On December 30, 2024, Austrian pop star Melissa Naschenweng faced unexpected challenges on the popular German quiz show 'Wer weiß denn sowas? XXL.' While seeking to demonstrate her knowledge alongside fellow contestants, her appearance turned memorable for unexpected reasons.
During the broadcast, hosted by Kai Pflaume, Naschenweng was accompanied by comedian Felix Lobrecht and singer Annett Louisan. The episode was set to showcase the contestants' trivia skills, but Naschenweng's dread of snakes came to the forefront when Pflaume introduced the day's questions. Things took a turn when the host brought out a glass box containing rattlesnakes.
The moment overwhelming panic struck Naschenweng, she exclaimed, "No, please!" and expressed her distress by crying, "Wäh, wäh! Ich kann nicht!" This panic was reportedly triggered by her long-standing fear of snakes, which the singer had alluded to earlier. Reflecting on her experience, she admitted to having anticipated the appearance of snakes and even quipped, "If they bring out snakes, I'm out of here!"
Naschenweng's fear may stem from her childhood. She shared with Pflaume, "For my tenth birthday, they took me to a reptile zoo, thinking it would be fun. But it turned out to be terrifying. I started crying and we had to leave immediately." This fear has apparently been with her for many years, causing her to even avoid school on one occasion when she encountered a snake on her way.
While the evening took this surprising turn, it wasn't the only challenging moment for the singer. During the final seconds of the quiz's 60-second round, Naschenweng struggled on several questions. A particularly notable moment came when Pflaume asked about the capital of Slovakia. When he queried, "Bratislava is the capital of which country?" he received no answer from her. This seemingly basic geography question left many viewers surprised.
Compounding her troubles, she also faltered on identifying the color of Pac-Man, mistaking the iconic yellow color for blue. Further questions about 'Dubai chocolate,' which has been trending on social media, revealed Naschenweng's knowledge gaps once more as she confessed, "I have no idea." Her snappy closing remark, hoping for luck for the more learned finalists, revealed her self-deprecatory humor, "I wish the smart men all the best!" referring to the quiz winners.
Reflecting on her experiences after the show, she conveyed her discontent over the missed opportunity with the Slovakia capital question, saying, "That question really got to me, I wish I had done differently." But there was less focus on the lost quiz battle during subsequent social media posts. Naschenweng took to her Instagram, where she humorously asked her followers, "Would you have been scared too?" accompanied by laughter emojis, showing she could laugh at herself.
Through the panic and quiz struggles, Melissa Naschenweng showed resilience. Despite her fear of snakes and the pressure of performing under the spotlight, she handled the publicity with grace and humor. Her charisma continues to shine, making her fans adore her even more.