Anne Will
Photo: Michael von Aichberger, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons18

Anne Will

German television journalist and host

Anne Will (born 18 March 1966) is a German television journalist and host of the eponymous political talk show. She was anchorwoman of the daily Tagesthemen news broadcast on ARD from 2001 until 2007.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Anne Will (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Mar 18, 1966.1

Companies

Early life and education

  • 1985Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium3
  • 1985 to 1990University of Cologne3
  • Date not recordedFreie Universität Berlin3

Will was born on 18 March 1966 in Cologne, West Germany, the daughter of an architect. She grew up in Hürth and attended the Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium high school. From 1985 she studied history, politics, and English in Cologne and Berlin, with a scholarship of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). While a student she had articles published in the Kölnische Rundschau and Berliner Volksblatt newspapers. In 1990 she graduated with a Magister's degree from the University of Cologne.

From Wikipedia’s article on Anne Will (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: presenter, television presenter, journalist.6

Known for: Anne Will.7

Will began her career in radio and television at Sender Freies Berlin. At the end of 1992 she started presenting the talk show Mal ehrlich and the sports magazine Sportpalast. She hosted the Westdeutscher Rundfunk show Parlazzo from 1996 to 1998.

In November 1999 Will became the first woman to host the Sportschau sport show. During the 2000 Summer Olympics, she presented live sport shows from Sydney for the ARD.

From 14 April 2001 to 24 June 2007 she presented the late night news magazine Tagesthemen alternating with Ulrich Wickert and, from September 2006, with his successor Tom Buhrow.

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Anne Will, 2007–2023

Will's political talk show Anne Will ran from 16 September 2007 to 3 December 2023. It succeeded Sabine Christiansen's similar show when Christiansen retired. Will was succeeded at the Tagesthemen by Caren Miosga.

Alongside Maybrit Illner, Peter Kloeppel and Stefan Raab, Will also moderated the only TV election debate between incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel and her competitor Peer Steinbrück ahead of the 2013 elections, which was aired live on four of Germany's most-watched television channels during prime-time. She also interviewed Merkel in September 2009 (shortly before the 2009 election), in October 2015, in February 2016, November 2016 and in June 2018 (following the 44th G7 summit). She hosted Merkel's successor Olaf Scholz for the first time in March 2022. Among the international dignitaries who appeared on the show were the foreign ministers of Austria and Luxembourg, Sebastian Kurz (2016) and Jean Asselborn (2014, 2015 and 2018).

In 2010, Will interviewed former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Later career

In 2024, Will launched a weekly interview podcast, Politik mit Anne Will (Politics with Anne Will).

From Wikipedia’s article on Anne Will (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornMar 18, 1966, Cologne8
  • CitizenshipGermany9
  • ResidenceBerlin10
  • SpouseMiriam Meckel 2016 to 201911 12

Will lives in Berlin. From 2016 until 2019 she was married to Miriam Meckel, then editor-in-chief of the major German magazine WirtschaftsWoche and professor of communications and media at the Swiss University of St. Gallen. Will is Roman Catholic.

From Wikipedia’s article on Anne Will (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • 2007Hanns-Joachim-Friedrichs-Award13 14
  • 2006Deutscher Fernsehpreis13
  • 2002Goldene Kamera 200213