Anne Will (59), who said goodbye to her political talk show on Sundays on Das Erste more than a year ago, continues to relish the leisure time she now enjoys on those days, as she mentioned recently.
Entirely fresh emotions on Sunday
"I find myself either at the cinema or at home, yet I remain unshackled. Every Sunday, I genuinely believe that my lack of employment greatly pleases me," she mentioned during an appearance on the "NDR Talk Show" on April 4th. Adding more insight, she stated, “In the past, someone would collect me at 2:30 PM for the ride to the studio; nowadays, whenever that time rolls around—2:30 PM—I often reflect with joy about all else I could accomplish!”
Nonetheless, the journalist has not slacked off following the conclusion of her show in December 2023. Each week on Thursdays, she launches a fresh episode of her podcast titled "Politics with Anne Will." She comments that this format feels "much more relaxed compared to TV." Additionally, she notes how much simpler it is when contrasted with those Sunday evening chat shows which typically attract around four and a half to five million viewers.
She no longer wanted to bear the pressure.
Although it boosted her ego when "you're there and attracting significant notice," it simultaneously placed her under considerable stress. "The pressure became intense, and eventually, I declared that I couldn’t handle it anymore." She decided against enduring such pressures further; however, she remained committed to carrying on with political interviewing because she feels confident about her abilities in this area.
On her podcast, where she spends at least an hour or sometimes up to ninety minutes with a single guest, she manages to engage in even deeper discussions compared to those on Sunday evenings. She explains, “Having ample time allows for thoroughly exploring ideas, delving into them further, and posing additional queries. This brings me immense satisfaction.”
Angela Merkel allegedly felt anxious during the podcast recording.
The former Chancellor Angela Merkel (70), one of her attendees, had a distinct experience compared to being in a TV studio. She mentioned, “It’s bare; only the two of us are present. When she arrived, she seemed visibly anxious, which was evident. This is certainly not new for an interviewee as seasoned as Merkel, but the unusual closeness created under these circumstances—sitting alone with a complete stranger in such confined quarters—affects anyone, regardless of their political expertise.” Even someone as experienced as Merkel felt impacted by this atmosphere.
Anne Will ran her political talk show from September 2007 through December 2023. Prior to this, she was the moderator of "Tagesthemen" from 2001 to 2007. Her replacement for the Sunday evening timeslot is Caren Miosga (55).