15. 02. 12. - 16:04

ATV pulls the plug on Lugner

Austria’s biggest private TV channel has decided not to focus on Richard Lugner’s Vienna Opera Ball adventures for the first time in years.

ATV announced yesterday (Tues) it would not produce a "Die Lugners" special. The Viennese television broadcaster said it would not cooperate with the businessman, 79, as long as the health of his girlfriend failed to improve. Anastasia Sokol is 57 years his junior and alleged to suffer from anorexia. This year’s Opera Ball will take place tomorrow night.

ATV, the key rival of state-funded broadcaster ORF, added that it was "tired" of quarrelling with ORF chiefs about which areas of the opera its camera teams were allowed to access at which times. ORF officials are accused of creating various restrictions to make ATV’s filming at the posh event, which has been broadcast live by the national broadcaster for decades, more difficult.

ATV managed above average market shares with various special features about Lugner’s attendance of the ball since 2004. The Lugner City shopping mall boss started inviting international stars to visit the ball with him in the 1990s. Grace Jones, Farrah Fawcett, Dita Von Teese and other – mostly female – celebrities have been at his side at the ball over the years.

The preparations of Lugner’s entourage for the ball, their partying and reflections are certain to be part of the programme of the ORF and other competitors of ATV like Puls 4. Lugner infuriated other businessmen but also politicians and diplomats by managing to secure the media’s main attention at the ball in recent years.

He engaged in a bitter war of words with organisers of the ball once more this year. The entrepreneur, who tried to become Austrian president in 1998, deplored a lack of tickets. Lugner claimed last week he had another VIP guest up his sleeve but it was uncertain whether the person would accompany him due to strict restrictions of the number of tickets.

The Lugner City manager, who has been married four times, also complained about the location of his box this year. Lugner demanded a first-floor box but Opera Ball organisers issued him with a box of the cheaper category on the second floor instead.

The businessman underlined that Sir Roger Moore – one of his guests tomorrow night – recently underwent knee surgery. Lugner said that the "James Bond" movie icon was currently depending on a walking stick and may struggle making it onto the second level of the crammed opera house. Tennis legend Boris Becker, actress Rosario Dawson, violinist David Garrett and model Lena Gercke are also expected on the red carpet tomorrow night.

Speaking about his relationship to the ball’s organisers in general, Lugner said people like him were paid to attend events like this elsewhere in the world. "I have been told many times that the Viennese Opera Ball would be totally dull without me," he said, adding that planners of similar events in Germany were treating him much nicer. Lugner accused managers of the famous Viennese event of being jealous and angered as he was addressed as organiser of the Vienna Opera Ball by mistake on a regular basis abroad.

Lugner will not only be accompanied by Moore tomorrow night. Brigitte Nielsen will also attend the Opera Ball 2012 on his initiative. The Viennese businessman reportedly pays tens of thousands of Euros to his VIP guests year after year. Nielsen – who starred in a string of Hollywood films in the 1980s before focusing on reality TV productions in the United States, Germany and other countries – arrived in Vienna yesterday. The Danish model, 48, was accompanied by her 33-year-old husband Mattia Dessi. After having checked into the five-star Hilton am Stadtpark hotel, the pair went shopping.

Lugner praised Nielsen for being a totally uncomplicated character free from any allures. Nielsen had only kind words for the shopping mall boss too. She entertained reporters and fans at Vienna International Airport (VIA or VIE) by calling him "Herr Lügner" (Mister Liar) by mistake all the time.