The jungle camp includes scandals like Dr. Bob. The celebrities have provided plenty of topics to talk about over the past 20 years.
Last year, the biggest scandal occurred on the RTL show “I’m a Star – Get Me Out of Here!” on the side: Iris Klein, 56, accused her husband Peter, 56, of cheating on her with Yvonne Woelke, 42 – and thus brought the companions of Djamila Rowe, 56, and Lucas Cordalis, 56, into more media attention than the participants themselves. Claudia Effenberg, 58,’s bold Bolognese lie was almost lost, making herself look good and two other campers looking bad. On January 19th, celebrities will be heading to the Australian jungle again, and the TV world can expect new outrages and scandals (from 8:15 p.m., RTL). Since the jungle camp started 20 years ago, there have been a number of upsets, ranging from strange kisses to (almost) physical arguments.
Scandalous expulsions
It has happened several times that candidates have a fight at the campfire and voluntarily turn their backs on the camp. But RTL has also thrown celebrities out of the show twice: DJ Tomekk, 48, had to leave the camp after eleven days in the third season in 2008 on the station’s instructions. The reason was a private video from an Australian hotel in which he could be seen giving the Hitler salute. He later apologized that it was a “stupid joke”. “I don’t know how something like this could have happened to me. I’m so sorry.” However, that didn’t bring him back to the high-ratings show.
RTL also showed a clear edge in 2022 with model Janina Youssefian, 41. During an argument in the 15th season, she insulted the former “Bachelor” candidate Linda Nobat, 28. The station banned her because of the racist statement.
Arranged flirtation?
Singer Jay Khan, 41, and his colleague Indira Weis, 44, drew attention to themselves in 2011 with a completely different topic. The two began a flirtation in Australia and exchanged hot kisses in the pool. The fact that he looked for the cameras with his eyes fueled speculation about a purely attention-seeking fake love. The statements made by camp roommate Sarah Knappik, 37, also ensured that many viewers never quite bought into the jungle couple’s love affair. The “GNTM” model accused Khan of suggesting to her before the show that she should play a TV romance in the jungle.
Speaking of Sarah Knappik: She got on other celebrities’ nerves so much in season five that five of them eventually threatened to boycott the show if the model didn’t finally leave. After some back and forth, the “My air was away” saying inventor did her fellow campers a favor and got out voluntarily.
Stress, arguments, bickering
The days and nights around the campfire can become very monotonous and very boring. Combined with heat and hunger, this can sometimes lead to celebrities’ nerves being frayed and them clashing. This was also the case in the seventh season in 2013, in which a non-stop cat fight broke out between Georgina Fleur, 33, and Fiona Erdmann, 35. The trigger for this was the letter that ex-“GNTM” model Erdmann received in the camp. In it, her friend referred to red-haired Georgina Fleur as “Sams with hair extensions.” In the second season in 2004, Dolly Buster, 54, felt so bullied by Désirée Nick, 67, that she had enough of the jungle adventure after just two days. Peer Kusmagk, 48, also had to endure a lot in season five in 2011. After he was the only one in the camp who still stood by Sarah Knappik, he incurred the wrath of his fellow campers. But he won the audience’s favor through his behavior – and thus got the jungle crown.
Punch-and-shove drama and exam boycott
Actors Winfried Glatzeder, 78, and Larissa Marolt, 31, also had a big bang in the eighth season in 2014. They shouted at each other – and on day 13 there was a scandal. When the Austrian wiped her shirt, which was soiled with crocodile feet, on his shirt, Glatzeder freaked out. “Now stop it!” he shouted, swinging his arm. The audience couldn’t tell exactly whether he hit her or “just” pushed her. “You’re so stupid!” he shouted at the model. However, he later denied any violence on the Jungle Telephone: “I did not physically harass her in any way.”
Eric Stehfest, 34, also found it too much at some point in the 15th season in 2022. He refused the jungle test – and thus achieved a first in the history of the jungle show. His reason: “I’m not prepared to earn food for people who don’t like me.”
Sex acts
At the campfire, not only aggression comes to light, but also sometimes raunchy details. Singer Patrick Nuo, 41, confessed to his former porn addiction in 2013. He watched for several hours every day for years. “At some point I noticed that it was eating away at my personality. I was so addicted that I no longer felt anything with the most beautiful women. I noticed that porn addiction was eating away at my energy.”
Ten years later, Lucas Cordalis, 56, suffered from a completely different problem: he lacked satisfaction. “At some point it’s going to get to us all, friends. At some point it has to come out. How long can you endure this?” He even thought out loud about getting relief in the jungle toilet: “But that’s just very unerotic.”