Johann Lafer, battling incurable lymphoma, aims to visit Everest base camp

Johann Lafer, the 68‑year‑old Austrian TV chef who lives in Rheinland‑Pfalz, announced that he is suffering from incurable lymph‑node cancer (non‑Hodgkin lymphoma) that has spread with metastases throughout his body. He began chemotherapy early in the year after publicly revealing the diagnosis in May and says the disease cannot be cured, only contained.

Facing the prognosis, Lafer says the illness has taught him “not to postpone anything.” He expressed a long‑standing personal dream: to travel to the base camp of Mount Everest in the Himalayas. He reiterated the wish at a Munich event, adding that he wants to “take the best out of the situation” despite the health challenges. Lafer is known for his long‑running cooking shows on ZDF, such as “Lafer! Lichter! Lecker!” and “Die Küchenschlacht.”