Hanni Vanhaiden, prominent NDR television announcer, has died

Hanni Vanhaiden, a well-known former television announcer for Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), has passed away. According to a death notice published in the ‘Hamburger Abendblatt’, she died on October 11, 2026.

Vanhaiden was a versatile media personality known for her distinctive short blonde hair and large glasses, making her the first German announcer to appear on screen wearing spectacles. Her appearance was so iconic in the 1970s that a specific eyewear model was named after her.

Before her television career, she was a ballet dancer at the Hamburg State Opera from 1956 to 1967. Her broadcasting career included moderating the ARD children's program ‘Emm wie Meikel’, the ‘ARD-Ratgeber: Technik’, and the BBC German language course ‘Deutsch Direkt’. She also worked as an actress, singer, and voice actress for radio plays.