nina ruge

Nina Ruge was born on 24 August 1956, the daughter of an engineering professor in Munich.

At the age of 17 she completed her final school-leaving examination with flying colours, and subsequently studied biology and German language and literature in order to become a teacher (1st and 2nd civil service examination with distinction).

In 1983, after having completed her studies, she started work as a teacher (first of all as a probationary teacher and subsequently as a secondary school teacher) at a grammar school in Wolfsburg. During this period she also wrote items on a freelance basis for NDR radio. In 1987 she gave up her secure teaching position to work in Berlin as a script girl and assistant director of various TV and film productions. At the same time she served on a number of SFB family programme editorial teams as an editorial assistant. One year later she was one of the editors involved with setting up the station RIAS TV, where right from the start she presented the evening news programme "Abendjournal" and very soon afterwards also the breakfast television programme "Frühstückfernsehen". From October 1989 onwards she worked for the German state broadcaster ZDF, where she both prepared and co-presented the "heute journal" news overview. The fact that she continued to present RIAS' "Frühstücksfernsehen" every two weeks until the station was closed in 1991 meant a demanding working schedule and continuous travelling between Berlin and Mainz. In addition she also presented 4 programmes on 3SAT: the talk shows "Sonntagshow" and "PEP", the political current affairs programme "Tagesgespräch", and, from 1992 onwards, the current affairs quiz show "Newsquiz". She also continued to work for RIAS' successor, "Deutsche Welle TV", presenting the political current affairs programme "Standpunkte", and the entertaining informational programme "Boulevard Deutschland". Becoming the presenter of "heute Nacht", ZDF's new nightly news programme, in October 1994 represented a risky career move on the part of the attractive television journalist. She gave up her position as co-presenter of "heute journal" with its secure audience, for the sake of more news editorial freedom, but this in turn meant exposing herself to a certain degree of ratings pressure. In contrast to her competitor, Heinz Bremer, presenter of "RTL-Nachtjournal", whose programme began every night on the stroke of midnight, Ruge, together with Susanne Conrad, had to cope with a programme starting time that was for ever being shifted, while at the same time asking themselves: "How can I prepare the news in such a way that viewers around midnight deliberately tune in to watch or don't switch off after an exciting film has finished?" (RHEIN MERKUR, 27.9.1996).

With around 700,000 viewers, the broadcaster's target of one million could not be reached, but Ruge achieved a high degree of popularity due to her lively presenting style, especially among younger viewers, to whom she bid goodnight each night with a softly-spoken: "Sweet dreams!"

In addition to "heute Nacht", in January 1994 the very busy TV journalist started presenting ZDF's "tele-zoo", in September 1994 became presenter of Deutsche Welle TV's main news programme "tv-journal", and in September 1996 also started hosting, together with Helmut Markwort and Gert Ruge, 3SAT's political affairs discussion programme "19-Zehn". In January 1997, after more than 500 editions, it was announced that she would no longer present the nightly news. Instead from February 1997 onwards she presented "Leute heute", a light entertainment programme broadcast immediately before the "heute" news, with the latest from the world of entertainment. She deliberately tried to differentiate herself from the other light entertainment programmes offered by private broadcasters, placing the emphasis on information rather than sensation. In September, following its failure to reach the expected viewing figures, "Leute heute" was moved from the coveted 18.45 slot to a slot one hour earlier. At the same time Ruge announced that she would cease to present "tele-zoo" due to work pressure. Instead she became the presenter of 3SAT's monthly classical music programme "Classic cuts". After a slow start, "Leute heute" became one of ZDF's long-running successes, with a longer 25-minute Saturday edition introduced in January 2003. Ruge's closing greeting at the end of each programme, "Alles wird gut" ("Everything will turn out fine"), has become one of the presenter's trademarks, which she has gone on to use for some of her books. In 2001 a collection of quotes was published entitled "Alles wird gut. Worte, die die Seele streicheln" ("Everything will turn out fine. Words to soothe the soul"). In 2003 there followed "Mein persönliches Alles-wird-gut-Buch" ("My personal Everything-will-turn-out-fine book"), and in 2005 "Alles wird gut - In der Liebe" ("Everything will turn out fine - in love"). In April 1999 cinema audiences saw Nina Ruge's acting skills for the first time in "Wer liebt, dem wachsen Flügel" ("Those who love grow wings"). Since 2000 Ruge has also been jetting off around the world interviewing "very interesting people" rather than "very important people" for ZDF's Saturday early evening celebrity show "V.I.P.". In 2000 Ruge re-entered the world of radio to present the programme "Klassik Leute" for the radio station "Klassik Radio". She then turned to a whole new genre with the publication of the children's books "Mira May und das Zauberhandy" ("Mira May and the Magic Mobile") (2001), and "Lucy in Zaubergarten" ("Lucy in the Magic Garden") (2003).

Nina Ruge published many books and cds, (www.nina-ruge.de)

In 1995 Ruge married TV producer Stefen Voss. They divorced in 1998. Since then her partner has been manager Wolfgang Reitzle, and they were married in Tuscany in September 2001.