7 July 2006: Rudi Carrell dead


Rudolf Wijbrand Kesselaar (born on 19 December 1934) became better known as Rudi Carrell when he became a show host in the 1960's. He started in the Netherlands as a singer and presenter, but also found success in Germany where he became quite popular despite his poor pronunciation of German. His own 'Rudi Carrell Show' brought many German pop stars and actors to prominence. He also presented other shows such as 'Rudis Tagesshow', 'Die verflixte Sieben' and 'Am laufenden Band'. In 1987, he famously caused a diplomatic rift between Germany and Iran with a sketch in which veiled women threw their undergarments at someone dressed like Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The Iranian government responded by expelling two German diplomats and permanently closing the Goethe Institute in Tehran.

Before all this, Rudi Carrell performed 'Wat een geluk' at the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest, representing the Netherlands. The song only received 2 points, placing 12th in a field of 13 competitors. Carrell passed away on 7 July 2006 after suffering from lung cancer.

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