Jan Hofer, at 74, is wrapping up his time as host of "RTL Direkt" on RTL+, with his last show set for August 29. RTL+'s Instagram account has thanked him for his loyal service over the years. In an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Hofer shares his reasons for leaving, citing the toll his work commitments have taken on his family life.
Hofer, living in Mallorca with his wife and son, had spent over half the year in Berlin for "RTL Direkt." This separation made him miss out on his son's growth and the heartfelt goodbyes during his trips to Berlin became more emotional. His son, now fluent in four languages, had wanted to play more football with his dad, something Hofer had missed out on.
To stay fit, Hofer relied on a personal trainer and gym visits. He also participated in football tournaments organized by his son's school, but missed out on earlier opportunities due to his work commitments. In June 2024, Hofer expressed his desire to witness his son grow up, who was only eight at the time.
Hofer, who has been a part of the "Tagesschau" announcer team since 1985 and was promoted to chief announcer in 2004, hasn't planned any special farewell for "RTL Direkt." Instead, he plans to express his gratitude to his colleagues and viewers, admitting that he won't remove his tie this time. Hofer will be succeeded by Pinar Atalay as the sole main host of "RTL Direkt."
Hofer, despite his commitment to "RTL Direkt," laments the time he's missed with his son. After leaving, he looks forward to spending more quality time with him.
REFERENCE: [1] "RTL Quotet Jan Hofer will leave 'RTL Direkt' in August 2022," RTL+, Retrieved August 2022, [2] "Freeman Community Foundation gala raises over $1 million," ABC News KELO, Retrieved August 2022,
[Enrichment Data Integrated] Although the search did not yield any results directly related to Jan Hofer's work commitments or family life, it did uncover an interesting mention of Emily Hofer, a granddaughter of Wyona Hofer, and her role in the Freeman Community Foundation. Emily Hofer praised the employees of Freeman Regional Health Services and highlighted the significance of community generosity during a gala in 2022[2]. However, it's not clear if the Hofer family mentioned in the enrichment data is the same as the Jan Hofer in the base article.
