Laura Wontorra and Riccardo Basile announce pregnancy, expecting first child in spring 2027
German sports television presenters Laura Wontorra and Riccardo Basile announced on Instagram that they are expecting their first child, with the birth expected in spring 2027.
Pregnancy announcement on Instagram
German television sports presenter Laura Wontorra and sports journalist Riccardo Basile announced on 7 October 2026 that they are expecting their first child together. The couple shared the news on Instagram alongside photographs showing 37-year-old Wontorra with a visible baby bump in a fitted black dress at sunset. A third image featured an ultrasound scan accompanied by mini pink crocheted baby shoes and a decorative bow, with the caption reading "Halb du. Halb ich." (Half you. Half me.).
According to reporting from Bild, the baby is due in spring 2027. The report noted that Wontorra was already pregnant during summer 2026 while presenting coverage of the FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the subscription service MagentaTV, where she broadcasted from a rooftop studio in New York.
Relationship timeline and public appearances
Wontorra and Basile were longtime friends and colleagues before their relationship began around February 2026. Media reports first revealed that the pair were dating in late May 2026. In late June 2026, Wontorra posted a joint mirror selfie from New York during the World Cup, and in July 2026, she publicly confirmed Basile as her partner on Instagram with a vacation photo from Marbella captioned "something about summer in marbella".
The couple made their first official joint appearance on 8 September 2026 at the Bild100 event in Berlin. On 9 September 2026, they walked the red carpet together at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis ceremony in Cologne.
- Laura Wontorra marries professional football player Simon Zoller.
- Riccardo Basile separates from Clea-Lacy Juhn and competes as a celebrity dancer on Let's Dance.
- Wontorra and Zoller publicly announce their separation.
- Wontorra and Basile reportedly begin dating after several years of friendship.
- Media reports first reveal the romantic relationship between Wontorra and Basile.
- Wontorra posts a mirror selfie with Basile from New York during World Cup coverage.
- Wontorra publicly refers to Basile as her boyfriend on Instagram alongside a holiday photo from Marbella.
- The couple makes their first official joint appearance at Bild100 in Berlin.
- Wontorra and Basile appear together on the red carpet at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis in Cologne.
- Wontorra and Basile announce on Instagram that they are expecting their first child.
- The couple's child is expected to be born in spring.
Industry and celebrity reactions
The pregnancy post received dozens of congratulatory messages from across German entertainment and sports within minutes of publication. Former professional tennis player Sabine Lisicki and sports commentator Wolff Fuss were among the early respondents, alongside former footballers Felix Kroos and Giovane Élber, and former boxer Regina Halmich. Let's Dance judge Motsi Mabuse also congratulated the couple, as did television presenters Frauke Ludowig, Nazan Eckes, Mareile Höppner, Alina Merkau, Jana Azizi, Britta Hofmann, Viviane Geppert, and Annika Lau.
Television host Kim Fisher shared her excitement in the comments section.
I am freaking out and so crazy happy for you! For you both...
Television presenter Birgit Schrowange also posted her congratulations to the couple.
How wonderful is that? Congratulations, I am happy for you.
Presenter Nova Meierhenrich added a humorous comment congratulating the couple on their teamwork.
Broadcasting careers and past relationships
Both presenters are established figures in German television and have previously experienced relationships under public scrutiny. Wontorra married professional footballer Simon Zoller in 2016, with the pair announcing their separation in November 2022. Basile was previously in a relationship until 2022 with Clea-Lacy Juhn, who rose to prominence after winning the reality television series Der Bachelor.
Both journalists also share links to the television dance show Let's Dance. Basile competed as a celebrity dancer on the programme in 2022. In 2026, Wontorra stepped in as a guest host for one live broadcast of the show, filling in for regular presenter Victoria Swarovski while Swarovski travelled to Vienna to cover the Eurovision Song Contest.
