Nicole has beaten cancer and now sees her illness as an opportunity to see her life with different eyes. Elke Heidenreich sees it differently: she too has had a serious illness, so she cannot understand the views of the pop singer.
Hamburg – The NDR Talk Show is entering the next round. This time, too, Barbara Schöneberger and Hubertus Meyer-Burckhardt welcome great guests: Among others, Moritz Bleibtreu, Robert Kreis, the “Elevator Boys”, Elke Heidenreich and Schlager star Nicole. But when the topic “How do I deal with my cancer” the mood suddenly changes.
“Illness as an opportunity”: Nicole talks openly about her life after cancer
Nicole is one of the biggest German hit stars of all time. Unforgettable is her legendary victory in the Eurovision song contest with her hit “A Bit of Peace”. But hard times lie behind Nicole, because in 2021 she received the shock diagnosis of breast cancer. But she fought and, with the support of her family, friends, and her home community, beat cancer.
Her illness taught Nicole one thing: appreciation. Appreciation for the here and now. appreciation for their lives. “A doctor said to me: ‘See this disease as an opportunity. They will do a lot of things differently afterwards, get a different worldview and, once it’s over, they’ll come out stronger’”, says Nicole with tears in her eyes. “And I have to say, he was right.”
Nicole gets thunderous applause from the audience for her honesty. But Elke Heidenreich is not so enthusiastic about her words and contradicts Nicole – or her doctor – here very clearly.
Already knew? Germany has only won the ESC twice
The Eurovision Song Contest has been held annually since 1956. Germany have been there since the beginning but have only won twice in 67 years. In 1982, the then 17-year-old Nicole moved the whole of Europe to tears with “A Little Peace” and won the ESC gold medal. In 2010, Lena Meyer-Landrut not only danced her way into the hearts of the audience with “Satellite”, but also onto the Eurovision podium.
“Big shit”: Elke Heidenreich and hit star Nicole argue about cancer statement
When asked about her illness, Elke Heidenreich clarifies: “I’m not one of those people who see illness as an opportunity. I see illness as big shit and something that happens to you in life. (…) I immediately fought and thought: I have to get this over with”.
Nicole, a little surprised by the clear announcement, replies: “Of course the disease sucks. But I think what you get out of it, if you survive.” But here, too, Heidenreich has a very sober answer. She didn’t take anything with her from her illness. “After all. The realization…”, begins Nicole, but is interrupted by moderator Hubertus Meyer-Burckhardt: “That may be different”.
But Elke Heidenreich sticks to her point of view: “It’s not always all nice and great. And we’re in the spotlight and we get applause. We also experience the dark sides, again other people too. But afterwards I am the same Elke as before”. Before the discussion about illness and its subjective perception gets out of hand, Hubertus Meyer-Burckhardt intervenes and switches to the music video of Nicole’s comeback single with the appropriate name “I’m back”.
Speaking of frank words: Anna-Carina Woitschack also makes headlines with her honest interview about her marriage to Stefan Mross. Because, as the pop singer now tells, she felt very included in her marriage. Was the “Always Sunday” presenter a control freak? Sources used: NDR/ NDR Talk Show
