Michelle Yvonne Hunziker (, ; born 24 January 1977) is a Swiss and Italian television presenter and former model. She hosted the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel alongside Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer.
Early life Hunziker was born in Sorengo, Lugano, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Her mother Ineke is Dutch, with distant Indonesian ancestry, and her father Rudolf, who died of a heart attack in 2001, was a German-speaking Swiss painter who worked as a hotel manager. In 1983, the family moved to Ostermundigen, a suburb of Bern in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where Hunziker attended elementary school. After moving to Milan, Italy, with her mother, she became a fashion model and was hired by Riccardo Gay, an agent. At 17 she posed for Armani, Rocco Barocco, La Perla, Colmar, Fuerte Ventura, Lovable and Swish. She speaks German, Italian, English, and Dutch.
Career As she was Eros Ramazzotti's fiancée, Hunziker was discovered by an Italian TV producer. In 1996, she presented the Rai Uno-show I cervelloni with Paolo Bonolis. In summer, she presented the prime time comedy show Paperissima Sprint (Canale 5) with Gabibbo. Because of her popularity, she hosted the afternoon show Colpo di Fulmine on Italia 1 in 1997. She attended the professional academy Music Art & Show in Milan with her choreographer Susanna Beltrami.
In 1998, the Italian film director Vincenzo Verdecchi offered Hunziker her first film role in the TV series La Forza dell'Amore (Canale 5). Afterwards she took the leading female role in Fammi stare sotto al letto. She was also in the documentary The Protagonist and in another film, Alex l'Ariete, where she acted with ex-skiing star Alberto Tomba. Hunziker and Pippo Baudo hosted the Canale 5 show La festa del Disco. From 1999 to 2001, she presented the late-night show Nonsolomoda (Canale 5) where she reported about fashion and lifestyle.
In 1999, TV3, the first Swiss private television station, was founded in Zürich, and Hunziker hosted a makeover show called Cinderella, where a hair and make-up artist, as well as a styling adviser, helped both a celebrity and a viewer have a makeover. After the first episode, Hunziker was caught in the crossfire. The Swiss newspaper Blick even wrote: "Cinderella, TV3's new lifestyle show is not bad. It is catastrophic". Later, Hunziker was interviewed by the Swiss-German magazine Schweizer Illustrierte and said that she could not speak German anymore after having lived in Italy for many years. After TV3 had changed the concept, the show became more popular.
After hosting the Swiss show Cinderella, Hunziker came to the attention of German TV producers. In 1998, she presented the Goldene Kamera awards show with Thomas Gottschalk, who was a very well-known German TV presenter. A year later, she co-hosted the show Michael Jackson & Friends (ZDF) in Munich. After she had been on various talk shows, she presented her first show in Germany caller Erstes Glück (SWR/Das Erste). She co-hosted the show with Thomas Elstner and interviewed celebrities about their first love. The show was not very popular however, and ultimately axed. When she returned to Italy, she presented the shows Donna sotto le stelle and Piazza di Spagna (Canale 5) with Gerry Scotti and Tacchi a spillo (Italia 1) with Claudio Lippi. In 2002–2004, Hunziker and Carsten Spengemann presented the first and second season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of the British TV show Pop Idol.
Hunziker joined ZDF's Wetten, dass..?, Germany's most popular TV show in October 2009. The show was also syndicated live on the Austrian ORF and SF1 in her native Switzerland.
In 2006, she released an album in English, Lole, that was available only in German-speaking countries; the only single released from the album was "From Noon Till Midnight".
Hunziker co-hosted the Italian comedy shows Zelig (Italia 1) and Scherzi a parte (Canale 5) in 2001. Zelig is one of the most famous Italian TV shows. Later that year, she received the Italian TV Oscar in the category "Discovery of the Year". She also co-hosted the Italian open-air music show Festivalbar with Daniele Bossari and Alessia Marcuzzi.
She has also starred in the musicals directed by Saverio Marconi The Sound of Music (playing the role of Maria von Trapp) and Cabaret (playing the role of Sally Bowles); both had huge success in Italy.
In 2007, Hunziker and Pippo Baudo hosted the Italian song contest, the Festival di Sanremo, on Rai Uno. Later, she co-hosted Striscia la notizia again with Ezio Greggio and Paperissima with Gerry Scotti.
In 2018, she again hosted the Sanremo Music Festival on Rai 1, this time with Claudio Baglioni and Pierfrancesco Favino. In 2020, she appeared in a video posted by Mimmo Modem, with a neomelodic song by Niko Pandetta, Marco Calone and Pino Franzese called "Danza".
In 2024, Hunziker hosted Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration on Canale 5.
In May 2025, she co-hosted the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, alongside Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer.
Hunziker featured on Series 3 of Last One Laughing Deutschland, in which she was eliminated in the third episode.
Personal life
Hunziker was married to Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti from 1998. They separated in 2002 and divorced in 2009. She acquired Italian citizenship through this marriage. The marriage produced a daughter.
Hunziker announced her engagement to the Trussardi heir Tomaso Trussardi in 2013. The couple have two daughters together.
In 2017, Hunziker announced that she blamed a cult for her divorce from Ramazzotti. She said that the cult tried to persuade her that he was a bad influence on her and to isolate her from her family. This statement caused an outcry in Italy.
In the fall of 2024, Hunziker and her daughter Aurora had the text , a song of Udo Jürgens tattooed on the neck.Das steckt hinter ihrem Tattoo "Lieben ohne Leiden"
Filmography +FilmsYearTitleRoleNotes1999Voglio stare sotto al lettoPaolaThe ProtagonistsSue2000Alex l'arieteLeva Bottazzi2005MadagascarGloria (voice)Italian dub2007Natale in crocieraMichela Bacci2008Natale a RioLinda Vita2009Natale a Beverly HillsSerena2011Amore neroLauraShort film2017Super vacanze di NataleVariousAnthology film
+TelevisionYearTitleRoleNotes1997I misteri di Cascina VianelloGaiaEpisode: "Un matrimonio e un funerale"1998La forza dell'amoreTizianaMiniseries2004Love BugsMichelleMain role (season 1)2018–2019Idol x Warrior Miracle TunesGoddess of MusicRecurring role
Television programs YearTitleRoleNotes1994–1995Buona DomenicaContestant Variety show (season 7)1995Mai dire GolCo-hostComedy program (season 6)1995–1996Numero UnoReporterGame show (season 2)1996I cervelloniCo-hostGame show (season 3)1997Paperissima SprintPresenterComedy program (season 3)1997–1998Colpo di fulminePresenterReality show (season 3)1999La Partita del CuorePresenterSpecial2000–2003, 2014ZeligCo-hostVariety show (seasons 5–7, 17)2001Tacchi a spilloCo-hostTalent show2002Scherzi a parteCo-hostPrank/candid camera program (season 7)Festivalbar 2002Co-hostAnnual music festival2003SuperstarPresenterTalent show (season 2)Festivalbar 2003Co-hostAnnual music festival 2004–presentStriscia la notiziaPresenterVariety show (seasons 17–present)2004–2013PaperissimaPresenterComedy program (seasons 9–13)2005Chi ha incastrato lo zio Gerry?Co-hostComedy program2006, 2008TelegattoPresenterAwards ceremony2007Sanremo Music Festival 2007Co-hostAnnual music festival 2012–2013Striscia la domenicaPresenterSunday version of Striscia la notizia2016Bocelli & Zanetti NightPresenterSpecialHouse PartyGuest hostVariety show, episode 22017It's Showtime! Das Battle der BestenCo-hostTalent show; Germany2017Das Sommer Open AirHostMusic show; Germany2018Vuoi scommettere?HostVariety show2019Amici CelebritiesGuest hostTalent show (replacing Maria De Filippi for 3 episodes)2019–2021All Together NowHostTalent show2020Big PerformancePresenterVariety show; Germany2020Pretty in PlüschPresenterVariety show; Germany2021All Together Now KidsPresenterTalent show2022–2024Michelle ImpossiblePresenterVariety show2022LOL - Last One LaughingContestantComedy show;Germany2023–2024Io canto GenerationJuryTalent show2024–presentIo canto FamilyPresenterTalent show2024Andrea Bocelli 30: The CelebrationPresenterConcert program2024Udo Jürgens For EverPresenterTV Special; Germany2025Eurovision Song ContestPresentersAnnual music festival2025Guinness World Records GermanyPresenterVariety show; Germany2025Bambi AwardsPresenterAward ceremony; Germany2025Pooh - Noi amici per sempre HostMusic show2025Pavarotti 90 - L'uomo che emozionò il mondo HostMusic show
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