Sebastian Lege leaves ZDF for RTL, accusing broadcaster of blocking new formats
ZDF says the contract of TV chef Sebastian Lege ends on 31 December 2026 at his own request, while he accuses the broadcaster of rejecting his ideas. From 2027 he works exclusively for the RTL Group.
Contract ends after more than 13 years
Sebastian Lege, the 47-year-old TV chef known for the Besseresser format, is leaving ZDF after more than 13 years. His contract expires on 31 December 2026, a decision the broadcaster says was made at his own request. From 2027 he will work exclusively for the RTL Group. Die Welt reports that he trained as a cook in his native Bremen, worked in restaurant and hotel kitchens and as a food retailer and product developer, and started at ZDF in 2012. ZDF said it would have liked to continue the collaboration on appropriate terms, but did not say what those terms would be.
Lege's criticism of the broadcaster
In the podcast Dr. Riemer, Lege said he had warned ZDF managers early that the subject of his series would eventually run dry after several hundred examined products. Proposals for new shows were rejected, and he said he was expected to keep repeating the existing format. He also described pressure to go further in his presentation of certain topics, which he said drifted away from professional standards. That, he said, was the point at which he decided not to extend his contract. Telling Bild that he had been asked to dramatise negative findings, he called the brand 'a baby of mine'.
Lege summed up his frustration in a single line:
I have waved the warning flag several times, but unfortunately they turned away from it.
The ZDF response
The broadcaster rejects the criticism. Its statement says the collaboration has been successful and that the format was developed continuously, citing 'Die Tricks der Lebensmittelindustrie', 'Lege packt aus' and 'besseresser goes Schule' as examples. ZDF said it could not follow the claim that Lege had no room to develop the format.
The ZDF and Sebastian Lege share a successful collaboration spanning more than 13 years.
The idea at the centre of the dispute is a show in which everyday products such as pizza and döner are improved with modern food technology. Lege says he offered it to ZDF as a continuation of Besseresser and that the broadcaster did not want it. According to Lege, VOX responded at once with approval. The format now runs as 'Lege kommt auf den Geschmack' with the RTL Group.
What comes next for Besseresser
ZDF plans to carry on the brand without Lege. The second season of 'besseresser goes Schule' starts on 21 October 2026, and a 'besseresser' challenge developed together with Lege follows from 9 December. Focus reports that YouTuber Tim Armann is planned as his successor. Lege cautioned that ZDF is still linear television with a different audience from YouTube, and said he would like the brand to survive.
- Second season of 'besseresser goes Schule' starts on ZDF
- 'besseresser' challenge developed with Lege starts
- Lege's ZDF contract expires at his own request
Cancer disclosed in Bild interview
In an interview with Bild, Lege said he had been ill with cancer twice, most recently with lymphatic cancer six years ago, and kept working throughout. He described morning chemotherapy followed by filming in the afternoon, which he said felt normal to him. After losing part of his hair, he shaved the rest and wore a cap instead of making it a public issue. He said he is grateful for each day and sees no yesterday, only today and tomorrow.