TV entertainer
Elton: I would have liked to have met Heinz Erhardt personally
Elton has long been one of the prominent television faces in Germany. He knows who to thank for that. Photo: Ursula Düren/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
He admires comedian Heinz Erhardt (1909-1979) and is grateful to his discoverer for show business. He speaks highly of Stefan Raab.
The entertainer Elton is an admirer of Heinz Erhardt and Stefan Raab.
“There is no one I emulate or even want to copy,” said the 51-year-old dpa at the start of his ProSieben show “Blamieren oder Kassieren XL” as a separate program. “But of course there are many artists I admire. Above all Heinz Erhardt, whom I would have loved to have met personally and whom I always like to quote. But of course also my discoverer and friend Stefan Raab, without whom I would not be where I am today. He is without a doubt one of the greats. And I’m not just saying that because I’m sure he’ll read this interview.”
“Blamieren oder Kassieren” has been running every Wednesday from 9:25 p.m. on ProSieben since this week, while “Zervakis & Opdenhövel. Live.” taking a summer break. Viewers know the quiz for quick thinkers as a column from previous editions of the comedy show “TV total”.
ProSieben man Elton always put on a red velvet suit. This trademark will remain, according to the quizmaster: «Of course there is no “embarrassing or cashing in” without the red suit. It’s probably one of the main reasons people love this quiz, along with the brilliant concept – questions are asked and candidates have to answer. I don’t wear the suit privately because it’s a one-off.” It would therefore be a shame for everyday use.
Elton is a quiz pro and knows both sides. He sits at the ARD quiz “Who knows something like that?” even in the advice team. What does he enjoy more? “Both have advantages. If you only have to answer the questions, you can make yourself comfortable in your seat and don’t even have to prepare anything. This is of course quite pleasant. However, there is always the danger of making a fool of yourself.” This risk does not exist for him as a quiz master, says Elton. “All I really have to do is read the questions correctly and look good doing it. So I practice reading diligently beforehand and the rest will take care of itself.”