“The Summer House of the Stars”
Winners, scandals and the breakup curse
Eight new celebrity couples are moving into the “Summer House of the Stars”.
© RTL
The new season of the RTL reality format “Sommerhaus der Stars” is in the starting blocks. Everything about the previous winners and scandals.
The eighth season of “The Summer House of the Stars” will be broadcast from September 19th (Tuesdays, RTL, in advance on RTL+). Then it says again: Eight celebrity couples will eke out their existence in far too small a space. These are the most interesting facts about the popular reality format.
History and concept
“The Summer House of the Stars – Battle of the Celebrity Couples” has been broadcast on RTL since 2016. The format originally comes from Israel and was also implemented in countries such as India and Brazil under the name “Power Couple”. In Germany, the show was initially filmed in Colares near Lisbon, and from season five onwards the production moved to North Rhine-Westphalia. Due to the corona pandemic, they decided against a house abroad and instead opted for a farm in Bocholt-Barlo, North Rhine-Westphalia. The broadcast period was also changed; from 2020 the show started in September or October instead of July or August.
In the reality TV show, up to ten celebrity couples live together in a house for several weeks. There they go about their everyday lives together and are accompanied by cameras. They also have to compete against each other in challenges and vote each other out of the house in votes. Usually, the “Sommerhaus” winning couple is determined in a final game and chosen as the “celebrity couple” of the respective year. In season one, the winners ended up winning 50,748.50 euros; since season 2, the celebrities have been playing for a fixed prize of 50,000 euros.
The show has been accompanied by a podcast in previous seasons; in season six there was the format “The Summer House of the Stars – The Live Talk” with Frauke Ludowig (59) several times after regular episodes. In the last two seasons, she also moderated the big reunion with all the celebrity participants. From season three to five, Angela Finger-Erben (43) took over the task.
Winners and voluntary exits
Princess Xenia of Saxony (37) and Rajab Hassan were the first winners of the RTL program and won the title “Celebrity Couple 2016”. This was followed in 2017 by Nico Schwanz (45) and Saskia Atzerodt (31) and in 2018 by the “Bauer sucht Frau” couple Uwe (57) and Iris Abel (55). The “Love Island” participants Elena Miras (31) and Mike Heiter (31) won the race in 2019, the TV emigrants Andreas (56) and Caro Robens (44) in 2020. Actor Lars Steinhöfel (37) followed a year later ) and Dominik Schmitt, the last winners were the “Bauer sucht Frau” stars Antonia Hemmer (23) and Patrick Romer (27).
For other couples, however, things went worse; they were voted out by the competition, lost games or even left voluntarily. Hubert Kah (62) and his girlfriend Ilona left the house of their own free will in 2016 due to their nicotine withdrawal. “I want to go, I want to go to my children and that’s why I’m leaving this house,” Menowin Fröhlich (36) announced in 2019 and moved out with his wife Senay. Jessika Cardinahl (58) and boyfriend Quentin Parker (69), who met with a lot of rejection in the house, pulled the ripcord in episode two and said goodbye.
In 2020, Georgina Fleur (33) and her then fiancé Kubilay Özdemir left the house after Özdemir spit on ex-bachelor Andrej Mangold (36). She misses her child too much, Denise Merten (33) explained her departure with Henning Merten in the same season and added: “I’m becoming a bad person in here. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I’m losing myself a little here.” In 2022, Mario Basler (54) listened to his back pain and left the show with his girlfriend Doris Büld. After many arguments and a separation, Eric Sindermann (35) and his then girlfriend Katharina Hambüchen quickly moved out.
Excitement and the curse
Living together in very small spaces has already led to numerous upsets and scandals. This includes the aforementioned attack by Kubilay Özdemir, who spat in the face of ex-bachelor Andrej Mangold (36) after an argument with his roommates. Tears of anger then flowed. In the sixth season of “Summer House of the Stars” the situation was also often tense. Mike Cees-Monballijn and Michelle Monballijn, who even went to couples therapy after the show, provided a lot of fuel. He was criticized primarily for his aggressive behavior and his treatment of his wife, whom he always patronized.
In 2019, the now deceased Ballermann singer Willi Herren (1975-2021) and the ex-“Bachelorette” participant Johannes Haller (35) clashed. In a heated discussion, the dome show participant insulted Herren, who even threatened an injunction against his competitor. Pop star Michael Wendler (51) and Laura Müller (23) also made themselves unpopular. In front of Willi Herren, Wendler repeatedly patted his now wife’s half-naked bottom. When he asked men, “Did you want to too?” asked, he had to leave the room, visibly upset. “I just can’t do it,” he then explained to Jasmin Herren, stunned. Wendler and Müller finally had to leave the “Sommerhaus” in the third episode.
Daniela Büchner (45) and her now deceased husband Jens (1969-2018) created a negative atmosphere in the house in 2018. In the end, the Büchners screwed everyone over, the couple was nominated and had to leave. In the very first “summer house” a pair of lovers also quickly became unpopular. Former “Bachelor” participant Angelina Pannek, then Heger (31), moved in with her then partner Rocco Stark (37) and caused a huge ruckus. Heger accused Alexander Posth (45) and his wife Angelina of having a sham marriage. While still on the show, the stunned couple talked about an ad.
By the way, the “Sommerhaus” is not only known for arguments between couples, but also for its disputes within relationships, which is why many people were struck by the relationship and separation curse after the show. Heger and Stark separated after season one, as did Xenia Princess of Saxony and Rajab Hassan. The well-known separation couples include Micaela Schäfer (39) and Felix Steiner, ex-jungle star Helena Fürst (49) and singer Ennesto Monté (48), Bert Wollersheim (72) and Bobby Anne Baker, Benjamin Boyce (55) and Kate Merlan (36), Patricia Blanco (52) and Nico Gollnick, Johannes Haller and “Bachelor” candidate Yeliz Koc (29) as well as Andrej Mangold and Jennifer Lange (29).
And the curse has already caught a couple from the new season, as broadcaster RTL has now announced: Maurice “Mo” Dziwak (25) and Ricarda “Ricky” Raatz (31) are now separated from each other.