After almost 750 episodes and around 45 years, “I carry a big name” says goodbye to German television in 2023. This was announced by Südwestrundfunk (SWR). The format was launched in April 1977. On February 12th, presenter Julia Westlake (51) will be leading SWR television through the 747th edition of the longest-running quiz show on German TV, which will also be the last.
In I Have a Big Name, a celebrity guess team tries to find out the name of a famous person. A descendant of the person you are looking for is always a guest. According to the broadcaster, a good 1,500 descendants have been invited over the years.
“The decision not to continue ‘I wear a big name’ as a guessing game was really not easy for us,” explains Clemens Bratzler, program director for information, in a statement. “I very much regret that this television classic is no longer being produced,” notes Westlake, who took over the show in 2020 from Wieland Backes (76). Hans Gmür (1927-2004) and Hansjürgen Rosenbauer (80) had previously moderated the format.
The last episodes of “I wear a big name” will be shown on SWR television from January 15, 2023, every Sunday from 6:15 p.m.
