Leif-Einar “Lothepus” Lothe lost between three and four million kroner when a contractor went bankrupt in the middle of filming TV 2’s “Norges dummeste,” forcing him to quit the show the same day — a blow that sits in stark contrast to the 300 million kroner his stave church in Odda has cost him, Dagbladet reported.
The 57-year-old called home from the set, told his daughter Ida he had to leave, and she stepped in to take his place in episode six of the season.
The Phone Call That Ended His Run on “Norges Dummeste”
Lothe, the West Norwegian TV personality best known as “Lothepus,” described the situation at home as “chaos like no other” when he spoke to Dagbladet at a press event on Nieu Scene in Oslo.
“I had to pull out. Things went to hell, everything was on fire at home and I lost three or four million,” he said. “I simply had to leave that day.”
He said the first thing he did was call home, and that there was one person in particular he needed to speak with.
Ida Lothe Steps in and Outperforms Her Father
His daughter Ida Lothe, 22, who lives in Oslo, told Dagbladet that her father called and said directly: “I have to pull out of ‘Norges dummeste,’ and you have to step in.”
She took over his role in the TV 2 hit and did better than her father on the knowledge questions she was asked, she said.
“He’s more of a handyman, while I handle the academic stuff,” she said, laughing.
Lothe himself admitted the show grilled him on elementary-school material. “I’ve never been a star pupil,” he said. “But it’s annoying to stand there and get grilled on grade-school curriculum.”
Did you know? Lothepus’s stave church in Odda serves between 800 and 900 dinners every single day, drawing visitors from all over Norway and abroad, according to Nettavisen.
From 200 Million to 300 Million: The Stave Church Price Tag
The money he lost on the bankrupt contractor pales next to the cost of his other major project. Lothe has previously said the stave church in Odda — surrounded by a campsite with RV spots, a playground and cabins, and functioning as a concert arena, restaurant and reception — cost well over 200 million kroner. In the Nettavisen interview at the same press event, he put the figure at 300 million kroner.
“We’ve spent around 300 million kroner on the stave church,” he said. “You have to look at it with long glasses, as they say. Everything will work out. Everything has to be paid down, but I have several partners, because you can’t do it alone.”
He also said the operation is thriving, and that the food offering is extremely popular.
Statens Vegvesen Says No to the Road Sign
Lothe also told Nettavisen that he has not been allowed to put up a sign along the road pointing to the stave church, because authorities do not classify it as an “attraction.” He believes such a sign would be a major benefit for the business and called the rules “completely wrong.”
Kristin Hagen Hæreid of Statens Vegvesen (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration) told Nettavisen that signage along public roads is assessed based on road users’ need for orientation, accessibility and traffic safety, and that only signs necessary for drivers to find their way and make correct choices safely may be installed. Attractions can be included in the public tourist and service signage system, but a site must normally be of interest to more than a limited group of specially interested people, and the attraction symbol cannot be used for purely commercial installations.
Pro tip for following this story: Watch how Lothepus balances his TV appearances with running the Odda stave church — a 300-million-kroner project, while he lost millions when a client went bankrupt.
What Readers Want to Know About the Lothepus Drama
Why did Lothepus leave “Norges dummeste” mid-season? His company had a major construction job, the client went bankrupt, and he lost three to four million kroner, forcing him to leave the set the same day, Dagbladet reported.
Lothe told Nettavisen the project has cost around 300 million kroner, up from the “well over 200 million” he had previously cited.
Statens Vegvesen told Nettavisen that public road signs must follow national standards and serve road users’ safety and orientation needs, and that the attraction symbol cannot be used for purely commercial sites.
The dispute over the sign remains unresolved: Lothepus says he is not allowed to erect it, while Statens Vegvesen says attractions can qualify for tourist signage only if they meet specific criteria he has not fulfilled.
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