Günther Jauch turns 70 with no fanfare, no TV gala, and a wish to disappear

Günther Jauch, the face of Germany’s most enduring quiz show for over two decades, reaches 70 years of age on 13 July 2026. In a series of pre-birthday remarks to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), he made clear that the milestone would be met with what he prefers: near-total silence.

No big fuss

Jauch advised that the best strategy for the day was not answering the telephone. "It is advisable not to answer the phone that day," he told dpa weeks before the birthday. "I will try to stick to that. I think it will work." He added, "For me, these kinds of dates are not so important, and I am not inclined to make a great fuss."

For me, these kinds of dates are not so important, and I am not inclined to make a great fuss.

While he gave no hint of his whereabouts on the day – his Potsdam residence, his winery on the Saar, or somewhere else entirely – the message was consistent: the entertainer would rather not be found.

The quiet patron of Potsdam

Even without the cameras, Jauch’s footprint is large, particularly in his adopted home of Potsdam, where he has lived with his wife Thea for roughly three decades. The couple fell in love with the city on a Christmas Eve outing in 1989, crossing the still-present inner-German border. They later married in 2006 at the Belvedere on the Pfingstberg, a building whose restoration he helped fund.

His philanthropic work has touched multiple historic sites. In 2014 he financed the restoration of the dilapidated Neptungrotte in the Sanssouci palace park. He also contributed to the Fortunaportal on the Alter Markt, a project that triggered the rebuild of the city palace, and backed work at the Marmorpalais and the Friedenskirche. More controversially, he was among the donors for the reconstruction of the Garnisonkirchturm. His commitment to children and families led him to support the charity "Arche". The Brandenburg state government recognised his civic contributions with the state order of merit in June 2026.

A career beyond the quiz

Born in Münster in 1956 and raised in Berlin, Jauch is best known for RTL’s "Wer wird Millionär?". Yet his television work has been far more varied. He was a sports commentator for "Das aktuelle Sportstudio" and from 2011 to 2015 hosted the eponymous political talk show "Günther Jauch" on ARD. At one point, opinion polls even listed him as a favoured candidate for the office of Federal President. His television awards, however, do not sit on display. He confided in June that they tend to end up in the cellar or the garage, where his real passion – classic cars – is housed.

RTL skips the gala

RTL’s decision to offer no on-screen tribute mirrors Jauch’s own wishes. Markus Küttner, RTL’s head of entertainment, told dpa, "As we know Günther Jauch, he does not like flattery anyway." The contrast with other broadcasters is stark: the ZDF gave Jauch’s friend and fellow presenter Thomas Gottschalk a primetime evening show for his 70th in 2019. RTL itself had thrown a gala for Gottschalk’s 65th. Jauch, however, had already signalled in advance that such ceremonies do not suit him. His historic Villa Kellermann on the Potsdam lakefront, which until 2024 housed a fine-dining restaurant initially co-opened by Tim Raue, remains a venue for private moments, not televised parties.