Not even five minutes have passed and it's already time for a shit storm – at least in times like these. Chef and TV presenter Roland Trettl asks himself what it would be like to kiss a man. He tries it with his staff on “Celebrity First Dates” on the private broadcaster VOX. They both look at each other in disgust. Both are approaching slowly, very slowly. Lips touch briefly. Quickly, very quickly, both back away – and grimace. And what Roland Trettl thinks about it afterwards: “I thought it was really terrible!” A man who finds male kisses disgusting? Are you still allowed to do this? Even on television, when same-sex love is now the new normal?
A rough start with a wheelchair
“Fame is love,” Trettl says at the beginning. It can't hurt. Because the stars who walk into his TV restaurant may not be the ones who immediately cause a murmur. We are in the usual category of private TV celebrities that no one recognizes: here comes Lars, 37, surname Steinhöfel, who is introduced as the star of the RTL series “Unter uns”. She meets IT consultant Tim (34), who no longer shows that he once weighed 140 kilos. Tan, 43, rolls into the restaurant on wheels. The sedentary stand-up comedian and actor (“In All Friendship”) wishes his wheelchair wasn't tied to the perfect date. He meets Leonie, 32: “My first thought: Wow, I've never had this before.” Leonie doesn't know this “star”. He wants her to guess. He doesn't want to guess at all. A rough start on the first date.
The woman “who needed to be turned on”
For Tina Ruhland of “Manta, Manta,” things get rough before every match. “I don't even know if you should go on a date with me,” warns the 56-year-old, “I'm having a hard time: a big prize, but a grueling grand prize.” Next, application trainer Roland (54) sits on him. At least he immediately recognizes Til Schweiger's ex-partner. But Ruhland consistently remains a lawyer: “He's not a surfer boy… At first I thought: no!” The fourth match is also exciting. Nicolette, 35, is a sex media worker and was once a man. “It took some adjusting,” she says of the woman she is now. However, the ego is even bigger than the small difference: “The man who is in a relationship with me has the jackpot!” Sales manager Sascha sits at the table with him. The sales manager is 46 years old and likes women with feminine charisma. He brings a small gift. He thinks about condoms. It's a snow globe with a chimney sweep as its lucky charm. She wants to hug him quite openly: “It's an incredibly positive vibe.”
Well taken care of you – and preferably without hugs
Actress Jutta Speidel is 69 years old and actually a recognized celebrity. He orders champagne, Roland Trettl asks what a man should be: “A person with a fantastic imagination, certainly not boring – the bar is incredibly high!” Enter civil servant Franz, 65, administrative economist. Mrs. Speidel drives up the wall. First, he demands a well-groomed you. Things only warm up between the two when they eat. Then the actress (“For Heaven's sake”) realizes: “It's really nice that we get to know each other – magical!” And the last meeting of the night? Then 45-year-old Marc meets actress Mariella Ahrens (54) (“Among Us”). The catering creative director believes: “I know him from somewhere.” He wants to hug her in greeting, she doesn't want to. He orders champagne, she orders cola. These opposites do not attract each other. Just talking about their children melts the ice at least a little. “I'd like to get to know you, but I don't want to see it as a date,” he says. And she also sees fun, “but not flirting.”
Jutta Speidel says: “I don't know what a date is…”
The outcome of the evening remains mixed. Lars and Tim split the bill because it's so emancipated. And they want to see each other again. But then it's over. Leonie really likes his eyes, so she plans a second date with Tan. Tina Ruhland believes Roland was intimidated: “You shouldn't be wasting your time with me!” Nicolette doesn't like the second date with Sascha either. Talk to Speidel and Franz? They almost kiss. “I don't know what a date is,” she says. And invites him to Munich. However, the meeting did not take place. Perhaps the celebrity version of “First Dates” will have more show and game.