Schlager singer Kerstin Ott wanted a change in her life. Born in Berlin, she started smoking at a very young age. Now, after more than 30 years, she has declared war on her addiction.
Cologne – Radical step by pop star Kerstin Ott (41). For a long time, Ott resorted to cigarettes. So there were up to 30 butts a day. But that's over now. She quit smoking due to health problems.
For Kerstin Ott, the glow sticks are now a thing of the past
Just six weeks ago, the 41-year-old smoked, as she has done for the past 30 years. The desire to take a drag on a cigarette still dominates Ott's life every day. In an interview with bild.de, she revealed that, especially in stressful situations or in everyday life in general, it was simply part of life for her to take a cigarette break. Ott – who celebrated her big breakthrough in 2015 with the song "Die immer lacht" and made it to number two in the German single charts – explains: "It's not so easy to pass the usual processes of the past, for example the cigarette with coffee. But I can do it this time."
Kerstin Ott's wife Karoline Koeppen, with whom she has been married since 2017 and has two daughters, also recently quit smoking. In the interview, Ott also spoke about the reasons for her sudden smoking cessation: "First and foremost, it was for health reasons. I quit smoking because I was starting to feel effects. In the morning it started with coughing." In addition, Kerstin Ott found one thing particularly annoying about smoking: "The constant stress of having to smoke one somewhere quickly was always annoying. The smell isn't great either."
Since the Corona pandemic, people have been smoking more again
While the smoking rate has continued to decline in recent years, the proportion of smokers in Germany aged 14 and over has risen again - especially since the Corona pandemic. In a long-term study, it was determined that the proportion of smokers is over a third (34.5 percent), as shown by the representative "German Survey on Smoking Behavior" (Debra). Before the pandemic - that is, before March 2020 - it was about 27 percent. This means that a quarter more people smoke more than before Corona.
Kerstin Ott is proud of herself
The pop star - who has also been back in the studio since June 2023 after a break to record new songs - has already made significant progress in his health since abstinence from cigarettes, she announced.
Schlager star Kerstin Ott has quit smoking after more than 30 years. Her wife, Karoline Koeppen, also no longer smokes. © IMAGO / APress &IMAGO / Bildagentur Monn
Her smoker's cough has already improved: "I feel good and am very proud that I am persevering. I can already clearly see the improvement in the respiratory system," says the singer. Kerstin Ott also recently spoke out on the subject of gendering and told us what she thinks of it. Sources used:t-online.de, bild.de