You are a single father and yet you have made a career as Switzerland's toughest political journalist. How does that work?

Well, my ex-wife and I share custody of our son, but she certainly contributed more to raising him than I did. Besides, I never aspired to a great career. I just like being a journalist and with every new assignment, another professional door has opened.

Have you always worked full-time despite having a child?

No, I actually worked 80 percent for two years in a management position at Ringier. That was the infamous "daddy's day" that men like to show off. In the sense of "Look, everyone: I'm doing something!" In my eyes, men like to talk about part-time. They still don't do it. Like me. I've been working 100 percent for a long time now.

So you are a bad father?

No. If it wasn't right for my son, he would have told me. It was always important for us - even in a separated family - to communicate openly. What fits, what doesn't? We regularly convened a family table and talked about what was on our minds.

Aren't you talking yourself into it?

Okay, yes, I stood in the studio once on Friday and regretted that I had missed another one of his concerts. He is very musical. Any father who says he never has a guilty conscience is not telling the truth.

I would like nothing more than to see the end of this column.

Who stood in when the son was sick?

Mostly my ex-wife, as she worked part-time. Yes, and we couldn't have done it without our precious network of neighbors, grandparents, and friends. We are very privileged to have had such a network. The majority don't have that.

How do you organise children's birthday parties? Did you bake cakes, fill goodie bags?

(laughs...) Well, I'm a rather lousy cook and baker, if that's what you mean. But I have half a talent for fun games. There were mini post runs and playful knowledge questions. I never let that get away from me. For me, it's an absolute no-go to prioritize business appointments over a child's birthday party.

For me, it is an absolute no-go to push business appointments ahead of a child's birthday party.

How did you choose your son's clothes when he was a child?

Yes, I didn't pay much attention to the toddler clothes. But I thought it was good that he developed his own taste early on, that he was downright stubborn when it came to clothes. Now he advises me.

How? Are you wearing hoodies now?

Privately from time to time. But not in a professional environment. But he recommends casual looks.

How do you actually deal with menopause?

(sighs...) Now comes the moment when you write "long silence" in brackets. Does anyone seriously ask that?

There is nothing that does not exist in the category "stupid sayings and comments".

So far I haven't noticed any hot flushes. But getting older is an issue. You can't go over the top like you used to, you can't always give 150 percent, sometimes only 130 percent at work. The work-life balance has become more important to me.

Are you sometimes hysterical?

(laughs..) I don't call it hysterical, I say "I have a short fuse". If it bothers me, it bothers me. I have very rare and only short tantrums, but after that everything is also quickly good again.

You work very long evenings. Are you afraid on the way home?

No, I am not afraid. Nevertheless, my way home is actually unreasonable. There are stretches of road that are really pitch black. I always wonder how a woman feels there. I've even written to the SBB and described the situation. I will ask them again.

Friends of mine often say: "You understand women."

You often get involved in women's issues, are you a softie?

Friends of mine often say, "You understand women." I don't know if I really understand women. I'm just a justice freak. I see discrimination and sexism. And that's why I want to work for equality. As tough as I appear as a journalist, I am soft in between. I have no problem with that.

Has being a man given you advantages in interviews?

I can't really say. I've never been in any other role. Perseverance, endurance, and consistency have nothing to do with gender. However, I have probably had advantages as a man in Muslim countries. I remember reporting in Syria, Turkey, or Kosovo. My female colleagues were often ignored. I would look away until the interviewers were forced to look at the women. They blame it on the tradition of the country. This is accepted again and again, even at the highest level. Turkish President Recep Erdogan did not even offer EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a chair and banished her to a couch. And the high-ranking companions from the EU did not even react to this. This simply cannot and must not happen.

Why do you interview men more often?

I don't consciously interview men more often, but there are more men in politics and in leadership positions. In the Council of States, it's 74 percent. But the proportion of women in the arena is now 42 percent. We have gone through a development here, the visibility of women is important to us.

Do you know about wage inequality?

No, but I'm generally not a very good salary negotiator.

How do you deal with your groupies?

Oh... How do you define groupies? The ones who send you a Grisons nut cake every now and then, invite you for coffee or prosecco? I meet these people with a smile. That flatters me.

Do insinuating remarks irritate you?

It irritates me. I also receive pictures in suggestive poses. I have experienced that too, but nowhere near to the extent that women are exposed to these assaults. I am also thinking of my female arena guests. They often receive loads of lewd mail after performances. Women are much more exposed.

And how do you react to pussy pics?

(swallows empty...) Fortunately, I've never received anything like that. But I have received revealing photos. They don't bother me, I delete them.

People want to beat me up, smash my face in, wait for me, but so far I've been spared attacks on my sexual integrity.

You are confronted with a lot of hate on the net: How do you deal with rape threats?

People want to beat me up, smash my face in, kill me, but so far I have been spared attacks on my sexual integrity. But hate on the net has taken on a dimension during the pandemic that I would never have thought possible in Switzerland. It has calmed down a bit now, but the next Covid voting arena is already coming up and the letters are already increasing again.

Do you ever wonder if you can do it all?

There have been moments in the last two years when I've asked myself that question. You get to thinking. Is it worth it? Can I do it, do I want to do it? Do I need it all? In the end, I always end up with the same thing, the sense of forming an opinion. And fortunately, a large part of it consists of teamwork. That fulfills me.

How do you deal with your beautiful blue eyes?

They were given to me. By the way, I only see them when I look in the mirror, so not very often.

You're fishing for compliments... Surely your good looks have influenced your career in front of the camera?

I can't imagine that.

Do you ever say stop to certain questions? It's all very personal.

You've lost a lot of weight. As soon as you lost weight, you were in front of the camera.

Yes, I exercised excessively for ten years. I lost 30 kilos, but not to look better, rather to feel better and healthier. Would I have got the job with more kilos? You'd have to ask the bosses. The weight was certainly not important. Do you ever say stop to certain questions? It's all very personal.

I would have said stop a long time ago. So let's finish with something harmless: How do you choose your tie colors?

I am the first Arena presenter to banish the tie and introduce white sneakers. So unlike Mr. Noser, I like to wear suits and I also have some dark blue suits and white shirts in my wardrobe.

Aha, so you read our column?

There's no getting around it anymore. However, I would like nothing better than to see the end of this column. It would be nice if it were no longer necessary. But equality is still a long way off.

We think so too. Thank you for the interview!