Mein Mann kann (lost footage of near-drowning incident on German game show; 2012)
This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its discussion of a near-death experience.
Alexander (left) during the challenge.
Status: Lost
Mein Mann kann is a Sat.1 game show. Originally airing for four seasons from 2010 to 2013, it involved women placing bets that their male partners could fulfil a difficult physical or mental challenge within a given time limit, with the aim of winning €50,000. During filming for a Season 3 episode, two men were tasked to hold their breath underwater in a glass box for as long as possible. The challenge almost resulted in the drowning of one of the contestants.
Background
Mein Mann kann was conceptualised in 2010 for Sat.1 by Red Seven Entertainment.[1][2][3] First hosted by Britt Hagedorn and Harro Füllgrabe, the game show consists of four heterosexual couples. The women are given 100 poker chips each and wager bets on how successful their partner will be in a given challenge. Challenges can range from kicking footballs to break windows, demonstrating knowledge of cosmetics, and putting on high heels and subsequently navigating through an obstacle course. As the men are placed in a soundproof box, they cannot influence their partners' decisions.[4][2][3] Hagedorn remarked that the programme allowed couples to truly learn each other's skills and faults.[4]
Failure to win these challenges will result in the couple eventually losing their chips and being automatically eliminated.[3] The competition will be whittled down to two couples; whoever wins the final game earns €50,000.[2] Initially a modest ratings success in Germany,[2] the show was soon distributed across Europe by SevenOne International, before making a more substantial impact in China.[5][3] However, an ITV adaptation failed to materialise on British television.[6][5] Originally running from 2010 to 2013, a reboot emerged in 2022.[1]
Near-Drowning Incident
Several celebrity and other special episodes of Mein Mann kann were also broadcast.[7][1] Among them was a programme featuring four expectant fathers, filmed on 19th September 2012 as part of Season 3.[8][9][10] Following the elimination of their competitors, Holger and Alexander stood one challenge away from €50,000. It involved the pair diving three times into a submerged glass box;[11] in a best of three, whoever held their breath for the longest won the competition.[12][8] 26-year-old Alexander, a resident of Düren in the North Rhine-Westphalia,[13] proved victorious in the first round. But during the second, Alexander suffered health complications and reportedly began twitching according to eyewitness Daniel Faros. He required 15 minutes to recover, but because he was one round away from €50,000, insisted on continuing.[8]
In the final round, Holger could only last two minutes before having to resurface. But what should have been cause for celebration for Alexander and his pregnant wife became anything but, as the man suddenly lost consciousness and began to helplessly inhale water into his lungs.[8] In a statement published by Sat.1, Alexander admitted he had been overly confident in his breathing abilities and consequently fainted.[13] Paramedics immediately swooped in to drag Alexander out of the box, where he was administered first aid by nurse Hubert Braun. This resulted in Alexander coughing out the water, saving his life. He soon made a swift recovery and so could celebrate his daring accomplishment and the €50,000 with his more-than-relieved wife.[8][13][9]
Following Bild's report, Sat.1 made a statement which contained additional comments from Alexander. A spokeswoman defended the show's safety standards, insisting Alexander had no threat of drowning because of the medical crew's presence.[13] However, some sources report that Braun was merely an audience member rather than part of the official medical team, making his presence all the more fortunate.[12][10] The episode itself was broadcast two days later.[9] Regardless, it led to suggestions that Sat.1 might re-evaluate the viability of the diving challenge, a common game for Mein Mann kann.[11] Interestingly, this near-miss is seemingly somewhat obscure, with most lists documenting accidents on German television typically omitting it.[14]
Availability
Because filming did not ultimately end in tragedy, the episode itself was safe to air on German television.[9] However, the broadcast did not include the disturbing scenes, which Bild reported was at Alexander's request.[8] Days later, Alexander confirmed that while he was happy to have the episode televised,[8] he and Sat.1 agreed not to feature the incident in any capacity.[13] Consequently, no footage nor images of the near-drowning scenes will ever be publicly released.
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 TV Wunschliste summarising the original run of Mein Mann kann and its 2022 reboot (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bother's Bar reviewing a typical episode of Mein Mann kann. Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Medienmilch reporting on the show being internationally distributed (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 TV Wunschliste previewing Mein Mann kann (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 SevenOne Studios announcing ITV had commissioned a series of My Man Can. Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ Digital Spy reporting on ITV cancelling My Man Can. Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ DWDL summarising the success of Mein Mann kann's celebrity specials in comparison to ordinary episodes (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Bild breaking the story of the near-drowning incident (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 OE24 reporting on the incident and providing a photo prior to the mishap (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Rheinische Post reporting on the episode and the incident (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Welt reporting onto the diving challenge and how the incident was the first to occur in that game (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Focus reporting on the game and the incident (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Abendzeitung reporting on Sat.1 and Alexander's comments surrounding the incident (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24
- ↑ VIP documenting cases of accidents on German television, notably omitting Mein Mann kann's near-drowning incident (article in German). Retrieved 13th Aug '24