Popular ORF talk show “Willkommen Österreich” is cancelled for the first time

This has never happened before! Dirk Stermann and Christoph Grissemann are both ill and therefore cannot moderate the 556th episode of “Willkommen Österreich“.

Popular ORF talk show Willkommen Österreich is cancelled for the first time
Popular ORF talk show “Willkommen Österreich” is cancelled for the first time

On the Willkommen Österreich website and on social media, ORF announces the cancellation of the 556th episode of Willkommen Österreich with the following words:

Wir haben uns die Weihnachtsüberraschung anders vorgestellt, aber leider kann die morgige Sendung mit den besten Beinahe-Gästen aller Zeiten nicht aufgezeichnet und gezeigt werden.

Wir lassen euch aber nicht alleine durch DIE.NACHT ziehen, denn am 19. Oktober 2020 haben wir eine Sondersendung produziert. Eine sogenannte „Notfallsendung“ für den Fall, dass Stermann oder Grissemann oder beide aus gesundheitlichen Gründen die reguläre Sendung nicht präsentieren können.

Was in den über 15 Jahren seit Sendungsbeginn nie vorgekommen ist. Ja, sie haben in allen möglichen körperlichen und seelischen Zuständen moderiert, aber es war nie so schlimm, dass sie eine Sendung absagen mussten. Wir hatten daher gehofft, diese Notfallsendung nie zeigen zu müssen, obwohl sie sehr gelungen und lustig ist. Am 13. Dezember 2022 ist es jetzt doch so weit. Die genauen Hintergründe werden morgen ab 21.50 in ORF1 geklärt.”

Which translates to “We imagined the Christmas surprise differently, but unfortunately tomorrow’s program with the best almost-guests of all time cannot be recorded and shown.

But we won’t let you go through DIE. NACHT alone, because on October 19, 2020 we produced a special broadcast. A so-called “emergency broadcast” in the event that Stermann or Grissemann or both cannot present the regular broadcast for health reasons. Which has never happened in the 15+ years since the show began. Yes, they’ve hosted in all sorts of physical and mental states. But it’s never been so bad that they’ve had to cancel a show. We had therefore hoped that we would never have to show this emergency program, although it is very successful and funny. On December 13, 2022, the time has finally come. The exact background will be clarified tomorrow from 9:50 p.m. on ORF1.”

Update on Willkommen Österreich Talk show

All that is known is that both moderators are likely to have been caught quite a bit. And its not certain, whether Corona, flu or RSV. This means that a pre-produced emergency program must be shown. This was filmed at the beginning of the pandemic for exactly that case. Tomorrow’s guests would have been Fritz Dittlbacher (ORF editor) and Eva Karl-Faltermeier (Bavarian cabaret artist). It is also unclear whether and how the two guests will still be shown or made up for.

[As seen on Weekend, Edited and translated in to English]