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DSDS – Germany is looking for the superstar

Table of contents

What is DSDS?

“Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS)” is a German casting show that was first broadcast on November 9, 2002 by the television channel RTL. It is a spin-off of the British show Pop Idol, whose concept has been licensed worldwide since 2002. In Germany, the program is produced by UFA Show in Studio 30 / 31 at MMC Studios in Cologne.

The "DSDS" concept

In 2002

Dieter Bohlen

was commissioned by Gerhard Zeiler of RTL to develop the German version of Pop Idol. According to Bohlen, the name “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” came about after the music producer

Frank Farian

had secured the German naming rights to “Pop Idol” and only wanted to use them on the condition that he was allowed to be part of the DSDS jury.

The content of the program is to find a singer in a talent competition. Candidates are found through auditions and applications, the number of which is reduced in several rounds (recalls) by the judgment of the jury. The candidates who remain after the qualifying rounds appear in the following programs, the so-called “live shows”. After each performance, the jury evaluates the participants’ singing and appearance. From the mottoshows onwards, the viewers will decide via telephone voting, text messages and the Internet who will progress and who will be crowned the winner. A fee of 0.50 euros is charged per vote. Until the final, the participants with the fewest votes are eliminated. The result of the voting will be announced the same evening.

Jury and winners

Season 1 (2002/2003)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Thomas M.Stein, Shona Fraser, Thomas Bug

Winner: Alexander Klaws
Runner-up: Juliette Schoppmann
Third place: Daniel Küblböck

Season 2 (2003/2004)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Thomas M.Stein, Shona Fraser, Thomas Bug

Winner: Elli Erl
Runner-up: Denise Tillmanns
Third place: Philippe Bühler

Season 3 (2005/2006)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Sylvia Kollek, Heinz Henn

Winner: Tobias Regner
Second place: Mike Leon Grosch
Third place: Vanessa Jean Dedmon

Season 4 (2007)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Anja Lukaseder, Heinz Henn

Winner: Mark Medlock
Second place: Martin Stosch
Third place: Lisa Bund

Season 5 (2008)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Anja Lukaseder, Andreas Läsker

Winner: Thomas Godoj
Runner-up: Fady Maalouf
Third place: Linda Teodosiu

Season 6 (2009)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Nina Eichinger, Volker Neumüller

Winner: Daniel Schuhmacher
Runner-up: Sarah Kreuz
Third place:

Annemarie Eilfeld

Season 7 (2010)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Nina Eichinger, Volker Neumüller

Winner: Mehrzad Marashi
Runner-up: Menowin Fröhlich
Third place: Manuel Hoffmann

Season 8 (2011)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Fernanda Brandão, Patrick Nuo

Winner:

Pietro Lombardi


Runner-up:

Sarah Engels


Third place: Ardian Bujupi

Season 9 (2012)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Natalie Horler, Bruce Darnell

Winner: Luca Hänni
Runner-up: Daniele Negroni
Third place: Jesse Ritch

Season 10 (2013)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz, Mateo Jasik

Winner:

Beatrice Egli


Runner-up: Lisa Wohlgemuth
Third place: Ricardo Bielecki

Season 11 (2014)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen,

Kay One

Mieze Katz,

Marianne Rosenberg

Winner: Aneta Sablik
Runner-up: Meltem Acikgöz
Third place: Daniel Ceylan

Season 12 (2015)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Mandy Capristo, DJ Antoine, Heino

Winner: Severino Seeger
Runner-up: Viviana Grisafi
Third place: Antonio Gerardi

Season 13 (2016)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen,

Michelle

,

Vanessa Mai

, H. P. Baxxter

Winner: Prince Damien
Runner-up: Laura van den Elzen
Third place: Thomas Katrozan

Season 14 (2017)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Michelle,

Shirin David

H. P. Baxxter

Winner: Alphonso Williams
Runner-up: Alexander Jahnke
Third place: Maria Voskania

Season 15 (2018)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen,

Ella Endlich

Carolin Niemczyk, Mousse T.

Winner:

Marie Wegener (Marie Lane)


Second place: Michel Truog
Third place: Michael Rauscher

Season 16 (2019)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Pietro Lombardi, Oana Nechiti,

Xavier Naidoo

/ Florian Silbereisen

Winner: Davin Herbrüggen
Second place: Nick Ferretti
Third place: Joana Kesenci

Season 17 (2020)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Pietro Lombardi, Oana Nechiti,

Florian Silbereisen

Winner:

Ramon Roselly


Runner-up: Chiara D’Amico
Third place: Joshua Tappe

Season 18 (2021)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Maite Kelly,

Mike Singer

Winner: Jan-Marten Block
Runner-up: Karl Jeroboan
Third place: Kevin Jenewein

Season 19 (2022)

Jury: Florian Silbereisen, Ilse DeLange, Toby Gad

Winner: Harry Laffontien
Second place: Amber van den Elzen
Third place: Melissa Mantzoukis

In the live shows of the 19th season were

Thomas Anders

, Sarah Engels and Joachim Llambi (3rd/4th live show) as guest judges.

Season 20 (2023)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Pietro Lombardi,

Katja Krasavice

,

Leony

Winner: Sem Eisinger
Runner-up: Monika Gajek
Third place: Lorent Berisha

Season 21 (2024)

Jury: Dieter Bohlen, Pietro Lombardi,

Beatrice Egli

,

Loredana

Winner:
Runner-up:
Third place: