2024-08-25 06:52:33
Giovanni Zarrella is once again presenting his show on ZDF. In the t-online interview, the singer explains what is special about the music format.
Whether Andrea Berg, Roland Kaiser or Marianne Rosenberg: On Saturday, August 24th, the who’s who of the German pop music industry will once again gather on one stage. They will all flock to the Dortmund Westfalenhalle, because host Giovanni Zarrella is inviting people to his ZDF show.
It is the eleventh edition of the “Giovanni Zarrella Show”: The singer has been presenting the TV spectacle since 2011. Most recently, an average of 4.4 million viewers watched the music format. In an interview with t-online, the 46-year-old talks about the show’s recipe for success – because in his opinion, it’s about more than just pop music.
t-online: You are now successful not only as a musician, but also as a presenter. When are you more nervous: just before a concert or just before the “Giovanni Zarrella Show”?
John Zarrella: Both are about the same, because both subside with the first applause. That’s always the case with me. The stage fright goes away with the applause. But that only comes after the first song. After that, the nervousness subsides immediately. But I also enjoy the excitement, both at concerts and at the “Giovanni Zarrella Show”. This tingling feeling is unbelievably nice. It’s also the incentive to keep going out and keep going.
When the offer for the “Giovanni Zarrella Show” came, was it immediately clear to you: Yes, this type of format is right for me?
When ZDF said that they wanted to do a show with me on this legendary time slot and that my name was even up for selection, I was very honored. I was incredibly happy. Things got even more exciting when it came to the title of the show. Should my name be included? I said very clearly: If I get a chance like this at my age, then I have to take a big risk. I’ll gladly accept the applause. But then I also have to be aware that there will be criticism if things don’t go so well. So it was clear to me pretty quickly: If the station has faith in me, then I’ll give 100 percent love, commitment, passion and hard work – and then something good will come out of it.
What is special about your show? Is there a unique selling point?
I think the secret of my show is that we are the only music show that brings together artists from all genres. From pop to hits, everything is there. That was my idea because I come from a time when there were shows like “The Dome” or the “Bravo Super Show”. Back then, people all stood on one stage without thinking about the different genres they came from. But it shouldn’t be too colorful, it shouldn’t be a mixed bag. The show has a clear structure. But I think it’s nice that we represent all styles.
There are now many more music shows on television. Many artists report a competitive struggle. To what extent do you notice this?
Unfortunately, there aren’t that many music shows these days. Every artist is welcome here. The mix just has to be right. I don’t feel any sense of competition in this area. We all make each other better.
I watched this performance many times after that.
John Zarrella
You also have many international guests. Is there anyone else you would like to be on stage with?
Well, I was lucky that all of the biggest German artists have already been on the show. Internationally, I’m thinking of names like Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Elton John, Phil Collins and the Backstreet Boys. I’m planning a lot more shows, so they all still have a chance to come along.