Glamor, superstars and an errant presenter Thomas Gottschalk irritates at the Bambi awards ceremony

Glamor, superstars and an errant Thomas Gottschalk - Gallery

Thomas Gottschalk (r.) and his wife Karina walk the red carpet at the 77th Bambi Awards at the Bavaria Film Studios near Munich. (November 13, 2025)

Image: Keystone/dpa/Felix Hörhager

Cher (l.) is embraced by Thomas Gottschalk after receiving a Bambi in the Legend category. Gottschalk's appearance caused irritation.

Image: Keystone/dpa/Peter Kneffel

Cher was honored with a "Legend" Bambi.

Image: dpa

Heidi Klum (right) and her husband Tom Kaulitz were particularly in the spotlight.

Image: Keystone/dpa/Peter Kneffel

Tom Kaulitz (left), Bill Kaulitz (center) and Tokyo Hotel bassist Georg Listing (right) at the Bambi Awards on Thursday near Munich.

Image: Keystone/dpa/Felix Hörhager

Actress Cate Blanchett was also honored.

Image: dpa

Roland Kaiser received the Bambi for his life's work.

Image: dpa

Naomi Campbell gave a speech in praise of fellow model Heidi Klum.

Image: dpa

Glamor, superstars and an errant Thomas Gottschalk - Gallery

Thomas Gottschalk (r.) and his wife Karina walk the red carpet at the 77th Bambi Awards at the Bavaria Film Studios near Munich. (November 13, 2025)

Image: Keystone/dpa/Felix Hörhager

Cher (l.) is embraced by Thomas Gottschalk after receiving a Bambi in the Legend category. Gottschalk's appearance caused irritation.

Image: Keystone/dpa/Peter Kneffel

Cher was honored with a "Legend" Bambi.

Image: dpa

Heidi Klum (right) and her husband Tom Kaulitz were particularly in the spotlight.

Image: Keystone/dpa/Peter Kneffel

Tom Kaulitz (left), Bill Kaulitz (center) and Tokyo Hotel bassist Georg Listing (right) at the Bambi Awards on Thursday near Munich.

Image: Keystone/dpa/Felix Hörhager

Actress Cate Blanchett was also honored.

Image: dpa

Roland Kaiser received the Bambi for his life's work.

Image: dpa

Naomi Campbell gave a speech in praise of fellow model Heidi Klum.

Image: dpa

Cher, Heidi Klum and Cate Blanchett pose on the red carpet at the Bambi awards ceremony. But presenter Thomas Gottschalk was the main topic of conversation. Especially with one sentence.

DPA

14.11.2025, 05:42

14.11.2025, 07:09

dpa

The Bambi Gala stands for big shows and international superstars, for glamorous gowns and emotional moments. This year, some of the award winners took the opportunity to use their voices to promote socio-political causes. The talking point of the evening, however, was Thomas Gottschalk's irritating appearance.

The presenter handed over the Bambi to pop icon Cher, appearing erratic and awkward on the stage, repeatedly slurring his words and speaking unusually slowly. Gottschalk knows the 79-year-old from several visits to his former ZDF show "Wetten, dass...?", but the reunion on stage probably turned out differently than planned. The 75-year-old, who had come to the gala with his wife Karina, even earned boos for the sentence: "Here she is, the only woman I have taken seriously in my life." At one point, Gottschalk himself said he was confused.

Gottschalk said "Cher, Cher, nothing is as hard as Cher", before launching into a lengthy episode about how his own Bambi trophy had melted down in his burnt-down Malibu mansion. He had seen "everything" of her, Gottschalk said of the US singer, who immediately put the brakes on him: "not everything".

Gottschalk takes the limelight away from Cher

At one point, he stood between the award winner and the cameras, taking the spotlight away from her - but then asked her if she wanted to say something.

At the award ceremony in the Bavaria Studios in Grünwald near Munich, Cher was honored as a "legend" with the Bambi, among other things for her commitment to the protection of elephants. She doesn't see herself as a legend yet, she said good-humoredly on the sidelines of the event: "I'm a working woman."

Blanchett speaks of "dark times"

The pop icon was joined by numerous other celebrities. Actress Cate Blanchett came down the red carpet in a lilac feather gown and was honored in the "Actress International" category - not only for her "artistic excellence", but also for her "humanitarian and ecological commitment". On stage, she said that the voices of artists have "never been as important as they are today".

The 56-year-old Hollywood great emphasized that "these are very dark times that we are in danger of slipping into" - times in which artists cannot move freely everywhere and in which "the human right to creative expression is under threat".

Tribute to pop star - criticism of AfD

Probably the most emotional moment of the evening was provided by Roland Kaiser. As the grand seigneur of German pop music, the 73-year-old was honored in the "Lifetime Achievement" category. He has been connecting generations with his music for 50 years.

Receiving this award was anything but a matter of course, said the singer. He was proud and happy. He thanked his audience, whose loyalty had made him strong, even in difficult times.

In the "Music" category, singer Zartmann ("tau mich auf") beat Oimara ("Wackelkontakt") and Kamrad ("Feel Alive") in the audience voting - and used the big stage to make a political statement against the AfD, which he criticized with harsh words. He understands political frustration - but not turning to right-wing populists.

Laughs for Hazel Brugger

Hazel Brugger, who received an award in the comedy category, got a laugh during her performance. She thanked "the men who have told me over the course of my career that I'm not funny. It was you who made me the monster I am here today."

Heidi Klum and brothers Tom and Bill Kaulitz were particularly in the spotlight. The twins performed with their band Tokio Hotel and were nominated for a Bambi for their podcast Kaulitz Hills. Although the two went away empty-handed, Tom's wife Heidi received an award in the "Entertainment" category. Laudator Naomi Campbell praised her model colleague as a born entertainer with an unmistakable zest for life.