The world of entertainment is mourning the loss of Alice and Ellen Kessler, the iconic German twin sisters who died by joint assisted suicide this week at the age of 89. Inseparable in life and career, they were celebrated for their glitzy performances and subversive charm that captivated continental Europe.
From Leipzig to Stardom
Born in Saxony in 1936, the sisters' journey began with the Leipzig Opera children's ballet after the Second World War. Their path dramatically changed in 1952 when they escaped through the Iron Curtain to join their father in Düsseldorf. Their big break came in 1955 when the director of Paris's legendary Lido cabaret discovered them, leading to their recruitment into Margaret Kelly's famed Bluebell Girls troupe.
The twins represented West Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest with Heute abend woll'n wir tanzen geh'n, though they later candidly described the experience, which saw them place 8th out of 12 contestants, as a flop.
Conquering Italy and Breaking Moulds
It was their move to Italy in the early 1960s that cemented their status as showbiz legends. They became fixtures on Italian television, most notably on the variety show Studio Uno. Their performances, opening with catchy themes like Da-da-un-pa, were a fusion of French cabaret, Austro-German operetta, and Broadway flair.
In culturally conservative 1960s Italy, their act was considered scandalous. They were initially forced to wear thick, opaque tights to cover their legs, a focal point of their choreography. It took years before they were permitted to wear sheer nylon tights, a liberation that led to a lucrative commercial deal with hosiery brand Omsa and the famous segment Che gambe! (What legs!).
Their 1965 hit La notte è piccola (The Night is Too Short) became an anthem of their confident, fun-loving philosophy. Their influence extended beyond performance; in a bold move, they posed nude for the January 1975 issue of Playboy Italia at age 39, which became a record-breaking bestseller.
A Lasting Legacy and Final Act
The Kessler twins were pioneers who paved the way for a new generation of empowered female performers. Their blend of song, dance, and non-vulgar sensuality directly inspired Raffaella Carrà, Italy's biggest variety show star. This symbolic passing of the torch was visually confirmed when the twins appeared as guests on Carrà's 1974 show Milleluci.
True to their 1959 song Wir wollen niemals auseinandergeh'n (We Never Want to Be Apart), Alice and Ellen remained inseparable after retiring from show business. In a 2024 interview with Corriere della Sera, they expressed their profound wish: Our desire is to leave this world together, on the same day the idea of one of us going first is very hard to bear. Their final act was a poignant fulfilment of a lifelong bond that defined their extraordinary careers.
