out with Ekaterina Leonova in the first episode.
"Aleks" Bechtel
+
© imago images / teutopress
She is considered a VIVA veteran:
Aleks Bechtel
(center) started her career in 1993 as a video jockey at the brand new music channel.
With her sympathetic charisma, the trained publishing clerk quickly secured a permanent position as a presenter.
Among other things, it then flickered on German television screens in formats such as "Interactive" and "Amica TV".
Bechtel cannot do without show business
+
© Christoph Hardt / imago images
Aleksandra Bechtel
remained loyal to show business
even after she left VIVA in 1999: Among other things, she moderated for “Big Brother” on RTL II, “The great ABC” alongside Oliver Geißen and the wedding show “Heirate mich!
Secret project dream wedding ”.
Most recently, the presenter with Finnish-German roots was on “Dancing on Ice” on Sat.1 on ice skates with professional Matti Landgraf.
Did you actually recognize in the previous picture who is standing to the left of Aleks Bechtel?
Matthias Opdenhövel
+
© imago stock & people
None other than
Matthias Opdenhövel
!
After all, he was also employed at VIVA from 1994 to 1997.
And that as a true all-rounder.
When he wasn't in front of the camera as a presenter, he worked as an editor and was responsible for the production of articles.
Opdenhövel is one of the most successful moderators in Germany today
+
© Christoph Hardt / Future Image / imago images
Matthias Opdenhövel
has become an indispensable part of
the German TV landscape
.
As a moderator, he is not only in constant use for private broadcasters but also for public broadcasters.
For example, he reported on the European Football Championship in 2012 and 2016 for ARD and also moderated the entertainment program “Opdenhövels Countdown” and “Everything on one lid” (WDR).
For RTL he leads the audience through the game show "Big Bounce - The Trampoline Show".
For “The Masked Singer” he stands in front of the camera at ProSieben.
Jessica Black
+
© imago images / teutopress
Around the same time as Alekandra Bechtel and Matthias Opdenhövel, another big TV star is really taking off on VIVA today.
Jessica Schwarz
was voted “Bravo Girl” of the year in 1993, whereupon the TV station showed great interest in the brunette Hessin.
Among other things, she moderated VIVA programs such as “Film ab” and “Interaktiv”.
Jessica Schwarz: From VIVA to the big screens
+
© Frank Hoermann / Sven Simon / imago images
Today
Jessica Schwarz is
considered one of the most successful actresses in Germany.
Through roles in major cinema productions such as "Perfume - The Story of a Murderer" or "Buddenbrooks" she also became internationally known.
She also attracted attention in 2009 with her portrayal of Romy Schneider in "Romy".
Markus Kavka
+
© Stefan M Prager / imago images
For him it was very similar to Mirjam Weichselbraun:
Markus Kavka's
TV career began in 1998 at VIVA.
In 2000, the competition then tried to poach the journalist - with success, because from then on Kavka presented for MTV.
With alternative formats such as “MTV News - Von und mit Markus Kavka” and “MTV Spin”, he became one of the station's most famous faces.
He also took over the management of live reports on the "MTV Music Awards" or "Rock am Ring".
Kavka overflows to other stations
+
© Ralf Mueller / imago images
As often as he called himself “grandpa” among the moderators,
Markus Kavka
finally
scratched
the curve at MTV.
Born in Bavaria, he has been a presenter for several public broadcasters since 2008.
For the ZDF he reported on the “Wahl im Web” show about the state and federal elections in 2009. Kavka's show “Number One!” Has been running weekly on ZDFkultur since the end of 2012, while for the MDR he worked on the show “Unicato” before Camera is up.
Kavka also takes on various live presentations for sports and music events again and again, for example for RTLnitro.
Sarah Kuttner
+
© imago images / teutopress
After a nationwide moderator casting for the music broadcaster VIVA,
Sarah Kuttner was
celebrated as a talented newcomer in November 2001.
For three years, she and the lively Gülcan hosted the afternoon program "Interactive", as well as various chart and event shows.
But only after her time at Viva does Kuttner really take off with her Berlin nose.
Sarah Kuttner is a successful book author
+
© Chris Emil Janssen / imago images
After her VIVA career, many other moderation jobs followed at ARD, 3sat and Sat.1 and even her own show at ZDF Neo.
But
Sarah Kuttner
is not only refreshing in front of the camera, but has also made a name for herself as a book author.
After the novels “Growth Pain” (2011) and “180 Degrees Sea” (2015), “Kurt” was published in 2019, which she promoted at the Leipzig Book Fair in the ARD Arena.
Steven Gätjen: Before Hollywood came MTV
+
© Sven Simon / imago images
Steven Gätjens
TV career began in 1996 with MTV in London.
Although he was only employed as an editor, the man from Hamburg with a US passport soon ended up as a presenter for “MTV Europe News” in front of the camera.
From 1999 Gätjen worked mainly for ProSieben.
As a presenter for the magazine “taff” he reported on the stars and starlets, while he shone with his concentrated cinema knowledge in formats such as “Disney's Film Parade” and “Blockbuster TV”.
Steven Gätjen changes from ProSieben to ZDF
+
© Lumma Foto / imago images
There is now hardly a red carpet that
Steven Gätjen
has not yet stood on - including the one at the Oscar awards in Los Angeles.
He's also interviewed almost every major Hollywood star on camera.
Since 2016 Gätjen has mainly been working for ZDF - and he has been moderating the big shows for the private broadcaster ProSieben.
Anastasia Zampounidis
+
© imago images
The German-Greek
Anastasia Zampounidis
continued to develop step-by-step.
After a (incomplete) degree in communication sciences, she first worked at radio.
She started as a DJ at the Berlin radio station Kiss FM before switching to Energy Berlin.
From there it went on television in 1999.
For MTV she moderated the daily live broadcast "Select MTV" and later the show "TRL".
Well known through "Wetten, dass ..?"
+
© imago images / teutopress
She is likely to have achieved great fame through “Wetten, dass ..?”.
Do you remember?
The always cheerful
Zampounidis
presented the outside bets of the former ZDF show from 2001 to 2003.
In 2004 she was still a member of the jury for “Comeback - The Big Chance” on ProSieben.
In December 2005 she hosted the RTL II chart show “The Dome”.
She is now working as a book author.
Since 2006 she has done without sugar and has published the book "Forever sugar-free: Slim, healthy and happy without the sweet poison".
Nadine Kruger
+
© Horst Galuschka / Imago Images
Nadine Krüger
(right) was still a swimmer in the GDR when she was young.
The native of Berlin was not drawn into professional sport, but rather to TV.
During her school days, she already moderated the Berlin Open Canal.
After graduating from high school,
Krüger
moved to Cologne and eventually worked at VIVA.
From 1997 to 1999 she moderated "Interaktiv", "Film ab" and "Jam".
From an early age only one wish: off to TV
+
© Jens Krick / Future Image / imago images
Today
Krüger is known
as the presenter of the ZDF service magazine “Volle Kanne”.
Alternating with her colleagues Carsten Rüger and Florian Weiss, she leads through the show.
She has also gained experience as an actress.
She had guest roles in "Lindenstrasse" and "Alarm für Cobra 11".
Captain Mola
+
© Roland Scheidemann / dpa / picture alliance
When you think of VIVA,
Captain Mola
, as he is affectionately known,
automatically comes
to mind.
Mola Adebisi
- as he is correctly called - was one of the moderators who held the line at VIVA the longest.
He presented numerous programs such as the live show "Interactive" or the VIVA chart programs.
The now 48-year-old was discovered during a casting for the TV station.
At that time,
Mola was working
at the Düssseldorfer Schauspielhaus.
Mola Adebisi: No one else stands for VIVA like this
+
© Frank Rumpenhorst / dpa / picture alliance
Music dominates the life of
Mola Adebisi
- and that from an early age.
As a singer or dancer, he accompanied a wide variety of projects.
Among other things, he danced with ProSieben presenter Daniel Aminati in the dance floor formation "Bass Bumpers".
After he left VIVA in 2004,
Captain Mola
did not
disappear
from the scene.
He was at the "RTL Celebrity Boxing", the "TV Total Stock Car Crash Challenge" and the jungle camp.
In 2014 he reached eighth place in "I'm a star - get me out of here!"
Charlotte Roche
+
© Horst Ossinger / dpa / picture alliance
From 1998, the native Englishwoman
Charlotte Roche presented
the music program “Fast Forward” on the TV station VIVA Zwei. In 2002 the format was moved to VIVA.
When the show was canceled in late 2004, she simply refused to host the last scheduled episode.
Charlotte
is flashy, punk and always has a casual saying on her lips.
Harald Schmidt once described her as the "eccentric Queen of German Pop Television".
Roche as a controversial book author
+
© Henning Kaiser / dpa / picture alliance
When hearing the name
Charlotte Roche,
not everyone thinks of her commitment to VIVA.
Much more come to mind with a book title like "Wetlands" or "Lap Prayers".
Has written these books ... of course:
Charlotte Roche
!
In her bestsellers she deals with taboo subjects such as intimate hygiene and shaving as well as prostitution.
Oh yes: she was seen on TV from time to time.
Annemarie Warnkross
+
© Mauersberger / Imago Images
Annemarie Carpendale
hosted “VIVA Club Rotation” for one year from 2004 to 2005.
At that time still under the name
Annemarie Warnkross
.
After marrying Wayne Carpendale in 2013, she took the name from her godly husband.
Music is definitely in her blood.
From 2000 to 2005 she was a dancer in the band "Bellini".
Every child knows their mega-hit "Samba de Janeiro" ...
Annemarie Carpendale
+
© Axel Heimken / dpa / picture alliance
Annemarie Carpendale has been flickering on TV screens, especially at ProSieben, since 2005.
Whether "red!
Stars, Lifestyle & More ”or the annual Oscar broadcast, the Hanover-born woman is big in business.
She has even moderated “The Voice of Germany”.
In 2020, she jumped in for Lena Gercke.
By the way, before her wedding to Wayne Carpendale, Annemarie was with another well-known VIVA colleague. You can guess who it is three times ...
Oliver Pocher
+
© Hoffmann / Imago Images
And it is (or rather it was):
Oliver Pocher
.
Yes, the comedian also comes from the VIVA class.
With a few interruptions, he moderated various programs and shows from 1999 to 2009.
From 2002 he even had his own show: "Alles Pocher, ... or what?"
Oliver Pocher
+
© Rolf Vennenbernd / dpa / picture alliance
Today,
Oliver Pocher is
not tied to one station, but tinges through different shows.
To list all of these would lead too far.
But he has already worked with famous names such as Harald Schmid, Günter Jauch and Thomas Gottschalk.
He also likes to use social networks to pester other stars and starlets.
Enie van de Meiklokjes
+
© Horst Galuschka / Imago Images
No,
Enie van de Meiklokjes
does not come from the Niederladen.
The lady with the striking look was born in Potsdam.
From 1996 to 2000 she presented her flashy appearance at VIVA.
She moderated programs like “What is going on?” Or “Chartsurfer”.
Today Enie is baking
+
© Britta Pedersen / dpa / picture alliance
Today
Enie van de Meiklokjes
mainly
moderates
cookery programs on SIXX and lets herself be celebrated as a cookbook author.
She is particularly fond of baking.
With “Sweet & Easy - Enie backt” she has already brought celebrities like Wigald Boning or Ruth Moschner to TV baking.
Milka
+
© teutopress / Imago Images
Milka Loff Fernandes
came to VIVA after graduating from high school without any camera experience.
After a more successful casting, she hosted the programs "Interaktiv", "Was geht ab?", "Inside" and "Film ab" from 1999 to 2004.
Milka
gained fame
when she was ripped off by Hape Kerkeling.
This came as the Finnish hip-hop musician "RIP Uli" in the "Interactive" live broadcast and behaved completely wrong.
The visibly irritated presenter did not recognize the prank, but today she can laugh about it.
Milka Loff Fernandes still works as a presenter today
+
© Daniel Bockwoldt / dpa / picture alliance
Milka Loff Fernandes recently hosted on TV on RTL II. The native of Hamburg lives in Amsterdam with her husband and two daughters.
Stefan Raab
+
© teutopress / Imago Images
One of the biggest German TV careers began at VIVA.
Stefan Raab
hosted the program “Vivavision” from December 1993 to December 1998.
Even then, the entertainer's talent and cheeky mouth was evident.
For the soccer World Cup in the USA in 1994 he composed the rap song “Böörti Böörti Vogts”.
The title even reached number four on the German charts.
Just one of many highlights in
Stefan Raab's
career
...
Raab takes off with ProSieben
+
© Matthias Balk / dpa / picture alliance
Stefan Raab
is what one would call the personified “American way of life” - if he came from the USA.
With a lot of ambition and creative ideas, he worked his way up to the top of show business.
He won the “Eurovision Song Contest” with Lena and revolutionized the TV world with “TV total”, “Schlag den Raab”, “Wok World Championships” and many other show concepts.
Today the Cologne resident acts from the background in TV productions.
Gülcan
+
© Roland Scheidemann / dpa / picture alliance
Let's put it this way:
Gülcan
was known for her distinctive voice.
From 2003 to 2010 she hosted the interactive show “VIVA Live!”.
Like most of her colleagues, she too came to the TV station by casting.
Since she was previously neither admitted to study in Hamburg nor Berlin, she just embarked on a television career.
Gülcan Kamps: Married into a well-known family of bakers
+
© Rolf Vennenbernd / dpa / picture alliance
After her VIVA career,
Gülcan Kamps
made herself a
little rarer.
In 2013 she took part in the sixth season of "Let's Dance", but dropped out in the first show.
In August 2007 she married Sebastian Kamps, the son of Heiner Kamps, the founder of a well-known branch and large bakery.
In this context, she also took the name of her husband.
Collien Fernandes
+
© Becker & Bredel / Imago Images
Collien Fernandes
was one of the most popular VIVA presenters.
From 2003 to 2015 she went through numerous shows - including "Interactive", US and UK charts, "VIVA Top 100" or "VIVA Live!", To name just a few.
She has also worked for other broadcasters such as RTL II, MTV, VOX, ProSieben or Sat.1.
Collien Ulmen-Fernandes: Marries fellow actor Christian Ulmen
+
© Jörg Carstensen / dpa / picture alliance
In addition to her moderation activities,
Collien was
also an
impressive
actress.
Maybe she got tips from husband Christian Ulmen.
The two married in 2011, and since then she has also had the double name Ulmen-Fernandes.
The two share the public appearances in order to have enough time for the family, but also for the job.
Nora Tschirner
+
© Warner Bros / Everett Collection / Imago Images
"Keinohrhasen" or Weimarer Tatort -
Nora Tschirner
made it into the ranks of top German actresses.
And it all started at VIVA!
Asserted in casting in 2001, then in the middle of it on TV from April.
Even then, she worked with Christian Ulmen, among others - as she did later in “Tatort”.
Real success story: From VIVA to the "crime scene"
+
© Arifoto Ug / Michael Reichel / dpa / picture alliance
Nora Tschirner
began her acting career
after her time at VIVA.
In 2003 she played alongside Matthias Schweighöfer in “Soloalbum”, the film adaptation of Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre's novel.
She later played the leading female role with Christian Ulmen in the movie "FC Venus - Attack is the best defense".
Her final breakthrough came with Til Schweiger in "Keinohrhasen".
Since Christmas 2013 she has played the leading role in the Weimar crime scene.
Joko Winterscheidt
+
© Britta Pedersen / ZB / dpa / picture alliance
Broken training as an advertising clerk.
No success in pilot training.
Then off to the TV.
At least that's
what Joko Winterscheidt
thought
.
MTV man Markus Kavka got him a casting at the music broadcaster, which should be successful.
So Joko came to MTV in 2005, where he would stay until 2011.
Then he really got off to a flying start together with colleague Klaas Heufer-Umlauf.
Learned at MTV, took off at ProSieben
+
© Sven Hoppe / dpa / picture alliance
The two of them took their show “MTV Home” to ZDF.
With “neoParadise”,
Joko
and Klaas continued their concept on ZDF Neo.
From 2012 onwards, the two should make ProSieben insecure together: With “Circus Halligalli”, “Joko versus Klaas - The Duel Around the World” or “Joko and Klaas versus ProSieben”, the two of them increased their popularity enormously.
Klaas Heufer-Umlauf
+
© POP-EYE / Pedersen / Imago Images
No Joko without
Klaas
, no
Klaas
without Joko.
Two who searched and found each other.
While Joko started his TV career at MTV,
Klaas Heufer-Umlauf started
at VIVA.
There he moderated programs such as “VIVA Live!”, The Retro Charts or “Klaas' Weekly Show”.
Joko and Klaas - the "stupid" duo entertains the nation
+
© Christoph Schmidt / dpa / picture alliance
Meanwhile, Joko and
Klaas
also go their own way.
While Joko is involved as an entrepreneur,
Klaas
takes care of
his podcast “Baywatch Berlin”.
Together with Mark Tavassol, the former guitarist and bassist of the band “Wir sind Helden”, he founded the band “Gloria”.
Yes, the
Klaas Heufer-Umlauf
can make music too
.
Palina Rojinski
+
© Henning Kaiser / dpa / picture alliance
Palina Rojinski
owes her TV breakthrough to Joko and Klaas.
When the two were still moderating the show "MTV Home", they hired Palina as a sidekick.
It even had its own section called “99 Things a Man Should Have Done”.
When MTV and VIVA were merged in 2011, they presented the Top 100 or the retro charts for VIVA.
Emancipation from Joko and Klaas - focus on acting
+
© Tobias Hase / dpa / picture alliance
Palina
is also active as a DJ.
She hangs up under the name "Palina Power".
But her current focus is primarily on acting.
She played with Florian David Fitz in his film "Jesus Loves Me", and in 2015 she played the leading role alongside Elyas M'Barek in "Traumfrauen".
So it works without Joko and Klaas.
Heike Makatsch
+
© teutopress / Imago Images
Heike Makatsch
is an actress, singer, author and television presenter.
She is the "grandma" among the former VIVA moderators.
In 1993 she began her TV career - at VIVA as a face from the very beginning.
She later switched to RTL II and moderated “Bravo TV”.
Makatsch is also taking off in Hollywood
+
© Britta Pedersen / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa / picture alliance
Makatsch
later started
her acting career and even took off in Hollywood in 2002.
In the horror film "Resident Evil" she embodies a scientist who, infected by a virus, turns into a biting zombie.
From 1996 to 2004 she was the partner of James Bond actor Daniel Craig for almost eight years.
Today she is in a relationship with actor Trystan Pütter.
(oos) * tz.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital network.
