Surprising departure Reiner Calmund leaves "Grill den Henssler" after 18 years

Reiner Calmund has announced his departure from "Grill den Henssler". After 18 years, the jury icon is turning his back on the VOX cooking show. In the "summer specials", however, he will be bid farewell in grand style.

He has always delighted the VOX audience with his passion for good food. Now Reiner Calmund is surprisingly turning his back on the cooking show "Grill den Henssler" after 18 years.

But there is one consolation for the fans: the jury icon will of course be given a proper send-off - in the big "Summer Specials", for which tickets go on sale next Friday, April 4.

In addition to emotional highlights, there will be celebrity guests, a changing jury and plenty of Calli charm once again.

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"At 77 years old - that's when life begins! After all these years full of great encounters, delicious food and exciting cooking competitions, I say: I would have enjoyed it!" says Rainer Calmund.

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He not only enjoyed the good food, "but also learned a lot - about enjoyment, about cooking and, above all, about great people with the same passion for good food that I have."

In his usual humorous manner, he added: "I would like to thank everyone who has been part of this long and delicious journey. It has been a huge honor for me as a foodie."

Surprising farewell to an audience favorite

VOX Program Director Kirsten Petersen comments on the surprising departure of the audience favorite:

"For 18 years, our veteran judge Reiner Calmund decided on culinary skills in VOX cooking shows such as 'Die Kocharena' and 'Grill den Henssler'. He has now decided to go into well-deserved retirement after the current spring season. We very much regret this."

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Calmund was not only "an audience favorite", but also "contributed significantly to the success of our formats with humor, expertise and a lot of passion".

Petersen therefore used the farewell to say thank you and announced: "We will of course celebrate him properly with a big farewell show at the 'Summer Specials'!"

Spring finale takes place without Rainer Calmund

Before the "Summer Specials", however, the grand finale of the spring season of "Grill den Henssler" will take place on Sunday, March 30 at 8.15 pm on VOX - albeit without Reiner Calmund, who will be replaced on the jury by Ali Güngörmüş.

The 77-year-old was hospitalized during the filming of the third episodedue to heart and circulatory problems - the remaining episodes of the season were recorded without him.

The TV station VOX gave the all-clear shortly afterwards: "Calli is now well and healthy again." The question remains as to whether the health problems may have contributed to his withdrawal?

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