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Johannes B. Kerner grew up in Berlin and completed his high school education there. After graduating in 1983, he pursued studies in business administration. However, with a strong interest in the media industry, he undertook a traineeship at Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) during 1986/87. At SFB television, he worked as a sports reporter on the shows "Sport 3" and "SFB Sportreport" until 1992. That year, Kerner signed with SAT.1, where he served as a presenter and commentator for the sports programs "ran" and "ranissimo." His popularity grew further during the 1994 World Cup, when he appeared in the World Cup magazine "ran USA '94."
Starting in 1996, Kerner expanded his presenting skills beyond sports journalism by launching his first daily talk show titled "Kerner" on SAT.1, which aired for two years. Toward the end of 1997, he transitioned to the public broadcaster ZDF, becoming a prominent figurehead. There, he hosted the "Current Sportstudio" and annual shows like "People" and "Our Best." In January 1998, Kerner began his own weekly talk show, "Johannes B. Kerner," on ZDF, airing every Thursday and featuring conversations with both celebrities and everyday individuals about their life experiences.
From 1998 onward, Kerner also took on live football reporting duties at major events such as the 1998 World Cup in France and the 2000 European Championships in Belgium and the Netherlands. ZDF entrusted him with coverage of the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. His talk show became one of Germany’s most successful, attracting over two million viewers on average. In early 2002, the show's frequency increased to four episodes weekly, airing Tuesday through Friday. Kerner received numerous accolades, including four "Otto" readers' awards from the youth magazine "Bravo" between 1996 and 1999—two silver and two bronze.
In 1996, he was honored with the "Golden Lion" by the private broadcaster RTL and named "Most Popular Sports Presenter" by Sport-Bild magazine, an honor he repeated the following year. He earned the "Best Commentator" award for his work during the 1998 World Cup. In June 2003, ZDF extended his contract, allowing him to continue his evening talk show and other roles within the network. That year, Kerner received the "Golden Camera" award for "Best Talk Show Host" and the "Golden Feather." In a 2004 survey by the program magazine "TV Total," he ranked first among Germany’s most popular talk show hosts.
Readers of "TV-Spielfilm" voted him "Talker of the Year 2004." He also received the "Bambi" award for "Infotainment" that year. In December 2005, alongside colleague Steffen Seibert, Kerner earned another "Bambi"—the audience award—for the program "We want to help," which successfully raised significant donations for Southeast Asia flood victims. In 2008, he was awarded the "Golden Romy."
Johannes B. Kerner is married to former national hockey player Britta Becker, and they have two children.
