Birgit Schrowange is back. She reveals what she used to have to listen to – and why she didn’t let it influence her.

Birgit Schrowange (64) is back! In the Sat.1 report series “Birgit’s strong women” (Mondays, 8:15 p.m., Sat.1) she meets “extraordinary women with extraordinary stories”. There are well-known women and also “unknown women who are role models and who master their lives every day for themselves, for their families or for others”. In an interview with spot on news, the former “Extra” presenter explains how she inspires other women herself.

How does it feel to be back in front of the camera?

Birgit Schrowange: It’s nice. I had a two-year break from television and I was always a little surprised when it was said that I was retired from television. I never saw myself as a pensioner. I had only stopped with my program “Extra” because it no longer fulfilled me. I was all the happier that I now received a number of offers from various broadcasters. I chose Sat.1 because the formats here appealed to me best. They are exciting and interesting, I see that as a valuable gift at the end of my career. So now I have all channels through. I started at WDR, then I was at ZDF for eleven years, and then at RTL for 25 years. If I do another 25 years at Sat.1, I’ll be 88 and then I’ll stop (laughs).

Now “Birgit’s strong women” starts. What can viewers look forward to?

Schrowange: I portray women who are inspiration and role models for other women. Women who have never given up, who do their thing, who are completely with themselves. I meet many different women who also inspire me and show me that anything is possible. For example, I shot with Germany’s oldest female pilot, 82-year-old Ingrid, who still flies. She radiates vitality and youth – despite her wrinkles on her face. She has lively, blue eyes and a vitality that is captivating. She was born in 1940 when women really weren’t worth anything. I was deeply impressed by this woman. But I also meet young women on the show who are doing great things in the social sphere. Or a woman who fled Syria, learned the language here and founded a company. These are all role models for us women, showing that you can achieve anything.

In addition, the documentary “I, Birgit Schrowange!” (30.5., 10:20 p.m.) about you. What is your greatest strength, how do you inspire other women?

Schrowange: My greatest strength is a certain penetrance. I always had. And perseverance: I never gave up. When I was young, I was told that I had no charisma and that I never got into evening entertainment. I was not influenced by such statements. If you act on it, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. That’s not how you get ahead. I always tell other women: Don’t be fooled! No matter what you are told, you have to listen to yourself and do your thing! Look ahead and don’t let yourself be influenced.

Is there an area in which you would like to further develop or achieve your goals?

Schrowange: I could imagine starting something completely new again. I had so much fun flying with Ingrid that I thought about getting my pilot’s license. However, I’m a bit of a lazy person. And that often wins the upper hand. But I always try to encourage women to do what they love. Even if people turn up their noses. For example, if a woman wants to learn belly dancing, then she should do it – no matter what her husband or the neighbors say.

Do you know something like that too?

Schrowange: I just like to sing and have fulfilled a little dream: I made a record and took singing lessons. I even went to see Florian Silbereisen a few times. I sang a duet with Bernhard Brink, Isabel Varell and Andy Borg. I can’t sing very well at all. I’m really not the best singer under the sun, but I love doing it and I’m passionate about it. I also enjoy doing it in public. I’m not shy at all. I sang in Dirk Bach’s “Cover Me” benefit concert series – and I was definitely the worst singer. Barbara Schöneberger was also there. At some point she said to me: “Man, you’re brave! You can’t actually sing, but you go on stage with self-confidence…” I just did it with passion – and got a lot of applause. This is my dream that I have realized. You don’t always have to be perfect at everything…