Riccardo Simonetti became famous, something he wanted to do as a child in Bad Reichenhall. A conversation about his Bavarian roots, queer hostility and activism.
Riccardo Simonetti doesn’t look like a cliché Upper Bavarian – everything about him glitters, from his cowboy boots to his eyelids. The 30-year-old from Bad Reichenhall has arrived where he always dreamed of: in show business. He lives in Berlin and works as an entertainer, model, actor, podcaster and author. Most recently he hosted the show “Glow up – Germany’s next make-up star” on ZDFneo and published the podcast “Free Hugs” together with Anke Engelke. He is openly gay and advocates for the visibility of queer people. He just received the magazine’s Diversity Award InStyle excellent. Before the event, he arranged to meet with the SZ to “Let’s talk about Bavaria” in the lobby of the Rosewood Hotel in Munich.