Thomas Gottschalk was born in Upper Silesia, but his family fled to Kulmbach in Franconia. He became an altar boy in the town parish church and later studied German and history to become a primary and secondary school teacher in Munich. He worked as a freelancer for Bayerischer Rundfunk and eventually became a permanent employee, hosting several popular radio and TV programs.
Gottschalk married his childhood friend Thea and had two children, Roman and Tristan. He became known to a large TV audience as the host of the game show "Telespiele" and later hosted "Na so was" on ZDF. He also appeared in several humorous entertainment films, including "Piratensender Powerplay" and "Die Supernasen".
In 1986, Gottschalk took over as presenter of the ZDF show "Wetten Dass...?", succeeding Frank Elstner. The show became the most successful Saturday evening show in Europe, with up to 15 million viewers. Gottschalk continued to host the show until 2011, when he announced his resignation.
Gottschalk has also worked as an actor, appearing in films such as "Tender Chaoten", "A Woman Called Harry", and "Sister Act 2". He has also lent his voice to several animated films, including "Garfield".
Gottschalk has won several awards for his work, including the "Golden Gong" and the "Golden Camera". He has also been nominated for several other awards, including the Rose d'Or.
In his personal life, Gottschalk has been married twice and has three children. He has also been involved in several charitable organizations, including the German Red Cross.
In 2021, Gottschalk hosted a revival edition of "Wetten,dass?", which achieved a market share of 45 percent. He has also continued to work as a radio presenter and has hosted several podcasts and radio shows.
