Frank “Froonck” Matthée (58) is back on television — and he’s stepping into the ring against his peers. In the new ZDF factual format “Duell der Hochzeitsprofis,” two wedding planners go head-to-head for the chance to orchestrate a dream wedding.
For the openly gay wedding professional, the show marks a comeback: his last television stint in a wedding-themed format was in 2021. After roughly five years away from TV, he’s returning to the camera as a wedding planner. The first episode of the six-part series airs on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM on ZDF. The premiere episodes have already been available in the ZDF Mediathek since September 4.
Froonck: “Adrenaline kicks in for me”
Joining a competition wasn’t an automatic decision for Froonck. “Do I really want to put myself through this? Do I want to measure up against my colleagues? Do I want to be judged against others?” he asked himself. After all, the couple gets the final say—and with that comes the risk of losing. “I don’t take that very well,” Froonck admits in an interview. “I’m a passionate fighter, I give my best and I want to win.”
That the competition would truly grab him became evident during the very first pitch, the initial presentation. “The challenge of competing against someone else triggers adrenaline in me. It’s a whole different quality than when we simply work as a team with full passion for a couple,” he notes. The filming itself quickly showed him how much he enjoys television. “When the camera started rolling, the red light flashed and the crew stood around me, I realized how much I had missed this in the past five years. It brings me a lot of joy.”
Froonck’s television career has long been tied to weddings. He rose to prominence in 2005 with “Sarah & Marc in Love,” followed by stints such as “Frank — The Wedding Planner” (ProSieben) from 2006 to 2010 and “4 Weddings and a Dream Honeymoon” from 2012 to 2021. Now he returns to television with a wedding-focused format. “I wanted to be back on air and, for a long time, with ZDF,” says Froonck. After earlier ventures on the “Fernsehgarten” and the “aspekte” program, this new project appealed to him in a special way. “I just really like the channel and its programming; it suits me,” he gushes.
Froonck hopes for a second season
That Froonck still wants more after the long break is clear in the interview as well. For 2027, new couples for the format are already being sought. “I hope to become a permanent part of the ensemble,” he says. He says he has signaled his openness to another season in every direction. His takeaway about the new format is unequivocal: “I believe in the format. I’m convinced it will work and it will be a hit.”
In six episodes, Froonck, Amelie Borges, Marie Mika, Marco Fuß, and Madeleine Bolz bring the wishes of different couples to life. Two professionals each present their vision for the wedding — in the end the couple decides who lands the contract. Froonck is featured in three of the six episodes.
