Master’s student Piraveena wins on Show with Joko and Klaas

“On that day, a lot of coincidences came together,” Piraveena explains in an interview with UBTaktuell. The first: days before the official announcement of the location, her brother Lakshmanaa had come across rumours on social media that the quiz show’s season finale with Joko and Klaas might take place at Plassenburg Castle. “Joko and Klaas practically on our doorstep? I immediately knew: I had to be there,” says Piraveena, who has been a big fan of the hosts for years. “Just to be part of it.” And once you are there, why not try your luck? After all, a cash prize would come in very handy – coincidence number two: the family’s car had recently broken down.

They travelled to Kulmbach in a family friend’s car. “If necessary, I would even have taken the train and stayed overnight at the station, because the last connection home would have left before the end of the show,” Piraveena says. She arrived in Kulmbach in the afternoon together with her brother and her father. “We definitely wanted to be at Plassenburg before the shuttle buses organised for participants.” The plan worked: Piraveena, her brother and her father made it into the “Schöner Hof” courtyard of the castle before admissions were stopped due to the crowds and each drew a number for the participant lottery.

Three randomly selected participants share the stage with Joko and Klaas during the show and must answer questions. If someone answers incorrectly, they have to leave the panel and a new person fills the vacant seat. “My number was called at around 10 p.m.,” Piraveena recalls. And then she had to wait. In total, five additional participants are on standby to take over possible places on stage. “I waited in the queue for over an hour and was first in line when the first final question was asked. I didn’t really expect to get a turn anymore,” she reports. But then a contestant slips up, a spot becomes free and Piraveena is allowed onto the stage.

“I was completely in the zone. I don’t usually like being in the spotlight, but I told myself: I have nothing to lose,” she says. After a brief introduction, the second final question is asked. “I knew I had to be the first to press the buzzer to have any chance of winning,” Piraveena explains. And then came the final, and probably biggest, coincidence surrounding her participation: the second final question was about which federal ministries actually exist. “I couldn’t believe it, because just on Saturday I had been randomly googling topics. I looked up everything that came to mind – including the federal cabinet,” she says. “I buzzed immediately and was very sure I was right. But Joko and Klaas kept the suspense going for a moment as to whether the answer was correct.” Then came the decisive moment: “You’ve won!”

“I was completely in shock and still can’t quite take it in,” Piraveena says a few days later. She has won €90,000 and has since received countless messages from family and friends. “So many people were happy with me and for me,” she reports.

What does she plan to do with the money? “I will use part of it to buy a new car for my parents. They have enabled so much for my siblings and me and have done so much for us – I want to give something back,” Piraveena says. “At some point, I want to fulfil my dream of travelling to the USA or Canada. I will invest and save the rest.”