Thomas Johannes Gottschalk (born 18 May 1950) is a German radio and television host, entertainer and actor. He is best known for hosting the popular show Wetten, dass..?, which he led to a huge success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol between 1987 and 2011. Until 2015 he was also the testimonial personality in television advertisements for Haribo confectionery.
Gottschalk was born in the German city of Bamberg, Bavaria, as the son of a lawyer. After attending the Humanistisches Gymnasium (humanities-oriented high school) in Kulmbach, he studied history and German philology, eventually taking his exams as a teacher for primary and secondary schools; however, it was during this time that he discovered his true vocation: entertainment.
From 1971 on, Gottschalk worked as a freelancer for the youth program of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting); in 1973, he became anchor for a news program. In 1976, after a brief detour to the newspaper Münchner Merkur, he became a regular contributor at the Bayerischer Rundfunk, and subsequently gained popularity as the host of the show Pop nach acht. He was awarded the Kurt-Magnus-Preis for his "outstanding talents" as a radio host in 1978.