A switch from news to shopping television

The former Tagesschau newsreader Jan Hofer will sell clothing on television from November. He joins the Home Shopping Europa channel, known as HSE, which is based in Ismaning near Munich, and will appear live as what the channel calls a creator. Hofer lives on Mallorca and was born in the Rhineland. HSE announced the arrangement in a statement, and Bild, which spoke with Hofer, also reported it. The move takes him from reading the news to presenting garments on air.

The collection and broadcast schedule

Hofer helped develop a twelve-piece line called the "Jan Hofer Signature Collection". It includes pullovers, cardigans, shirts, trousers and a blazer with a removable waistcoat insert. Loungewear and pajamas for the whole family complete the range. The first presentation is an online live stream on 17 November 2026. Two days later, on 19 November, the premiere follows from HSE's television studio. The stream is to appear on the channel's own platform and app as well as on YouTube and Instagram. The statement gives no figure for how often he will appear and does not describe his role as regular.

Reactions from HSE and from Hofer

HSE managing director Sandra Rehm said the channel is gaining an experienced media professional. She framed him as someone who brings decades of live experience and is open to new formats.

“With Jan Hofer we gain a media professional who brings decades of live experience and is also open to new formats.”

Hofer explained his approach to Bild. He said he wants to give guidance to viewers rather than set trends, and that he prefers classic colors and pieces that combine easily over flashy styles.

“I want to give guidance, not set trends.”

Hofer also said he is drawn to the live format because it allows a direct exchange with viewers. He told Bild that he has followed how well live formats perform, especially in Asia, and that he looks forward to trying different live formats himself.

Career background

Hofer spent 35 years at the Tagesschau and was its chief announcer from 2004 to 2020. He left the ARD in 2020 and joined RTL, where he presented the late-evening news programme RTL Direkt from 2021 to 2024. A first tour of Germany, under the title "Guten Abend, meine Damen und Herren!", is scheduled for February 2027. The HSE role is therefore his latest move away from the newsroom, with the online stream and studio premiere as its first milestones.