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German television broadcaster, journalist, and former sportscaster Johannes Baptist Kerner is also known by his stage name Johannes B. Kerner. His diverse career has irrevocably changed the face of German television. He was born in Germany’s Bonn on December 9, 1964.
Early Life and Education
Johannes B. Kerner spent his formative years in Hersel, Bornheim, within a Catholic household. He attended boarding school at the Aloisiuskolleg in Bonn, where he acquired his education. After finishing high school, Kerner attended the Berlin University of Business Administration. He did not finish his education, nevertheless, his media career quickly gained momentum.
Career
In 1986, Kerner started his career in broadcasting at Sender Freies Berlin. He began as an intern and then moved into a position as a sportscaster for regional broadcasts. The groundwork for his future career in sports writing and broadcasting was formed by this early encounter.
In charge of anchoring “Punkt 4 Länderreport,” a nationally televised afternoon program on ARD, from 1990 to 1992, Kerner had a tremendous impact. He gained more recognition at this time and was praised for his charming and captivating on-screen presence.
From August 1992 through the end of 1997, he served in this capacity while sharing hosting responsibilities with several young broadcasters who would go on to become well-known German television celebrities. For his work on this program, Kerner won several honors, including the German sports magazine Sport Bild’s award for the most popular sportscaster in 1996 and 1997.
His first weekday afternoon chat program, simply titled “Kerner,” debuted on Sat.1, 1996, with Kerner as the host. His crossover from sports broadcasting to a wider variety of television formats marked the start of a new chapter in his career.
Johannes B. Kerner relocated to ZDF, a public television network, in 1997, where he continued to play a significant role in the development of German television. Up until 2006, he served as the host of the weekly sports review program “das aktuelle sportstudio” and served as the host for several German national team football matches.
The “Johannes B. Kerner Show,” his self-titled talk program, was one of his most recognizable works. Beginning in January 1998, at roughly 11 p.m. on Thursdays, ZDF began airing this interesting chat program. In January 2002, the show was increased to four times weekly, from Tuesday through Friday.
On January 21, 2005, Kerner gave his Friday night sessions a distinctive twist by turning them into a culinary program called “Kochen bei Kerner” (literally, “Cooking with Kerner”). Five chefs were featured on the show, and their tasks included discussing and putting together a dish for an extravagant meal within an hour.
Johannes B. Kerner’s Children
He wed Britta Becker, a former German Olympic and World Cup medalist in field hockey, in April 1996. Four children were welcomed into the family by the couple. Emily Blomma, born in January 1999, Nik David, born in October 2001, Polly Marie, born on June 30, 2007 and Jilly Lina, born on October 20, 2009.
