The ex-frontman of the Cologne mood band Höhner, Henning Krautmacher, has become famous with his twirled mustache. The musician shaved it off and now has a five-day beard - and is therefore hardly recognizable on the street. The 65-year-old is not the only celebrity who has deliberately changed his appearance. Some lost a lot of weight, others missed a new outfit. A selection:
Slims down after exercise and fasting
Former football manager Reiner Calmund once weighed 180 kilos. Last year, the 74-year-old told the German Press Agency that he only weighed half. After a gastric bypass operation, the former heavyweight has become visibly slimmer. Gone are the days of severe obesity. The pounds also tumbled at the time for former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (74). The Green politician relied on fasting and jogging and liked to show the cameras sporty in running shoes.
There are many such stories from the celebrity world. The comedian Ilka Bessin (51) - known as "Cindy from Marzahn" - also changed her lifestyle. She once said to the "Gala": "I've lost 16 centimeters of waist circumference, I'm very proud of it." The artist Maite Kelly (43) emphasizes her body shape in tight clothes after a diet. English singer Adele's transformation also made headlines. British media wrote about the 34-year-old that she had lost 45 kilos. She is hardly recognizable - without any diet, that's why she does sports.
Gray hair and more beard
The passage of time also causes optical changes. The TV presenter Birgit Schrowange (64) surprised with a new look a few years ago. She appeared in front of the television camera with gray hair and refrained from dyeing. On Instagram she wrote in 2017: "My new look! How do you like it?". There were many positive comments. One read: "You look younger with gray hair than with dyed dark hair."
A mottled gray beard instead of a shaven one - this is how the head of the Christian Democratic European People's Party in the EU Parliament, Manfred Weber (50), appears. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) remarked pointedly in 2019: In Europe, a politician needs "a thick skin", which Weber has now grown.
The entertainer Harald Schmidt (65) showed up with a full white beard and then again without it. Not all viewers liked that. That's why he was called "Papa Smurf" and "Gandalf on Ecstasy". He said to the dpa: "I don't have to explain to you how desperate the media situation is. You're grateful when someone suddenly comes with a beard who hasn't had one before." At the beginning of the year, Hollywood star Mickey Rourke (70) showed himself in a new look – with blond hair.
Plumped lips and larger bust size
The bust size, nose or buttocks - some things can also be changed with cosmetic surgery. It was only this week that pop star Madonna (64) responded – after speculation after her Grammy performance. "Look how cute I am now that the swelling from the procedure has gone down," the singer wrote on Twitter. She had previously complained about age discrimination on Instagram.
Fashion designer Harald Glööckler has changed a lot. The 57-year-old likes to stand out with flashy clothes and make-up. In the jungle camp he also gave insights into his beauty treatments last year: "I've had my face injected for 26 years."
Years ago, when the face of Oscar winner Renée Zellweger (53, "Bridget Jones") looked narrower and wrinkle-free in photos and there was speculation about surgery and Botox treatment, she was silent about possible interventions. "I'm living a different, happier, more fulfilling life and I'm thrilled that it might be seen," she said instead. "I'm glad people think I look different."
The result of the cosmetic surgery of celebrities does not always convince the fans. But the stars are usually certain of one thing: attention.
