He studied German philology (Germanistik), philosophy and history of art in Bonn, Munich and Vienna and was awarded a scholarship by the Evangelisches Studienwerk.

He started his TV career in 1991 as head interviewer at 0137,[1] a daily talkshow and signature programme at newly founded German pay-TV Premiere.

He performed about 1.000 interviews, including some with imprisoned members of the Red Army Faction,[2] a fugitive bank robber, a leftover cosmonaut in space station MIR and a cannibal.

[3] He also interviewed Audrey Hepburn, Jesse Jackson, Yasser Arafat, Lech Wałęsa, Dame Edna Everage and Madonna.

[7] His last bestseller, published in 2014, is Das Hohe Haus: Ein Jahr im Parlament,[8] reflecting on a year sitting in meetings of the German parliament Bundestag.