Television chef Sebastian Lege has publicly revealed that he battled lymphatic cancer for a second time six years ago, managing his ongoing treatment by receiving chemotherapy in the mornings before filming for the ZDF network.
A Decade of Television Work and Secret Illness
For roughly ten years, Sebastian Lege stood in front of the camera for ZDF to uncover what is inside food products. In an interview with the Bild
newspaper, the 47-year-old disclosed that he dealt with severe health problems during this period. Ich hatte vor sechs Jahren zum zweiten Mal Lymphdrüsenkrebs und habe trotzdem weitergearbeitet,
Lege stated, noting that morning chemotherapy sessions followed by afternoon shoots felt entirely normal to him at the time. In the podcast Dr. Riemer,
he similarly explained that he had immer weiter gedreht, egal wann,
because it was his grand dream and brought him immense joy, noting that he loves entertainment and invention. Even in his early days in television, while still working primarily as a product developer, he sacrificed his vacation three times in a row for filming days to pursue his television dream.
Lege first received a cancer diagnosis in 2003, prior to his television career, which involved a harsh chemotherapy experience that left him sitting on the parking lot of the University Hospital Düsseldorf without knowing which way was up. He looks forward with the mindset that bei mir gibt es nur heute und morgen, niemals gestern,
viewing many things more relaxed today and feeling grateful every day for his remaining lifetime and wonderful moments.
Departure from ZDF and Move to RTL
The cancer revelation accompanies a major professional transition for the Meerbusch and Bremen resident, who is leaving ZDF after declining to extend his contract, which runs until the end of 2026. He had given early warnings that the topic area would eventually be exhausted after years and hundreds of products, but his warnings were brushed aside. Feeling that his professional reputation was being compromised, he decided to pull the emergency brake on a brand that felt like a baby to him. Influencer and YouTuber Tim Armann is set to take over Lege’s series at ZDF, with Lege wishing him luck while noting that linear television and its target audience are very different from YouTube.
Looking ahead, Lege will work exclusively for the RTL group starting in 2027, presenting formats such as Lege kommt auf den Geschmack
on VOX, where daily items like pizza and döner are improved before the camera using technological methods. He had previously pitched this concept to ZDF, stating that das wollte das ZDF auch nicht,
whereas at VOX the reaction was Cool, mega, das machen wir!
He noted that he felt very comfortable within the RTL group from the very beginning because people were very open with him and allowed him freedom.
