Pilawa studied after his school at
Gymnasium Hummelsbüttel first medicine and then history, but he did not finish his university studies. From 1987 to 1994 Pilawa worked for
Radio Schleswig-Holstein. From 1994 to 1996 Pilawa worked for German television broadcaster
ProSieben and since 1996 he worked for television broadcaster
SAT1. Since 2001 he worked for German broadcaster
ARD and after nine years he changed to German broadcaster
ZDF. Pilawa has a son (born 1997) from his marriage to Kerstin Pilawa, which ended in divorce in 2000. With his third wife, Irina Opaschowski – a teacher and daughter of Horst W. Opaschowski – he has two daughters (born 2000 and 2011) and another son (born 2003). The family most recently lived in Hamburg-Bergedorf. The wedding took place spontaneously on 2 May 2006 in the Congo, where the Pilawas support Welthungerhilfe. Their separation became public in May 2022. In August 2025, Pilawa's relationship with CDU politician
Julia Klöckner became public. ==Filmography ==