Claus Pilgaard
{{Short description|Danish musician and entertainer (born 1965)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Claus Pilgaard
| image = Claus Pilgaard.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|03|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Herning, Denmark
| death_date =
| nationality = Danish
| occupation = Musician, comedian
| years_active = 1996–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Jette Torp|2004|2015|end=div.}}
| employer =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Claus Pilgaard (born 30 March 1965),[http://arenanord.dk/forsiden/77-abba-the-show-2012 Musik & Fis 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115064323/http://arenanord.dk/forsiden/77-abba-the-show-2012 |date=2014-01-15 }}, Arena Nord, Hentet 14. januar 2014 also known as Chili Klaus or Klaus Wunderhits, is a Danish musician and entertainer. He is best known for his Chilismagning series on the internet and on television. For the series, he invites celebrities and other notable figures on several occasions to eat chili peppers with him. One video in particular, where television presenter Bubber participated in the video, received around 2 million views on YouTube. Internationally, he is known for his collaborations with Sean Evans on his Hot Ones series on the First We Feast YouTube channel. Pilgaard has received numerous awards for his videos.
Early life and career
Pilgaard is originally from the Tjørring suburb of Herning, but moved to Aarhus in 1992 when he applied for admission to the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus.{{Cite news|url=http://aarhus.guide.dk/interview_clauspilgaard.asp|title=Tæt på Claus Pilgaard|last=Thomas Sørensen|publisher=aarhus.guide.dk, Aarhusportalen.dk|access-date=2018-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305033149/http://aarhus.guide.dk/interview_clauspilgaard.asp|archive-date=2016-03-05|url-status=dead}} He graduated in 1996. He has been a bandleader for several revues, as he has performed with Jette Torp and Finn Nørbygaard, on the show Musik & Fis.
In his career as "Klaus Wunderhits", he has performed at Smukfest with Lasse Rimmer. Together with his former wife, he has played in the Variteté 007 show at the Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus.{{Cite news|url=http://www.fyens.dk/article/761579:Scene--Variete-med-Jette-Torp|title=Varieté med Jette Torp|publisher=Fyens.dk, Fyens Stiftstidende}} Pilgaard still performs with his show Wunderhits.
= Eating chili peppers =
Pilgaard started to grow his own chili peppers in 2008. He initially cultivated tomatoes, but he thought they smelt too much,{{Cite news|url=http://jyllands-posten.dk/aarhus/ECE6089428/klaus-har-hoestet-chilifrugten/|title=Klaus har høstet chilifrugten|last=Henrik Grønvald|date=12 November 2013|publisher=Jyllandsposten}}] and as a result, he began to grow chili peppers. He uploaded his first chili pepper-related video on YouTube on 5 August 2013. In addition, his Facebook page "Chili Klaus" has over 310,000 likes. In terms of consumption, he eats them both raw without accessories and produces juices, soda, dip, fruit salad, snaps, tea and fries with fruits made with peppers. In addition, he has special episodes where he, together with a well-known person, eats some of the world's strongest peppers. Notable guests include Christine Antorini, Bubber, Jacob Bundsgaard, Hella Joof, Jøden, Preben Kristensen, Allan Simonsen, Jette Torp, Kristian Valen, and the Danish National Chamber Orchestra, where they played Tango Jalousie while they ate chili peppers. The video with Bubber has over 2 million views as of 2016.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zhym9oUSGU Chili Klaus & Bubber eating worlds hottest chili pepper (english subtitles)]. Chili Klaus.
In August 2013, Pilgaard visited GO 'Aften Denmark, where he, together with the host {{ill|Mikkel Kryger Rasmussen|da}}, tasted a chili pepper Pilgaard himself had grown. Apart from being clearly labeled as a chili pepper during the broadcast, he later stated that it took 10–15 hours before he got over it.[http://go.tv2.dk/underholdning/2013-08-15-tv-2-v%C3%A6rt-fik-blackout-af-chili-det-var-et-helvede TV 2-vært fik blackout af chili: Det var et helvede] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216225217/http://go.tv2.dk/underholdning/2013-08-15-tv-2-v%C3%A6rt-fik-blackout-af-chili-det-var-et-helvede |date=2014-12-16 }}. TV 2. After Gordon Kennedy's involvement in Klaus's videos, Kennedy made a parody of cooking with chili peppers, where Kennedy and Klaus taste sugar instead of chili peppers, but otherwise take place in the same way as Pilgaard's. The video was uploaded in November 2013.4/11-2013 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oifsGIg4Nc Chili-Klaus hos Gordon]. Youtube.com. For {{ill|Comedy Aid|da}} 2013, Pilgaard went to the stage in Copenhagen to challenge the hosts Christian Fuhlendorff and {{ill|Carsten Bang|da}} to eat a very strong chili pepper.
For an event in the summer of 2014, he challenged about 1,000 people to a hot pepper challenge at the Rådhuspladsen in Copenhagen. Both Pilgaard and Bubber were hosts, and they ate ghost peppers.[http://ekstrabladet.dk/vrangen/article4835454.ece TV: Chili Klaus sendte Rådhuspladsen til tælling] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211141522/http://ekstrabladet.dk/vrangen/article4835454.ece |date=2014-12-11 }}. Ekstra Bladet.
At the end of October 2014, he uploaded a video where he, along with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra, ate Carolina Reaper, Trinidad moruga scorpion and ghost peppers at the Koncerthuset, and the orchestra subsequently played the Tango Jalousie conducted by Pilgaard himself. The broadcast of the video occurred while discussing the closure of the orchestra.[http://ekstrabladet.dk/flash/dkkendte/article5277554.ece Glem spareplan: Chili-Klaus nedlægger underholdningsorkester]. Ekstra Bladet.[http://www.bt.dk/kendte/syge-paa-scenen-her-sender-chili-klaus-drs-underholdningsorkester-i-knae Syge på scenen: Her sender Chili Klaus DRs Underholdningsorkester i knæ]. BT.
In December of the same year, he challenged the Brazilian television host {{ill|Bruno de Luca|pt}} to eat chili peppers with him, although Luca initially just wanted an interview for his travel program Vai Pra Onde?. Together with the chili pepper, they drank a pepper-based beer named after Pilgaard called "Chili Klaus Ghost", which is produced by Midtfyns Bryghus.[http://www.midtfyns-bryghus.dk/sortiment/chili-klaus-ghost/ Chili Klaus Ghost]. Midtfyns Bryghus. Luca stated "I think I will die" before the clip ended, and afterwards he had to go to Århus Kommunehospital.[http://www.bt.dk/film-og-tv/chili-klaus-sender-tv-vaert-paa-hospitalet Chili Klaus sender tv-vært på hospitalet]. BT. Luca was the first guest to have been sent to the hospital after eating peppers with Pilgaard.[http://go.tv2.dk/underholdning/2014-12-11-chili-klaus-sender-tv-vaert-paa-hospitalet Chili Klaus sender tv-vært på hospitalet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216225045/http://go.tv2.dk/underholdning/2014-12-11-chili-klaus-sender-tv-vaert-paa-hospitalet |date=2014-12-16 }}. TV 2.
Awards
At the {{ill|Zulu Awards|da}} 2014, Pilgaard received the award "Årets Det grinte vi meget af-pris" along with Bubber for his series, which became a viral hit.[http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/seerne-bestemte-de-fik-priser-til-zulu-awards-2014 Seerne bestemte: De fik priser til Zulu Awards 2014]. DR.[http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/82775 Zulu Awards 2014 – Og vinderne er...] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103072855/http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/82775 |date=2018-01-03 }}. GAFFA
In June 2014, he won the "Mad på sociale medier" Award from mad+medier. The prize was given to him for his great passion for chili peppers, which he shares with people through YouTube.[http://madmedier.dk/vindere-af-madmedier-prisen-2014/ Vindere af mad+medier-prisen 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103072537/http://madmedier.dk/vindere-af-madmedier-prisen-2014/ |date=2018-01-03 }}. mad+medier.
Personal life
Pilgaard married musician and entertainer Jette Torp on 29 December 2004. The couple divorced in 2015 after almost 11 years of marriage.[http://www.bt.dk/kendte/efter-11-aars-aegteskab-chili-klaus-skal-skilles Efter 11 års ægteskab: Chili Klaus skal skilles]. BT.
External sources
- {{IMDb name|nm2212425|name=Claus Pilgaard}}
References
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Category:People from Herning Municipality
Category:Musicians from the Central Denmark Region