– I recorded the first episode as a test, at the request of my colleagues from television. The viewers liked the game show, so I hosted the first series. Apparently, one of the important selection criteria was the “stupid face” of the host, so that the players could not know what was going on in his soul and what the answers were. I think that’s why I was elected. On the screen I maintain the calmness of Buster Keaton, or perhaps rather an official who shouldn’t have a very smart face. Now the 103rd series is on screen. I don’t change my face – he said some time ago in “Tele Tygodnik” with his typical sense of humor.
Electronics engineer is the star of the microphone
He was born on July 16, 1943 in Kielce. Even before his studies, he worked at the Scout Broadcasting Station, but as a graduate of the XXX Secondary School. Jan Śniadecki in Warsaw in 1960, he decided to study at the Faculty of Electronics of the Warsaw University of Technology. 10 years later, he graduated with a master’s degree in electronics engineering and worked in his learned profession for a decade, although from 1969 he was also a lecturer and journalist at Polish Radio. As an engineer, he worked in a team working on the introduction of stereophony.
– We occupied two rooms on Myśliwiecka Street, in the technical part, and there we had basic stereo recording equipment – he told Paweł Piotrowicz in Onet, recalling that he made his debut on the air because he had to… apologize for a technical mistake. This is what Tadeusz Sznuk looked like in his youth:
He gained recognition thanks to the program “Lato z Radiem”, which he hosted on Radio One from 1971. Also in the 1970s, he began his adventure with television, in the program “Studio 2”. Many years later, he was the host of the first edition of “Questions for Breakfast”. He tried to get a diploma in journalism after graduation, but – as he said – he only lasted three months there. – By then I had already spent over 10 years as an apprentice at Polish Radio, so practice replaced theory. Besides, the life of an engineer is more peaceful. I always say that no directive will change Ohm’s law – in one of the interviews.
He also worked as a film narrator. He once fell asleep while reading one of the documents about Lenin. – I read and read and read, and then a revolution happened. Everyone was shouting, running and shooting, but there was nothing to read. Since it was Sunday morning and I had a busy Saturday behind me, I involuntarily took a nap. The leader of the revolution began to speak, and I did nothing. He spoke and spoke, and still nothing. A worried colleague ran into the room and heard from the emissions department that something was wrong. He looked at the table and saw that the microphone was open and I was sleeping – he said on Onet.
With Grażyna Szapołowska as the host of a game show about France in 1992 Photo Sławomir Kamiński / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Husband, father, grandfather and… pilot
His passion has been airplanes since his youth. For many years he piloted planes and helicopters (he is a licensed pilot) and was involved in conducting various aviation events. When he was a guest in “Pytanie na breakfast” in 2021, he said about this unusual and dangerous hobby:
Flying is a very important stage in my life because it teaches me a lot. First of all, not to pretend that the laws of physics are the same for everyone and there is no point in messing around.
He has been married for over 30 years, but his wife apparently does not share his love of flying. They had two sons and a daughter. – The children took a good look at me and stay away from the media – he told Barbara Trusińska in one of the interviews. The sons went to study computer science, and the daughter studied psychology. The journalist also has grandchildren. Last year he was awarded Telekamera for “Personality of the 25th Anniversary”. Despite the sympathy of many viewers who appreciate Sznuk, including: for elegance and professionalism, he joked in an interview with Mateusz Szymkowiak in “PnŚ”:
I’ve never been thrilled with myself. I blushed when you said that I was a role model for young people. There is no point in pretending to be someone else, in life and at work. And the fact that I’m elegant… I’m well taken care of. Maybe I look good because my makeup and hair are done by a lady who has experience in a monument conservation studio?
On the set of ‘One of Ten’ Iwona Burdzanowska / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Tadeusz Sznuk did not find his way in politics, certainly in “One of Ten”.
In 1989, he ran in the Senate elections as an independent candidate. – But this step was dictated by complete ignorance of the world of politics. God bless me, I lost in this election. Then the editorial manager sent me to Wiejska Street as a parliamentary rapporteur for a dozen or so years, saying: “You wanted to join politics, that’s what you got.” I convinced myself that I was lucky not to get stuck in it – he later joked in “Tele Tygodnik”.
“One of ten” has been present on TVP for over 30 years, although not without turmoil. Two years ago, the fate of the production was in doubt when the production company Euromedia TV and TVP could not reach an agreement. Sznuk also revealed to Roman Czejarek, a colleague from Polish Radio, that there were attempts to change the host:
I know there was at least one pilot episode recorded with a different person. However, such a secret will not last long. Someone will always say something sooner or later. But I don’t know who it was
– we read in the book “Cult Game Shows”. However, Sznuk is still the host of “One of Ten”. – We managed to survive various periods. There were managers who said that “the formula of the program has been exhausted.” Fortunately, these managers exhausted their formulas faster than ours – in September in Onet. Unfortunately, although the journalist admits that he loves radio above all, he left Polish Radio years ago. He was wrongly placed on the so-called Wildstein’s list, accused of alleged cooperation with the Security Services. Sznuk decided to go to court – he sued the then president of the Institute of National Remembrance and after a few years obtained an apology. However, he did not return to PR.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
