When Kerstin Stålhammar, 86, saw an episode of Hotell romantik’s first season, she immediately sent off an application to the program. However, there was an obstacle in the way, namely that she would be too old. Therefore, Kerstin did what any lively and adventurous 85-year-old would do: She said she was ten years younger.
News24 have spoken to Kerstin, who reveals the details behind the white lie.
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Kerstin tells Nyheter24 that she finds it difficult to sit still. Last year alone she went on six training trips, and she has also skydived twice since turning 80.
– After my husband passed away, I decided to go skydiving together with my daughter and her children. As soon as we landed I said “I have to jump one more time”. It was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever been a part of, says Kerstin.
Ideally, she would have liked to jump a third time, but her children don’t want that.
– My daughters say that’s enough now, they can’t bear to come along a third time.
Kerstin has collected emergency shelter twice after she turned 80. Photo: Private/Kerstin Stålhammar.
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“Then they would have missed me right away”
After six years as a widow, it was a matter of course for Kerstin to apply to Hotel Romantik. During those lonely years, she felt that a piece of the puzzle was missing.
– During the last years that my husband lived, he became ill. Then he scolded me a lot, and didn’t want me to go out and see my friends. I was very subdued there at the end, but after he passed away I have made sure to live fully, she says and continues:
– But I thought that something was missing, so I applied to Hotel Romance to find love.
In order to be included in the program, Kerstin felt that it was necessary to say that she was 75 years old, and not 85, which she actually was.
At the final stage of the casting process, the production wanted to talk to her in a video call, and Kerstin had to confess her real age. After she explained why, production said it was okay, and they wanted her anyway.
– If I had said 85 then they would have missed me straight away. There is so much ageism in society, but you can’t hit everyone with the same comb when it comes to age.
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Kerstin did not dare to say that she was 85 when she applied to Hotel Romantik. Photo: Private/ Kerstin Stålhammar.”It was my own fault”
During the recording, Kerstin was also careful to reveal her age. She just told Anneli Holm66, who promised not to reveal Kerstin’s secret, but unfortunately the truth came out anyway.
– Anneli was about to faint when she heard my age. I fell for her because she was so cozy, but she couldn’t keep quiet about it unfortunately. It was a shame, but it was my own fault.
Kerstin herself believes that her age was an obstacle in the program, because many men want a younger woman. She thinks that she might have gotten more attention from the men if they didn’t know that she was 85.
– That’s what I’m looking to show, that age has no meaning. I want to show that there are people like me left, who can stand on their feet and not be in pain when they are 86 like I am now.
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