Observed Signal · May 4, 2026 · Personnel Appointment · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
ProSiebenSat.1 Confirms Matthias Killing as The Voice Host
ProSiebenSat.1 (Sat.1) has officially confirmed Matthias Killing as the new co-host of The Voice of Germany. Killing will present the show alongside Melissa Khalaj, who has been a moderator on the series since 2022. Recordings for the Blind Auditions began on 2026-05-04. Killing replaces Thore Schölermann, who left the role after 14 years to focus on recently acquired McDonald's franchise operations in Aachen and has also stepped away from The Voice Kids. The coaching panel remains unchanged from the previous season: Shirin David, Nico Santos, Michi Beck & Smudo, and Rea Garvey. Sat.1’s head of entertainment, Franziska von Malsen, welcomed Killing in a statement.
A broadcaster's personnel change for a major TV format is primarily entertainment programming news with limited impact on the wider AdTech/MarTech ecosystem; relevant to audience continuity and broadcaster inventory planning but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ProSiebenSat.1 / Sat.1 confirmed Matthias Killing as co-host of The Voice of Germany.
- Matthias Killing will co-present with Melissa Khalaj, who has been a moderator since 2022.
- Recordings of the Blind Auditions started on 2026-05-04.
- Matthias Killing replaces Thore Schölermann, who left after 14 years to run McDonald's franchises in Aachen and left The Voice Kids.
- Coaches for the new season remain Shirin David, Nico Santos, Michi Beck & Smudo, and Rea Garvey.
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The Voice moves to Saturday on ProSieben
ProSieben and Sat.1 have reshuffled their entertainment lineups: The Voice of Germany will premiere its new season on Sat.1 on 11 September 2026, airing Fridays in prime time (20:15), and will also broadcast on ProSieben from 12 September 2026, where it moves from its previous Thursday 20:15 slot to Saturdays. Produced by ITV Studios Germany, the music casting show will be presented by Melissa Khalaj alongside new co-host Matthias Killing, who replaces long-time host Thore Schölermann after 14 years (Schölermann has stepped back to focus on operating McDonald’s restaurants). The coach panel remains unchanged — Shirin David; Michi Beck & Smudo; Rea Garvey; and Nico Santos. The schedule change also moves The Masked Singer from weekends to Wednesdays.
ProSieben, Sat.1 Keep Coaches for The Voice Season 16
ProSieben and Sat.1 announced that the five coaches from the previous season will return for the 16th season of The Voice of Germany: Shirin David, Rea Garvey, Nico Santos, Michi Beck and Smudo. Recordings for the Blind Auditions begin on 2026-05-04, with production handled again by ITV Studios Germany. Broadcasters said linear reach for the show rose slightly in 2025, and the 14–49 age group averaged nearly a 10% market share across the season, outperforming both channels’ averages. No broadcast date has been set, though ProSieben and Sat.1 plan to air the new episodes in the autumn.
ProSieben reveals new cast for 'Wer stiehlt mir die Show?'
ProSieben has announced the celebrity panel for the next season of its Sunday primetime show "Wer stiehlt mir die Show?" Filming for six new episodes has begun in Berlin for an autumn broadcast. The confirmed challengers opposing host Joko Winterscheidt are Carolin Kebekus, Jens "Knossi" Knossalla and basketball player Moritz Wagner. Florida Entertainment is producing the episodes; Katrin Bauerfeind will again host the final round. The piece notes the format’s ratings trend: after three years in the Sunday 20:15 slot, recent average reach fell below one million on preliminary weighted figures (final weighting slightly higher), while the program still delivered a strong 15.8% market share in the key demographic this spring.
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